The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-06
STREET TRAVEL.
How London's Four Millions Travel
on Land and Water.
The Great Usefulness of the
Underground Railway.
Il H E <s'B u S E So
Over Fifty Million Passengers Carried by
One "Bus" Company.
Instructive Facts for New York
Instructive Facts for New York
Conveyance Monopolists.
LONDON. April %. 1876.

LONDON, April %, 1876.
AS might be expected, the necessities Of the tenn
Ing millions who inhabit tho "county Of houses
called London have called into existence manifold
system Of locomotion which, in extent and general
adapabilty is without equal glance at the stats-
tics relating to the and population Of London will
suffice 10 show what the locomotive necessities OF the
Inhabitants must be- Spread either side OF the
river Of Is 600 acros equal to LIZ square
miles, in endless labyrinth OF brick lined streets,
the vast city shelters population Of 4000 600 souls.
London must be regarded congeries OF towns and
cities amagamaicd INTO one vast WHOLE the nuclc'
being the cities OF Ioni ION proper and OF Westminster
Around these two the growth of centuries has
produced modern London tho extreme suburban points
of the circumference being HAMPSTEAD Isngton Stoke
Newingtcn and Hackney in the north; Stratford Lime
house, Deptford Greenwich, woowich, Charlton and
Piumstoad in tho cast Camberwel and Strcaiham in
the south, and Kensingon, Fulham, Hammersmith and
Putncy IN the west Thus, although all these places
retain their old manner they fact swallowed up by
the huge and omnverous monster Of whom they have
become part and parcel AS the question Of
RAPID AND KyHAcTIvE TRANSIT
is exciting much atcnr,n In New York. the read
OF the HERALD may like have some details as TO
the principle and method employed in solving this i'm
portant problem for the immense locomotive popula-
ton Of London. 1t must be stated, however, at tho
outset that, owing to the entirely differing congura-
ton and topography Of tho of London and New
York and tho completely dssmilar geological forma-
tons which the cities stand strictly parallel
comparison DO made between them. Tho triple
city OF Now York, Jersey City and Brooklyn is sepa.
rated by two vast streams and lies upon unrvalled
harbor, whereas London. lar inland, is simply bsected
by ono great water artery. Then, again, Now York
stands upon rocky ground, London upon formation
which has given name to gcology-tho 'London
cay'-a point of much importance when the practical
bity Of subterrancan railroads rs taken into consider
alton The three great lines OF transit and travel in
settled countries being
ROAD, RIVER AND RAIL,
1t is under these hoads that account OF the systems
ofocomonon should be classified River and rail- as
arteries Of London lOcomotion do any par
tcuar points OF interest just with regard to tho
question Of transit engaging tho attention Of New York.
where an effective and suitable system OF omnbuses
and cabs to be the great desidcratum. Indeed,
so Tar locomoton by river is concerned London has
fur to loarn from New York than New York from
London. There is any ground for comparison
between tho little penny steamer, fitting about
the Thames, and tho majestic fcrryboat OF the North
and East rivers; although, the other hand, tho
dimensions OF the penny steamer in keeping with
the size OF the stream ON which II plies, just the
mghtysSt John Is in harmony with tho ocea6ic
stream OF the Hudson. AS to the facilities afforded by
STAT THE METROPOLITAN AND DISTRICT RAILWAY,
the many schemes which have been suggested to
provide New York with an underground railway must
have made tho London system familiar your readers
and 1t will not be necessary to dwell any length upon
the subject glance at the official map OF tho Dis
trict Railway and its connections explains the whole
system ut once. The underground railway sweeps IN
OF London embracing the centres Of commerce and
fashion. Attached to tho oval its west is loop
line embracing the western suburbs lar as Hammer
smith. At different points in its circumference tho
underground system rs tapped. by the main lines OF
provinces, the radating lines crossing on the north
long line which travcrses northern London and on tho
west line which traverscs the extreme western por-
OF the suburbs and the main lines which
north and south. The first section OF tho under
ground railway. consisting Of three and half miles
OF tunnels and cuttings between Farrngdon street and
Paddngdon, was opened In 1852. II cost 81 800 O00
and runs on tho level with the gas pipes and
water mains. Hence II has been called the Railway
OF Rats and ''The Nam Sewer" The southern half
Of the oval completed in 1869 1871 and runs
through cuttings than the northern portion from
which circumstance II has been dubbed the .dayiight
routen
UNDERGROUND LONDON
This system OF rail- has proved an immense boon TO
tho hundreds Of thousands who, when days work
Is over. wish TO escape speedily the rccr air Of the
suburbs and Its completion has doubt tended TO
swell immensely the growth Of tho suburbs. Tho
speed of the underground trains from twenty to
thirty miles an hour-a rate which is maintained be-
tween the frequent stopping places owing to The system
OF brakes by which the trans be brought to dead
IA Ia In
on level with the platforms Of the stations tho
rages arc cmptied aud nllcd incrcdlaply short
space OF tmc the average time OF stoppage being about
twenty to thrty-i seconds. The CHEF and indeed
almost the only complaint against the Metro
potan Railway. Is the ovcrcrowding Of the carriages
during the busy hours OF the morning and evening.
Following each otner as the trains do 1T intervals OF
but lew minutes, the crowd Is so great that the
usual stringcntly enforced rule against persons
standing IA the carriages abandoned by consent
underground railway carriage beng the only public
vehicle in which such oyercrowding is tolerated.
OCCASIONALLY some old gentleman with corns viii com
mence feeble protest, .Realiy. you know - in
tcrruptcd by VERY sorry, bat i've missed two trans
already" so much, then, Tor river and rail- Tho two
branches OF
ROAD on srRxKr TRAFFIC or LONDON
whceler''J system. Very different from the
smali, light New York stage, drawn by its wccdy
horses, Is the huge, sohd numbering London OMNIBUS
dragged through tho crowded streets by its heavy,
sturdy Belgian Perhaps feature OF the street
lie OF London strikes the American than tho APP
pcaranco OF these great buses, crowded inside and
out Tor, general thing, though ..'busn may not
possess It's tut complement OF passengers within, there
nearly always double Of male travellers seated
back 10 back, upon the knifc ooard and two others
each side of the drivers box II such be the prac-
tlce IN the damp, rainy climate Of LONDON IL would
seem that the riding outside and the consequent enjoy
ment OF the air might very reasonably be adopted
the New York tramways Another point OF difference
10 the invafiabe employment OF Two officials to each
stage carriage. viz, driver and conductor.
In the American stage which, when crowded
with people. both seated and standing, cannot afford
accommodation for than thirteen fourteen
driver, like the hundrcd-handed giant Of mythology,
has mot an impossible task managing his horses,
looking alter passengers and giving change, although
his dcxery In the performance Of this complication
IN the case OF
THE LONDON OMNIBUS
with It's twelve passengers inside and fourteen out tina