Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-18
From the London News, july 18th.

8askefs, Hamdcarts, and Doliverieo-
What America Ought 90 Have.
From the London News, July 18th.
The most important of depots in London is of
course st. Martin s-le-Grand. general misap-
prehension seems to have been occasioned by
the work that has for some time past been go
ing on upon the top of the new postal building.
This has not, as seems generally supposed, any
thing to do with the parcels post 1t is merely
the extension that was contemplated as a future
necessity at time when the building was
erected and is required in order to afford ad-
ditional accommodation for the staff of the new
premises. The only structural alterations or
building additions that have been made in con-
nection with the new service are upon the
other side of the way. The old building
which had already been modified out of its
original identity. has had TO submit to further
change. The public hail running through the
center OF the building was. if we remember
Alright, shut in and appropriated to the letter
service about the time that the telegraphs were
taken over by the department, and has ever
since been devoted to the reception of letters
posted By the public outside and to the sorting
OF them within. This arrangement will not be
materially disturbed. only that counter for the
reception of parcels will take the place of the
letter boxes hitherto opened in Foster Lane.
The principal parcel counter WILL however be
on the other side OF the buildng-in the ST.
Martin s-le-Grand front of the building that is
to say. There will be an Office formed in that
end of the building nearest st. Paul's, and a
doorway is now being opened up to be reached
from the street by kind of gangway formed
across the space intervening between the out
side ratings and the wall, a space which it is
essential to preserve on account OF the sky
lights to the basement apartments of the post
Office. From both these counters wooden shoots
are to extend down into the basement and all
w hn ot lnyxn RI
the floor where large staff of sOrters will lie in
wait for them.
The staff are all there now, and so are the
parcels-in effigy. and for some time past the
work of parcel postage has been in digent re-
hearsal. Between theory and practice. as all
the world knows, there is often serious diff
ference. Little difficulties and bitches of one
sort and another are pretty sure to crop up
unexpectedly in the starting Of any new
mechanism of the kind which the post office is
now setting up. and it might be disastrous if
the public should to an unforeseen extent begin
to try their new machinery before something
like snOOthness had been secured in the work
ing of it. Large numbers of dummy parcels
have therefore been made up of as nliscella-
neOus and irregular a character as possible. and
all sorts of experiments in sorting, packing
them into hampers and making up mails have
been in progress for months past. The sorting
of both letters and parcels. the public may not
be aware is thing that has to be taught as
methOdically as police work or military drill,
and st. Northumberland has it's regular
school for the purpose, in which new hands
are instructed and practised with cards ad-
dressed to all sorts of places before they are
permitted to have anything to do with letters.
The sorting of parcels has been taught In the
same way. but in addition to the sorting some
practical experience has been afforded by
actually making up parcel mails. and in fact
doing everything that the actual service will
require except the actual dispatch. For this
ne 10 at hon 70
be necessary has been obtained by utilizing a
lumber-rOOn in the basement of the post
office, and adding to this another large apart
ment, for which room has been excavated
under the roadway at the Cheapsde end of the
building. This is really quite large subter-
ranean hall, and should any extension of space
be required there is still the possibility of
further excavations round in the rear of the
building in the yard lying along Foster Lane
These underground premises are as yet i'm con-
siderable confusion. but they will shortly be
cleared for action, and by Wednesday no doubt
everything will be in apple pie order The par
GELS. when sorted. will be packed into capacipus
baskets OF special construction, some of which
have been made by cOnvcts and some by regu-
lar basket-makers. many Of whom must lately
have had busy time of it.
The underground premises of the pOst-office
seem just now chOked up with baskets of which.
however. there are great many more than
there appear to be. They are made in three
Si@.S, ."C VI WuiCu perhaps De TWO
and a half feet long, two feet wide and two feet
deep. The second size just goes into this larger
one. and there is a third size Just fitting into
the second so that when these wicker recep-
taeles are empty they may be packed away one
within another Thus every basket now seen
IN the passages and basement apartments in ST.
Martlns-le-Grand may be counted as three Bags
are also provided in large numbers and both
bags and baskets are of course cOntrived to adj
NIT of being readily sealed For experimental
purpose. rough presentment of distributing
and collecting van has also been set up 1t will
be by these vans that parcels will be collected
and delivered throughout London. and not by
men on foot or by hand-carts. There is q
specimen hand-cart ON the premises here, but
in London, at any rate, their use will be very
limlted-perhaps used only in the suburbs. and
not there. probably, to any great extent. For
conveying mails made up between the different
depots. larger vans will be employed. At
present it is thought that throughout London
and the suburbs abOnt 1870 or 14O collecting and
delivering vans may be required-seventy or
eighty in town. and the rest for the Outlyinp
districts. What the service may shortly re-
quire it Is of course impossible tor any one to
say The staff employed is as yet merely a pro-
visional one. Some fresh hands have been
taken on but good many old ones are being
employed to do extra work, and so to make a
shift until little practical experience has been
gained. We may add that at the moment of
writing the times of collection and delivery
have not been announced. 1t is believed, how
ever. that there will be from three to five de-
liveries and collections in the day-that is to
say, three in some parts of the metropolitan
districts and five in others.
ONLY Ten DPluUS