The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1896-01-15
LONDON UNDERGROUND ROADS.
uisaereeable to Travel on and Pay Poo
Dividends.


to Travel on and Pay Poor
Dividends.
John Fowler, with q small syndi-
cate as his backers, laid down 43
wears ago an underground limo OF
railway from Padd,elgton station Of
the Great " esterl> railway to point
near Kings Cross Of tho Great
Northern, thus joining those two
great streams of traffic. It was not
however, until 90 years later that
the real basis Of the present system
was laid down by the Metropolitan
Railway company. This was what
is now known as tho Inner circlo.
Some ti1no aftorward the Motropoli
tan District Railway company was
formed, and the scheme then became
Of moro comprehensive character.
Neither of these companies has
benefited it's shareholders to any
apprcciablo degree. The Metropol1-
tan commenced paying 5 per cent
dividend, but this dwind1ed down to
2 in 1889 and has :.omained about
that figure since Tho Metropolitan
District company nover paid any
thing but fraction and since 1883
has paid no dividend whatever. The
nominal capital of the Metropolitan
is $5S, 1926, the number of miles in
work being 38. The gross receipts
average $500, 900, 460, and the net rc-
oeipts ST, 964, 900. Tho working OK
pensos per milo amount to ST, 50O,-
900, while the revenue por milo is
SOL AS for the District COM
pany, it's nominal capital is only
$36, $40 and it's length of way 10
miles. It's gross receipts average
ST.. 9S5, 900 and it's net receipts ST.
036, 900.
The discomforts and dangers OF
this means Of locomotion can mover
be estimated by any ono who has
not madoa trip on tho underground.
At such central stations as GoWo1
street, whero tho traffic is great anc
the rails are laid down moro than 81
feot below the eart]s surface, it is
impossible to breathe without Ill ct
! fects. Thore is, no adequate cutie
$ for tho volumes of sulphurous smoke
Q which pour from tho tunnels as tin
trains pass through, and according
r " the station is filled with noxlou
$ fumes. Even in the hottest weathe
0 it is better to keep tho windows o
7 tho railway carriages closed, bu
!. when tho carriage is crowded, as a
+ certain times of the day it always is
; to oxcoss, this is obviously imposs
r bic. Leading medical experts hav
% given it as their distinct oplnlo
q that tho underground railways hav
If been directly the cause of q larg
: number of new diseases. Those VIII
,s; constantly use the underground,
!. for SO tho lines OF both co1npanl<
arc familiarly alluded to, develop al
ments of the heart or lungs, VIII
'g tho oycs also frequently become scr
i'd ously affected. To the stranger IL
at effect of journey on either the Me
in ropolitan or District railway IS ST
d. gularly painful. 1t produces hea
- ache and nausea and affects tt
G. chest and lungs in q marked deSro
or To u stranger tho difficulties
- travel by tho underground arc
Io most insuperablo. The lines are Ia
MT down in circlas. Thus thoro are
ot inner, a middle and AL outer circ]
ho The inner circ]o embraces tho cl
to proper and runs from Aldgato rou
yys Is to Aldgato again. But it is on t
ire outer circle that tho unlnltlat
Traveller is, most likely TO go Wro1
ug Ho may DO within 1iVo or ton IN:
cs utes' walk OF tho point no desires
cs, arrive at, and not knowing this
on goes to tho Metropolitan Or Dlstr
SC? railway and asks if he can book
ng such and such q station. Tho Gle
tly always roplios that no can, and
I unlucky wight is put on boar'
at? train which will carry him rou
'ou the whole Metropolitan area q
er? tako an hour in the doing Of it
ing Chicago Times Herald.