New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-01
ENGLISH RAILROADS.
QUEER FEATURES OF AN ANTIQUATED
SYSTEM.

the few years ago but while the English
made perceptible progress Improvement we hav
taken great stride toward greater perfection John
Bull is prover5ialy hardheaded stubborn old fellow.
and when lie gets things arranged about to his liking
says: There now that will do " and he doesn't want
TO see or hear Of anything better for the dozen
years He has Just way Of doing things and applies
that principle at times absurdly.
Lett take, for instance the underground railroad
which nov nearly encircles London and which is the
greatest convenience of modern days city without
being the nuisance which elevated roads necessarily
are The project OF building this road had many greater
objections and more discouraging than sch
enterprise could by any possibility present with
There were ten water, gas and sewer pipes where
there one With u.s. The land ten times valu
able. The soil foul with the congregaed odoIs of
all these elements. and the from the Thames
serious matter. But what will capital energy
and engineering DO Z And the wonder is how Lon
don ever managed TO get along many years without
the underground road An American cannot help smil-
ing, however. TO what of job John Bull made
of ito look around and the solid masonry the
long approaches &c the stations, ceed with enamelled
surface tiles or bricks in coo the great width Of the
space, just about double what Yankee engineer
would have been with and the track. the
Gines, coaches precisely the those III
on the surface roads the country. There
reason in the world why the rails and engines
should not have been light those elevated
roads. But Johnny must have things underground :
enormous costa million pounds sterling per mile,
SJ,OO0,000. But the road pays per per |
annum' and the stock is considered good thing for in
vestment and is rarely for The many openings to
the upper mir and the open spaces relieve the tunnel
from much of the smoke and coke is burned there is
little if any gas The coaches passably well lighted,
and the ride Is not dsagreeahle as you would first
suppose focgy day il is infinitely desirable
method of getting down the city than cab omnibus
There is "cellary" mouidy smell. such n boy de-
ecs when sent in the evening with the cider pitcher
I'LL and with the last ghost story fresh in his mind. But
there is no smell OF tainted atmosphere, and
when the great convenience OF rapid transit cond-
cred very little objection is left to opponents OF the
underground sy stem.
When George Francis Train came over here to intro
ducc the surface or tramway horse system he
EtrenuOuslv opposed az know. The mistake lie
made was not TO have sent dozen
years before, sort of missionary to preach horse
car roads. II he had done that. by the time he him
sel arrived the British mind would just about have
ripcned on the question George departed in dis
gust but he had the seed and although it took
oral years TO come up il at last did and you
street cars on many of the thoroughfares But the
national char tercs just evident in their
stwction as in everything else. They twice
heavy ours; clumsy. unsghtly things, all having as
do the omnibuses seats top An Englishma1 has the
proclvitics of the goat and he climbs the highest
point An omnibus Will have every seat filed Top "
and not man nsde and the climb up u
lHcIt uuHcfOuSy. Htie e1nlDltlOn OF Ine under
standing does not natter say little. might more B
properly say good DEAL because English girls foot
is small affair. "
The effort introduce the Pullman sleeping car has Al
met with Indifferent On the Midland between
Liverpool and London 1t is patrCnized simply be-
cause many Americans travel that route but you
will hear all sides the absurd objections offered to
IT, always winding with the assertion that they e.
too close and hot. The average Engshman always | t
masines himself too warm He is perforce obliged TO NJ
comfortably warmed room is unhealthy, and when there o
fire there is not enough of it to any ~.
ne hardens himself by daily fee water tub bath in his 70
oom and after it does days work with pair of MI
umb-bes TO keep from sodifyng lie objects Pull an
because is comfortably wanned and then go
viii let up that modern instance of the tui
uInng of the Pullman and loss OF the life of the
no set 1t on fire. and as is generally understood here
-as in too convvia a condition to save himself.
If there is any short trip that is uncomfortable
nan another in this wide world. 1t the trip in cross OF
ction coach between Liverpool and London Of wa
leSe cold, raw fOggy nights There icy clness mar
bout the that be found elsewhere OF Poo
urse there is fire. the only to comfort Me-
ling can OF hot water for feet put starting pan
ID changed once on the trip II gets to freezing Ma
in thirty minutes and yOu might well be ship or
with icce for all comfort You get out of it, eve
traveller coming this way omit lis lap rugs The doc
trent of cold air about his legs and feet one or OF
en two indispensable. I believe tie foundation for II
colds and sickness laid the trip Lux
om Liverpool 10 London for the American traveller Is
landed from the steamer than elsewhere in all Eng
nd. And ii is no better all the cars rail-
all equally comfortless and cold II s no season IN by
'vel in England. On or two roads an attempt clos
been made to establish few convenience must 52a
borne IN MUD that the car in general use has none m The
D. and in little pamphlet distributed incoming big
most fecitous mention is no less than but
times OF the fact that the new cars have Iava Lest
y The fact Is not particularly astonishing TO u.s. hat
they evidently expect to he amazed as IL lava were
Y in car was concession to bring the public IN its the
ees in gratitude and admiration. and
hen to the riding of the English car coach as COM
" call IT, and very properv for II still resemb,e Tho Il
stage COACH 1t SO close coupled AMI the here
near together that there is chg chug Ia p
IN pleasant II does not roll as ours do smoothly large
easily, but gives unpleasant idea that there is Sol
chanical aniagOnism between wheels and rails by u
hen for speed the higher than our for
and when the roadbed weight OF rail- sodity and rod
'othness are ner DO percepole advsnt ohe
"" say Una" 'ne'o 70 o io"u III Ill England TO be creas
ipared to the Pennsylvania and many other roads know
OF NewYOrk To sec English train pull out with corn,
ncosed locomotive with soke stack about twelve oaI
hes III dhhetef near its thh puny whistle and yanc
short, SHS'Ts marrow little ears makes
10 idea Of when Of ponderous loco ton
lives gives its deep basso cough and its raises close
right ont Of boots and inspires you san IL q,
nary desire 10 cut the engineers throat English heev
double what do and one cannot sec WHARF RI.
erfority comes in II expended much money rom
'ur roads tDey wod be too luxurl~ the house
immunity would break loose and travel cont,,uanv allies
o,,- ,ro,,a So .s -. 49,, | there
:. - Iiahar ~ , III ial,fOad IIark
80 aye at s, ~. .ne seS"nu anu thlrd- Por
~ al aa anu 10 at 81
ror liz ~ 10 lne hrst receiy
ra 5,ant NJ had ,nano' .9 '',s III an Amos 1882
~. NJ eo ns' ,"nop, s'"c peer onions ana duriD.
ncJ,at 70; t "nu get mttie e1- Oats
~ that noar ~ Dan no uaH Idy free ton Is
ng a dozen newspapers bowling at him and being
al "a "blaTstediarstCerat."