The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-09-01
LONDON ON WHEELS.
Above Ground-On the Gro md
And Under Ground.

Above Ground-On the Gro ind
And Under Ground.
How the five millions of people in
London "get about T" to their daily avo-
cations and homes is mystery to those
who have not made the subject study,
so 1 have gathered some information
which will throw a little light on it.
THE UNDERGROUND.
Let me start out with the statement
| that beside the ten large terminal sta
tons, like the Eaton Square and the
Midland, there are 430 railway stations
within the metropolis, and the under
ground lines alone carry annually 1885,
O0O, 900 of passengers. The underground
roads have been in existence for more
than quarter OF century, and are
found to answer the purpose admirably
of relieving the overground traffic. They
are convenient, cheap and comparatively
quick; but decidedly unpleasant, II not
positively unhealthy. Although the en-
gines consume their own smoke. 1t is
impossible to keep pure the air in the
tunnels, and you usually emerge from
them with headache.
OF course, the cars have to be lighted
artifcially, and they had not learned to
use the electric light in them when was
last in London-last October. Gas is a
poor substitute in such place. You are
forced to read your newspaper in dim
light, and the gas consumes much OF the
oxygen which gets into the tunnels from
the stations and from openings en- route,
which are made for the purpose.
Yet you do not get about as quickly IN
the underground as you would imagine.
To avoid distractions and for mechanical
reasons the road takes circuitous route,
and you frequently must ride long way
around to 90 a comparatively short dis
lance.
RAILWAY ON ARCHES.
Millions of Londoners, who go direct
from home to business, seldom get into
an underground train. There are many
overground lines built on brick arches
which 20 to the suburbs, where rents
are low, for every Englishman must have
his own house, no matter how small,
which he regards as his CASTLE" These
trains are quick and cheap, and you are
blessed with ample light and good air
at least as good as you can get In foggy,
smoky London.
On all roads, whether on trunk lines,
on local, overground or underground
lines, there are first, second and third
class cars, or Carriages" as they call
them. Even some omnibuses that ply
from the trunk-line stations also have
compartments Tor different classes; your
Englishman is very particular with whom
he rides.
NO TRACKS IN THE CITY.
There are no street cars run by the troll
ley, storage, OF any other electric system
no cable cars, no horse cars not track
laid for q surface road in the city proper.
Many Americans leave London without
ever seeing street car of any kind, and
yet in the metropolis 1000 street cars
run daily over 120 miles of track, but
they are not permitted in crowded
thoroughfares; they are confined to the
outlying districts. l have only seen
them in the east end The street cars
are double deckers," and, like the
buses, they carry more outside than in
side passengers, but the number of pas
sengers is limited. When the car has
reached its limit it will take up no more
passengers. Every passenger has the
right to a seat, and, to use paradoxical
phrase, every Englishman stands up for
his right to seat.
"GRowLERs" AND HANSoMs.
Street cars are not needed in the city.
Nearly all London streets are in as good
condition for driving as our Central Park
roads. There are 5000 hansoms, 1000
4-wheelers and 1000 omnibuses, so that
you are not obliged to walk on account
of the absence of cars. The London cab
service is the best and cheapest in the
world. The writer says this, notwith-
standing that he remembers that you
can hire cab in Key West for dime.
But such cabs and such horses The fare
in hanson for Emile drive is /
shilling Us cents; by the hour, two
and-six (62 cents. There are no such
smart horses for public hire anywhere as
the London cab horses. They go like
the wind if by the course, and they go
at similar gait by the hour if you
promise an extra sixpence.
HOW THEY MANAGE A "BLoCK."
London drivers are not so brutal nor
SO ill-tempered as New York drivers.
They do not, as rule, curse or swear at
each other as ours do, who are always
ready with foul oath. On my last
visit to London, where | staid one
month, l saw great many "blocks,"
but heard only one quarrel between
drivers, and that was not at all serious.
The two thousand omnibuses keep en-
ployed eight or nine thousand horses.
The number of miles run annually by
the omnibuses, is 100000, and the
number Of passengers carried not less
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