The Worthington advance., 1881-08-25
ENGLISH RAILWAYS,

ed p three classes. Each car is divided
INTO several compartments. mostly four.
each Compartment being entered on the
dde, and separated by = closed partition
from the compartments adjoining. THESE
paNltions render impossible that long char
acteristc halls Of the American train. and
only by means ola small platform extend.
ing on the outside can one section be en-
tered from another. This platform is also
utilized by tho gsaard in collecting the tick
cts OF the. passengers, and the same are
PASSED to him through the compartment
The cars being ent red on the side. one.
half the passengers must ride backward.
and it the train be full, the four persons
who enjoy the window seats are the only
ones Who ride with comfort, and who catch
even imperfect glimpses of the scenery
through which the train passes. The first
class compartments are the most expensive
OF all. The aoo- is generally covered with
q rug, which is clean and new, The win
90 VS. glisten, and are .tahtefully curtained.
The seats are luxuriously cushioned. The
second class compartments, as q rule, are
a0tmuch less comfortable than the first.
The hoor is often bare, but clean, the seats
are less elegantly upholstered. A good Sec
ond- class car in England or Germany is Of
ten more richly furnished than the average
hist-class car of Italy or France; but in
either country cushions. curtains. and com
fort are generally wanting in third class
compartments. In the English the floor ia
| bare and often covered with dirt: the win
dows are dusty and the boards for seats are
hard. On account Of the low rates of fare
the mass OF the people prefer this class and
the cars are general]y crowded. Between
Liverpool and London by the Northwestern
compahy's train for first-class carriage the
charge is about 1926 in American cur
rency; for second class, $5.75; and for O
| third-class only -. The third class COM
partment, too, may b. on the same car with
the first; or, if not, attached, at least to the
same train. First-class passengers are al.
lowed moEe more baggage than the third,
though in either case articles which can be
crowded under the seats can go free. All
luggage is weighed, but is never checked,
and Tor any excess ticket is required.
The locomotive is cute little machine,
which reminds one of a good-sized toy,
Dnt with immense power. 1t ratified along
the track with pace seldom equalled IN
other parts of the world, and seldom does a
break or accident occur. The whistle is
low, sharp, and shrill. A great railway
corporation is said to have no soul. and
this may account for the fact that the en-
gineer "stoker" Of an English locomotive
have apparently no protection from the e1-
tremes OF the weather, but are exposed the
year round to driving rain, scorching heat,
piercing fog, and freezing cold. A very
slight sum, judici0usly expended, would
afford these employees the necessary shelter
and protection; and why such comfort
should be denied is ono of those railroad
problems which but few mortals are able to
rathom and explain. But if the English
cars are inferior to those of America, the
management of the line is vastly superior.
The track is straigh; and smooth and beau-
tltul. 1t is guarded by law from vandal
feet with as much care rs the garden spots
OF the country lords, and for any one to
walk along the line or in other ways trespass
would be gross transgression Of private
rights. Passengers are Respectfully re-
quested' or earnestly solicitated" to cross
the track by the bridge, or PASS under it
by means of tunnel, and if tue request or
solicitation be unheoded, fine of 40 shil-
lings is demanded. AL city streets and
paths cross the track, either above or be-
low the common level, and to attain this
end the most ingenious shifts are often
employed. To keep the line straight and
level, it is carried through hill rather than
around it, and the tunnels are constructed
in the most elaborate and expensive way.
The stone and iron work Of the drains, via
ducts, and bridges also show the most iber-
al outlay. This large expenditure is es-
pecially true in London itself. From
Charing Cross one Can take train every
few minutes from the level of the street, or
he can ascend stairway and take another
above many OF the house tops, or he can
1onnar,6 infn tho oorth ND Aol-
other below the surface.
The metropolitan or underground system
of railways in the great city provides most
admirably for rapid transit between stations
in the city and stations IN the suburbs.
This system consists mainly of a series of
tunnels with almost as many branches as
the catacombs of Rome, and with openings
here and there to the surface for the ascent
and descent Of passengers. There is an nj
most complete circuit of the city, so that a
passenger may start from some central
point, as Moorgate street, near the bank,
and after traveling -or an hour find him.
self back at Moorgs e street again. Not
withstanding the enormous cost of such
line, its advantages are readily seen. Ex-
cept for aged and feeble persons, the ascent
and descent of the stairways are easy, the
danger from collision and accidenti is avoid
ed, and the space above isleft to be utilized
tor otf er purposes.
eral are constructed with little care for the
curtailing of expenses, the elimination Of
taste seems = center in many of the sta
tions. This is true more especially of tho
stations in smaller towns than in the larger
cities, but in all England nckety or tum-
ble-down structure can scarcely be found.
In the larger cities, as London, Liverpool
and Birmingham, the stations are elegant
structures of wood and glass, and are sup.
piled with every convenience the traveller
can demand. In each may be found three
classes of refreshment rooms, correspond
ing to the three classes of cars; news stands
which might more rightly be called book
stores, since the stock is not much inferio-
to TINT of tho dealers in Booksellers row:
parcel rooms where luggage is cared for ~
nominal price; luggage rooms, hotel &C
comm odations,: aad the other appendages
while the smaller English cities con boast
of stations rivalling in elegance those
Of Chicago or New York, the small
er stations are often the fea-
ture Of their respective towns, and, besides
being substantially built, are decorated in
the most finished and artistic manner.
Each station consists of two parts. one on
each eide of the track, and each section has
often it's own booking Office, refreshment.
luggage, and other rooms. Round about
are seen beds containing roses, honeysuckle,
sweetbrier, and other flowers. There are
no crumbling fences, piles of loose dirt, or
other inaiscriminate rubbish scattered
around, but the walks are scrupulously
clean and regular and the ground is tasteful.
ly soddea. In these stations are posted maps
and notices nd intintum, and the most
trivial changes are everywhere provided for.
1t has been affirmed that it is a more diff
cult process for a foreigner to make his 100
miles in England than 500 miles in Ameri-
ca. Passengers are not ticketed from one
station to another, but booked" end if the
journey be Of any considerable extent, the
latter term is certainly the most applicable
since the traveller is supplied with mimi
ature volume, in which is seemingly check
for every considerable town through which
the train passes. Even the oldest inhab-
itants'' are puzzled often to distinguished
between the changes, and are forced to
question the guard like the veriest stranger.