The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-16
Underground Roads That Will
Be Wonders of the World.
British Metropolis HoneycOmbed
With These Sideways.
A BIG UNDERTAKING.
May Some Day Be Connected
With Vast Underground City.
Causes That Led to This Delying
Beneath the Surface.

New York. June 16.-The great tunnel
that is to bring rapid transit joys 10
the hearts of New Workers is the first
extensive step in the direction of max
ing use OF the region beneath the sur
face to supply deficiencies that the
crowded condition OF the level ground
has made it impossible To fill except
by unusual means New Workers are
very enthusiastic about their tunnel. as
they have a right to be. for it VIII be
the greatest underground passage in
the world LabOrers are docking from
the ends of the earth to help construct
the tunnel Contracts ana subcontracts
ana Sub-su bcOntraCtS ara being given
out, models OF the new road. in numer-
Gus store windows, are always sur
rounded by curious thrOngs, the Illus
trated press is presenting pictures from
every imaginable view point OF the tun-
mel a. 1t Will appear when finished,
and the air is filled with tunnel talk
and congratulations that this great pro-
ject is 10 be carried out in America,
the country OF stupendous undertake
ings.
And yet in London, as the Loadoners
are mildly reminding us, there IS being
constructed a variety of tunnels. SO
vast and complicated, 50 UNNECESSARILY
superior in extent and engineering
peculiarities to that which America Is
10 possess that to begin to describe
LHeIn Is a task JHaI can only &c dD-
preached after careful study Of the
subject with the aid Of maps and dia-
grams. The accompanying 1Uustra-
tons give some faint idea of the vast
system Of tunnels III london The Brlt-
ism metropolis IS 50 hOneyc0mbsd Win
these underground roads that at some
points it is necessary to go down nearly
a hundred feet TO find the real solid
earth. Tunnels cross tunnels, one under
The other. In layers It makes one
shudder TO think of the consequences
of a sudden caVe-in where these UNDER
ground passages run one beneath the
/ other. An earthquake in London would
mean the burying out OF sight forever
Of hundreds of passengers travelling by
routes deep in the earth, to their homes
I CT places of business in the oVergroV-n
city
For years the work that is shown III
/ the accompanying picture has been go
( ing on in London. At one OF the bust
I est sections of the city the explorer OF
/ lne underground system first strikes
/ subway built To enable the foot pasSen-
/ gers to cross in safety q spot where
/ many great thOroughfares meet and
[ IS here il is almost impossible to steer
I pathway during the busy part OF tna
( day. In this. passage the pedestrian IS
| separated from the roadway overhead
/ by but Two feet Of concrete and steel
/ plates SO that the roar Of the road traf-
1 fc is still heard and the thud of horses
/ hoofs is a reminder that ne IS still near
! the surface of the earth. Beneath this
/ subway runs another to which access is
/ nat open TO the general public. This
second subway is for the gas and water
/ pipes, as well as for the innumerable
| wires of the electric system.
! Beneath this subway again is to be
| found the tunnel OF the Central London
| railway. the city terminus of which IS
/ some 20 feet beneath the surface. To