The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-09-06

Did you ever go through the Tower SubwayP
L don't mind going through once but as a
daily amusement think the Tower Subway
has its disadvantages. This tunnel under the
Thames was constructed to accommodate
pedestrians who wished to cross the river in
this vicinity. The entrance is near London
Tower. A little circular house marks the
spot You enter and begin descending a
narrow spiral stairway. 1t is one of those
stairs that turns you half way round at every
step. After spinning around for few
moments your head gets unsteady and YOU
stop to simplify matters little You then
wonder how far 1t is to the bottom. and
reluctantly resume the giddy whirl feeling
more and more uncomfortable as YOU get
deeper and deeper into this stuffy subway
entrance. You stop again feeling faint and
thoroughly disguised with yourself for
coming down. 1t seems you have descended
about a mile and half. Lights are now
burning In this gloomy subterranean passage
and you lean over the railing and look down
and then up. You seem to have gone about
third of the whole distance and YOU are
seized with desperation born of despair, and
with clenched fists and firmly set teeth YOU
rush wildly downward. After about half an
hour OF this maddening descent you drop on
one of the cold moist stone steps from sheer
exhaustion. You are now positively sick and
begin to loose your determination to proceed.
After resting for while with your ewes
closed and your hands to your head, you
venture to look down again. You are yet far
from she bottom. You look up and find YOU
are but little more than half the whole
distance. You would go back but it seems
easier now to go on. You therefore proceed
very slowly, looking outward and trying not
to notice the circular motion. Finally the
bottom is reached, and under yellow gas iet
stands q bleached ticket seller. For penny
ne gives you ticket and you pass through i
turnstile and begin crossing under the muddy
Thames lou look ahead and far into the
gloom stretches row of sickly gas lets
When you stand erect-if you are six feet in
height-your head grazes the Shiny top of
this ovs-shaped tunnel. The thought that
yon are far below the bed of the river in this
little, narrow, stuffy subway is more UNIQUE
than agreeable. Water oozes through the
moldy sides aud collects in little pools on the
floor. You stop under one Of the pale gas
jets and read up in your guide book. You
learn from this source that on one occasion
the sides caved in and buried alive three
people who chanced to be passing through
This gives you the horrors and you neryously
clutch your book and hurry on The distar ce
seems 1nterminable and the atmosphere is vile.
The picture of being buried alive is constantly
before you and the sound of your footsteps
seems strangely sepulchral. You anxiously
watch the walls and occasionally start with a
shudder as the Pickering gas gives YOU the
impression now and then, that they are
starting to close in about you, and the
perspiration collects in cold beads on your
brow. On and on you go with the sound of
the rushing water above in your ears and the
atmosphere becoming more and more impure
FINALLY you reach the lowest point in the
tunnel. This marks the middle and you now
Degin gradually ascending. The air gets a
little better and after long and tedious
Journey, you reach the perpendce spiral stair
at the other end and climb to the top. What
relief to be in the pure air again and free
from the agoniziDg dread of being buried
alive. You drop into the nearest seat, initiate
your. lungs to their greatest capacity and
thank your lucky stars that you have escaped
alive. You also VOW by all that's sacred that
so long 'as reason holds her sway under no
circumstances whatever will you again be
induced to enter the Tower Subway.
The Underground Is another of these
gloomy avenues Of travel. 1t is preferable,
however, In some respects to the Tower Sub
way. AT number of places in London the
visitor notices an index followed by the words,
"To the Metropolitan Railway" If he fol-
lows the direction indicated by the hand he
will come to one of the numerous entrances
to the Underground. This is London's rapid
transit road, and as such is a success, In
going frCm one distant point to another
where time is an object, the Metropolitan is a
great convenience. The ride, however, is
extremely unpleasant. Having descended the
steps to the subteranean PLATFORM the pas
senger is directed by one of the station Of
ficials to the ''booking Office" Here he pur-
chases his ticket and, while waiting for his
train, either strolls up and down the gas
lighted platform, steps on the weighing ma
chine and "ascertains his correct weight for
penny" or works the slot apparatus for
either stick of chocolate, a slab of stale
candy, spray of perfumery for his handker-
chief, bad cigar, or a box of matches At
either end of the platform is a dark opening
from which every few moments train rushes
out with deafening noise. 1t stops but an
instant and then disappears into the opposite
tunnel leaving the underground station filled
with smoke. The engines shrek is heard in
the distant gloom and in less time than it
takes to write it, your train rushes up, and
the uniformed station master bundles you
into a carriage and before you are seated you
are plunged into the damp and darkness of
the opposite tunnel. The smoke is sitting,
the atmosphere heavy, and the noise intensely
disagreeable. Most people on the Under
ground are in 4 bad humor and sit silent,
surly, and selfish, ready to quarrel on the