The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-06
TRANSIT EXTRAORDINARY.
4 Successful Electric Railway Sixty
Feet Under the City OF
London.
Great Saving Of Expense IN Tun-
ne]s, Machinery and MOTOR
Power.
~. uo.d Is tho First OF Its Kind
arrangements for Getting on
and OF.

x,r davs ago the Prince of Wales
.,o Citv and South London railway,
= now London rapid transit line that IS OF
-, o;neerinc interest and of surpAss-
70. :orel+v and boldness of design. Briefly
stated it is an electric railway little over
three miles in length, lying between forty
.nd eivty feet below the surface OF London
"..aa.s Roth in its depth and its electrical
...o-,onces the line has no prototype
a N:l. ,rb;ch it might be compared. London
80 40 snhterranean railways prior to the
Aaas.rnc.i,n of this new line, but their first
~. .nos enormous, their operations have
W.. heen remunerative in proportion to
~ c.nital, and the accommodations they
.1a.a .re INADEQUATE. The District railway
and the Metropolitan railway are both SUD
nav lines lying just beneath the surface.
NJ NJ. former cost nearly 100000 for
ND one-forrth miles of double track
~ .he latter cost nearly $3O, OOO.OOO for
,niI n,;,es In the case of the new City and
CIV london road three and one-foarth
~. hove been constructed and the line
fr,,v aonipped for less than S3, 75O.OVO.
r,rs+ in noint Of novelty is the great
..-,.t hollow the surface Of the City and
yop th nraon railway. This course was
se'io.,ad 10 save expenditures for land. TO
.,o;a baaSv nayments Of compensation TO
avo .sar.roupsrs whose buildings might be
ttarfaraa with, and to secure economy IN
aa..atrnction by avoidance OF all tounda-
t;nns and surface structures: fafhanenc
Granted the use of the subs SOIL Q. G1e stIe11s
free of charge; 80 tue IallWny l ,no, r rh
lines of the streets at ITS low level. Inc
.a;,wov rms from King William street to
Stnckwell at present, extensions OF the lien
hs;no authorized and projected. Inc up
oud down lines are carried in two separate
md distinct tunnels, running generally slde
~ side. but one few feet higher than the
other. TO enable passengers from one ttan'
to pass under the platforms OF One o'h1 o..
and thus readily reach the elevators. IN
swan Lane. thirteen foot thoroughfare,
one track is placed over the other, to avolo
interference with foundations.
Ihe tunnels are formed of cast-lron from
heo;nnino to end. save where the stations
are built, and their diameter 10 ten and Ter
and a half feet The tubes are formeo o.
rings one foot seven inches long, mace u
aections and boted together. The tunnels
wera driven by means of short cylinder. a
trifie larger in its inner diameter than thu
exterior diameter of the cast-iron TUNE
lining. This cylinder has a cutting edge
and Il forced forward by hydraulic jacks
cutting circular way into which the hmm
plates are fitted. The marrow space between
the lining and the soil was filled with Inn
cement forced in under high pressure. II
its course the tunnels pass beneath the be-
of the Thames and through the bed OF al
old water course, where loose. wet grave
offered some trying obstacles for the engl
ueers to overcome.
In addition to the two termini Of the ron
here are four intermediate stations. A
each station. there is q circular shaft tween
ty.fiye feet in diameter and lined with irol
rings like the tunnels. In each shaft Their
are two elevator cars semi-circular in form
each capable of accommodating fifty pas
senpers. or half trainful. These cars ar
raised and lowered by hydraulic machi1ler.
Of pattern quite similar to that OF the ia
miliar Otis hoists, and only thirty seconc
are required for car to make the ascent Z
the surface. Each train will accommodate
100 passengers and consists of an electri
locomotive and three cars. The cars hav
two seats running lengthwise, as in hors
car. Incandescent lamps IN each car ar
fed by the same current that drives the pro
polling motors.
The electrical equipment of this subter
ranean line is of interest hardly second t
tho tunnels themselves. The entire electri
motor, was supplied by Mancheste
firm, with guarantee that the cos
of hauling the trains should not ex
coed seven cents per train mile. When
is borne in mind that it costs 10 cents pt
mile to haul London horse car, and
cents for the same work on the district mi
way. the economy of the electrical systel
is obvious Ten electric locomotives kav
already been delivered to tho comoanv an
four more are nearly completed. Each 81
CINE weighs about ten tons and is carrie
on two axles. On each axle there 10 hui
the armnture of an electric motor-that i
the axle forms the spindle of the moto
There is no gearing or boiling of any kim
and each motor works independently of Il
other. The current is taken from a cent
rail or steel channel, and the rails Their
selves serve for the return conductor. II
engines are designed to run up to twent
fiy-, or twenty-six miles an hour. and
make the entire journey Of three and on
quarter miles, with four stops, At the rate
fifteen miles IN hour. A uniform fare
four cents is charged tor AZ distances
the line, and fares are paid at turnstlies
fore entering the trains.