Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-06-23

but many Of them are mixed; that IL, the Arst
compartment is for lst, the second for I'd, and
theShird for Sd class passengers, or rather
persons having 1st, I'd or Sd class tickets, for
the most respectable people oftentimes ride in
% class carriages. The popular one is the
"a class, though the laboring people ride gen.
orally in the the Sd. The I'd class is about
the same price as our LIST class. The cars are
shackled together in an entirely different man.
ner from ours. There are no platforms, the
entrance being by steps at the sides. At the
end of the cars on each side, level with the
floor timbers, is buffer, with circular, fat
mead OF iron and wood, and having a spring
Behind 1t, SO that when two cars come togeth-
er there is very little if any jar-a decided
Improvement on our buffers. Two iron chairs
and screw hold the cars together. They
are lighted from the top by a lamp enclosed
IN glass globe separating it entirely from the
inside, or by lantern hung on the outside of
the door window.
About the only difference between the
classes of compartments is in the upholster-
ing. The third class have no carpet or cush-
ions, the second class have cushions on the
seats, and the first cushions, curtains and
carpets; but the best of them do not begin to
compare favorably with our finest cars either
outside or in. There are also few small
room, which parties can have by paying a
round price.
There are no conductors, but at each station
the guards stand ready to assist passengers
and shut all the doors just before the train
starts. Liverpool is little over 200 hundred
miles from London, and the distance is made
in four hours by the fast trains. They scoop
up water for the engine as the train
glldes along at the rate of so miles an
hour, long, narrow tank running close
to the track for about 800 yards. The
brakeman is in van, near the head Of
the train, where the guard also stays, and
brakes the train by turning spoked wheel,
shaped something like a steering wheel.
Some Of the first class cars have compart-
ment for luggage, but most of it is carried in
the luggage-van. They have no postal rail-
way express cars.
We left Liverpool at II o'clock midnight
on mail train and arrived in London at 7 so
the next morning. We could not indulge in
the luxury of a sleeping car as there are none
English people do not travel much at night
1t gets light here at this season much earlier
than with you, England being in higher lat
itude, and the nights are only about five hours
long. Twilight approaches SO gradually that
you do not notice it. 1t does not really get
dark until about 10 o'clock, and begins to
grow light at A. M. Of course during the
winter months this is reversed, the nights be-
ing very long and the days very short.
Our ride through the heart of England in
the early morning was a very interesting one.
We had always longed to see the English
hedges and fields and cattle. There is no
waste land, and very little forest. The fields
are cut up into small lots of meadow and
pasture, and look beautiful in their spring
verdure. We saw great number of fine
sheep and many horned cattle all lying out
The country houses are no doubt comfortable
but they make little pretention of show out
side.
of our impressions and ideas of London.
CLAIMING.