The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-11-22
LONDON TUBE PAYS.
New Tunnel Route in the British
Metropolis is Coming to
be Profitable.


BILE proof that London's latest form OF
subterranean transportation is protitabl"
as we'll as agreeable. 1t has been to
Londoners revelation in American
methods. To be sure, the tube is a Lon
railway is it's title. 1t is backed by
English capital and operated by English:
men. But the electric traction is all
American, and the uniform fare and the
uniformed ticket taker are both sug-
gestive Of the New York elevated road.
The general cleanliness, of everything
connected with the line is again Ameri-
lied street railway lines in all our large
cities are the cleanest and best operated
in the world.
What interests Americans most about
the tube is the fact that it is similar IN
model to the underground railway no"
the way, l have met one Amerlcan VINO
was very much disappointed to find that
the tube was really not a tube at all, but
tunnel She had the notion, drawn
from it's name, that it was something
like pneumatic tube, through which
passengers were shot to their destination;
When she got into a railroad car and
was trundled along over prosalc rams al
about the speed Of an elevated railroad
train in New York she was very much
disappointed.
/ took my first ride on the tube from
the Bank of England station. Ihere Is
an opening in the pavement directly op.
posite the Bank Of England, ana niSnt
of steps leads to floor one story below
the street level, on which are the tickct
offices.
Fare Four Cents.
You nav two pence "a cents) for your
ricket and BASS through a gate, WnerF
you drop the ticket into a BOX. me
familiar ticket chopper of the New oIk
elevated sits there and destroys the TICK
cts us they fail. Past the ticket chopper
to be an octagonal waiting room, WIN
seats around the sides. When this wait
ing room is full uniformed attendant
closes the door and to your surprise the
room descends. 1t is, i'll fact Il yer!
large elevator. 1t takes you to the moor
below, where you step out On the pat
form where the trains stop.
The stations Of the tube are very clean
and bright. They are lined with white
enameed brick and lighted by arc lamps:
The cars are arranged like the elevated
railroad cars in New York. They are
point Of upholstering, etc. Along each
side are we'll cushioned seats separated
by cushioned arms In the middle Of the
cars are two cross seats on each SIDE or
the aisle. There are straps for those
who are not fortunate to secure seats.
Above the seats are wire racks for hold
ing parcels.
The cars are lighted by electricity.
They are ventilated through small spaces
above the windows and circular Ventl-
lators at intervals in the roof. The curse
OF advertising is on this line. as it is on
everything in London. But at least the
advertisements are not made Extensively
conspicuous. They are in the curve of
the ceiling. just above the windows, and
occupy uniform spaces from one end Of
the car to the other.
The cars are controlled by guards who
open and close iron gates at each end as
the train stops at a station and starts on
neatly uniformed and they are polite.
Superior to Paris.
The system on this road is far superior
in Paris, which is about as i'll managed
an institution as have known. On that
line the doors of the cars are situated in
the side of the cars and short distance
from the end and there are no guards
to control the movements Of passengers.
In the rush hours. therefore, there is a
fearful crush and much injury Of feelings
as we'll as forms.
This system is also superior to that of
the Metropolitan District Underground
in London, which is planned after the
fashion of the English railway car. be-
ing divided into compartments, each
compartment having door which opens
directly on the platform. In some OF the
Metropolitan cars, as on some of the for
eign railway coaches, there is commune
cation between the compartments, but
this is exceptional.
The ventilation of the tube is perfect.
The air in the cars is fresh and pure
:c no oS~ o% kn%s Tn,
spect it is in remarkable contrast with
the Metropolitan Underground. That
road is not an underground for its entire
length. There are frequent openings
where the cars run through cuts. New
ertheless the tunnel is at all times full Of
smoke and CRIME. and the cars so full
of coal gas that it is sitting. The alter
foulness Of air.
City's Local Traffic.
Strangers who visit London are
amazed to find an enormous proportion
of the city's local traffic handled by ON
nbuses. There are no street railways or
tramways in the heart Of London. The
enormous traffic of the business and
shopping districts is carried on above
ground by double-decked omnibuses,
buses varies with the distance, begin
ming at q minimum Of penny, or =
cents.
Below the surface of the city are sew
eral underground roads, and the Metro
politan system circles London. crisis
crosses London and runs far out into the
suburbs. Yet so great is the extent Of
the city, and so great the traffic handled,
that no one of the underground lines
reaches more than small proportion at
the points to which intending travellers
might want to go, and therefore the bus
traffic is as great as the lines can handle.
When Mr.. Yerkes begins the construc-
ton Of his electric underground road in
London. he will tap new district not
served by. the present subterranean
roads. There is no reason why he
should not be as successful in the opera
ton Of his company as the tube people
have been with theirs. for however large
the number of means of transit in Lon
don, there always seems to be an increas-
ing traffic to the limit of their capacity.
The statistical officer of the London
county council furnished me recently the
latest statistics of the local traffic of
London. They are compiled to 1895,
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