The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-13
LONDON's uNDERGR0uND RiILWIr.

there IL really little or no iaut 10 hc found with
it. IncS fninlly. it has the faults that are com
mon to British railways generally, but th"v arc
due to the system and not to any particular
msmanagcmont
union depot If all railways having tcrmini
in London is impracticablc Neither law nor
public sentiment would allow trains to run
through the open streets. MS is common in our
American cities and towns. Tho necessity for
some sort of casy communication between tn
various tcrmin had long been sorcy felt. and
but two methods were possiblc-onc by n suhtcr-
rancan. and the other by an elevated railway.
Though the task seemed almost superhumnn
the former method was determined upon. The
public received the plan ~ the offspring Of
crazcd brains. and for n long time the shares Of
the new enterprise went begging for purchasers
Finally. the Great Western Railway Company
whose London terminus is fully four miles from
the Bank Of England and the chief business por-
tions Of the city and which suffered great incon-
vcnicncc from that cause made subscription
Of Al 600 O0. and the Corporation of the city Of
London shortly after made Il subscription Of like
amount. But. munifccnt as were these sub
scriptions, the amount was but a fraction Of
what was needed. and money lenders were very
shy Of what seemed to them SO doubtful an un-
dcrtakng. Before the large subscriptions men
per cent. below par. and they continued below
par even long after these large subscriptions
had been made. As the prospect Of the opening
OF the line increased. the shares reached higher
prices but II was not until after the actual open
ing Of the road that they became favoritc secur-
tiles The ordinary shares Of the original COM
pany-the Mctropolitan-arc now quoted at 1G.
and preferred shares at 1876. From the worry
day OF its opening the Underground Railway
was Il triumphant success in every particular.
In the construction Of the road many Difficult
ties were encountered UNDERGROUND London
Is network Of gas and water pipes. and sew
crs. and 1t needed almost the skill Of Il surgeon
to avoid them. or turn them into new courses.
Three times they had TO tunnel their way under
the great sewer main known us the Fleet
Ditch, aud the passage Of the sewage could not
be interrupted for a moment. At ono point
near Harrington street station. the tunnel is
fifty feet below the surface Of the ground. and
Mt other points the top of the tunnel Is but two
feet below the surface. NcarsIlcgent's Park. an
underground walk has long connected Park
crescent and Park square, and the r. =idents Of
the former used this subtcrrancnn walk u
pnssaEcway under a busy street to the square.
1t is known ~ the Nursery Maids Walk" In
the ntcd States that would have been but "a
straw IN the way u great railway enterprise.
Not 80 in this case however. The residents II
Park crescent made such serious opposition.
that the metropolitan Railway was actually COM
PEELED To- run it- tunnel under this private walk
for gcntlrmcn's children. and. in 50 doing. WAS
obliged tn introduce gradients To- the extent 81
in 100. Whore its course lay under blocks 90
buildings. the company were obliged To pur-
chase both land and buildings and the latter
We're generally demolished. The cost scoms
"a ful t1. tot al . .l.
eight miles the outlay was $40 ssOuOO. This is
the part which belongs tothc Metropolitan Com
pany. but IL not the whole Of the Underground
Railway. Yet. on this vast capital. they manage
10 pay over per cent interest in the shape #
dividends. That Is fair interest in England
though not as much rs a number of other roads
pay Tho original line was opened for train
on Jan. 10. 1868.
Tho lower half Of the Underground Railway
or ia" part nearest the river Is owned by an
entirely distinct company. and was opened for
trufc 10 lis present terminus. on July 3. ISL
This part j. known as the District Railway The
two lines work in unison, however and tho en-
tire circuit Is made withou, change.
The railway makes nearly "A complete circuit
Of the heart Of that part Of London which lies
ON the north side Of the Thames Beginning
toward the eastern part. near the Tower it
nNe minutes walk Of II; puss'- near an tho
great railway tcrmni in the north Of the me-
tropolis, and To the west of Hyde Park and
kensiugton Gardens. AZ a point about six mil, s.
west Of the Tower, bends southwark. and then
eastward, touching The river close to- the Houses
of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Thence
II follows along under the Thames cmbank-
mcnt. close to several other great railway
tormini and finally halts again near the Bank
81 England. The terminus near the Tower IL.
Aldgate Station. and the other the Mansion
House Station. and the distance between the
two il about u mile \ company has been
Organized for the completion Of the circle. and
when completed trains will not, H. now be COM
PEELED 10 switch and return on the other track
upon reaching the terminal stations. West Of
kcnsing,on Gardens the road divides. and u
kind Of loop j. formed. running about a mile
without the inner or main line. This loop is
about four and II half miles long and in con-
nection with tho main line. forms Il sort ofoutcr
circle. Trains make the entire circuit on both
the inner and outer circles The main circle is
about twelve miles long. and las twenty -four
stations. the whole line ha~ double track.
ami the tunnel is a single span or arch OF brick.
Their" are eight rings OF bricks and So solidly
have they been Put together. that, SO far ~ |
have been able 10 ~ 'crtain. there has no, been
found a single settlement Of tic brick work in
the whole line
When the road was projected il was thought
that lis freight ilanc would De It's principal
source OF income. hut that was a great mistnk ..
lis freight iraillc is quite gnincant. but its
passenger trunlc is enormous. Other lines have
found IL very convenient 10 utill,, the rails of
the Underground Railway ~ means of run
ming their main line trains nearer the business
part Of London. Every great railway terminus
IN London * in almost immediate proximity IN
some part Of the Underground Railway. The
carriage, used are the same as On other British
railways, and tle usual first. second. and third
classes are run on all trains As the ordinary
system of railway signals would not answer
their purpose. they u,e a special system Of THEN
own. All carriages are lighted with ras. and
10y an ingenious plan, u supply Is carried on
each train.
Trains begin running about t oclocl, in the
morning, and are entirely discontinued about
midnight. Each week day 220 up trains depart
from the Mansion House station. and about the
same number Of down trains also leave AID
gate station daily During large part of thu
day fourteen train, depart hourly from each
terminus. or at intervals of only u little NOR,
than four minutes. rs on most other British