Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-17
RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK.
An Acre Of Specimens at the Parii
Exposition.

ExpOeftiOn.
DIFFERENCE IN TRAVEL BIZ ran. m EUROPE ynox
THAT IN THIS couNrRY-rHR OLD WORLD NOT
UP TO THE MODERN LUxuRIEs WHICH AMKRr-
CANS ENJoY-THE PEOPLE sxEM SATISFIED.
Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR
LONDON, August 8.
An acre or two Of space in the Paris EXPOSE
ton Is given up to show OF rolling stock Of
railways, passenger coaches freight vans and
locomotives. Following the example Of Ameri-
can railroads the railway managers of England
and the continent have been for some years in
Producing novelties in the way of comforts for
travellers. Parlor, dining and sleeping coaches
are exhibited at the exposition which repre-
sent the furthest advance made along the line
laid down by the Pullmans and Wagners in
America. Some of the coaches shown by the
great English and French lines are nearly as
long as an American Pullman, but they are low
and narrow. Something like vestibuled car
is made by inclosing the platforms The
fondness OF the European for compartments
exerts its influence upon the design of the in
terror Of the coaches, which are usually par
titioned off into small sections Comfort il
added in the way OF sumptuous upholstery and
luxurious easy chairs. Sleeping compartments
are provided with beds which are made up into
parlor car shown In the exposition. This,
am informed, is due to the height and size of
these cars, which made it impossible to take
them through the tunnels on any of the lines
approaching Paris. The only conspicuous ex-
hlbit of American railway material is a section
OF freight car sent by the Pennsylvania rail-
way company. One occasionally sees an Ameri-
can parlor car on an English railway, placed
there especially to appeal to the patronage of
the stream of American tourists constantly
he H.
man himself patronizes the old-fashiOned
coach. There has been no marked change
for years in the design of the ordinary rail-
way carriage in England or on the continent.
Short coaches on four wheels with three COM
partments are the rule.
DIVIDING PASSENGERS INTO CLASSES.
There are three classes in England-frst,
second and third-which are distinguished
mainly by the difference in the character and
comforts of the upholstery of the seats and the
number Of passengers permitted in a compart-
ment. Often the same coach will have a first,
q second and third-class compartment The
nrst-ciass compartment may be provided with
easy chairs. but usually it has one long seat on
each side of the compartment, softly cushioned
and intended. for four passengers. In the
second and third-class compartments the seat
of the same length Is expected to accommodate
five passengers. The second class compart-
ment is little less elegant and the cushions a
little less soft than those in the first class.
The third-class compartment on many lines is
provided only with uncushioned benches, but
some of the great railways, in competition for
thlrd-class patronage, have fitted those COM
partments with cushions, which render
them scarcely less comfortable than the second
class. On the German lines fourth class is
added, which consists of compartments bare Of
all benches or adornment. Their interiors are
as uninviting as freight cars. In such coaches,
which are attached only to the slow way trains,
poor peasants take their short journeys,
standing up like cattle. In England the great
mass of travellers go second or third class.
Merchants, lawyers and respectable men and
women of all callings travel third or second
class at about one-half or two-thirds of the cost
OF frst-class travel, leaving the frst-class
coaches to the nobility, swells persons of
wealth who love show and American tourists.
The rights of travellers are recognized and
jealousy maintained by the persons them
selves. In each compartment is generally
posted placard stating how many passengers
the compart ment is intended for. In a third
class coach, where the seat is intended for five,
if sixth person crowds in you will instantly
| see one of the crowded five thrust his head out
OF the window and yell for the guard. When
the guard comes the protesting passenger COM
plains that there are six passengers on the seat.
The guard then has to provide place else
where for the superfous passenger, even if
another carriage has to be added to the train.
The Englishman never allows himself to be
crowded. On the other hand, the rights of the
railway company are protected by law and
heavy penalties are imposed upon persons who
attempt to defraud company by riding in a
coach Of higher class than that called for by
their tickets.
THE LONDON ''UNDERGRoUSD."
The same style of coach and the same divi-
sion of compartments into classes is found on
the underground railways of London. There
are upward Of $50 miles of railway inside the
metropolitan district Of London traversing the
great city in every direction through tunnels
and trenches. One can find an underground
railway station within five minutes walk Of any
point in the center Of London. The stations
are dark and smoky. The light of the sun
never reaches these railways, and the drivers,
stokers, and other railway employees live con-
stantly in a foggy gloom. The journeys taken
by passengers over these lines are usually
| short, varying from five to twenty minutes in
length; hence the uncushoned third-class conf
partments are patronized largely by all classes.
The sleek city merchant the coatless artisan,
the uniformed messenger boy, and the house.
wife on shopping tour will touch elbows on
| the same hard seat. The fares charged aver
age about penny mile third class. A man
buys his ticket at the station in order to gain
admittance to the railway. His ticket is never
examined but taken up by a gateman at the
station where he wishes to leave. He cannot
get out upon the streets Of London without
ticket. Once having penny ticket he can ride
on the underground all day long provided he
finally leaves it by the station for which his
ticket was purchased. Such an undertaking,
however, would soon lose its interest for in the
course of an hours journey one would get well
begrimed and be well nigh asphyxiate by the
smoke and gases of the tunnels.
The speed of the English railway trains is
much talked about. 1t is seldom, however,
that train is run faster then many Of the ex-
press trains between the great cities Of the
eastern states are run. One of the quickest
runs made recently in England is that by the
special train which bore Messrs. f. B. Mcclure
and G. G. Glover, the representatives of the
Corc0ran art gallery at the Secretan sale, from
Chester to London at the rate of "a miles an
hour. The newspapers have already exploited
that run.
JOHN BULL AND HIS LUGGAGE
An effort has been made to introduce the
American baggage-check system on one of the
principal English lines, but it has about been
abandoned, it clashes with all the traditions
and habits OF the Englishman who travels. II
is difficult to separate the Englishman from his
luggage. He takes most OF it into his COM
partment with him and disposes of it in the
racks which are placed for the purpose above
the heads Of passengers. Sometimes he will
have several valises or portmanteaus, besides
innumerable packages, canes and umbrellas
done up In shawl straps. He enters the railway
station, followed by procession of porters
staggering under the burden of his personal
effects packed up in the form Of hand luggage.
The English woman shares with her brother