The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-08
LOND0N'S TRANSIT WAYS
TREMENDOUS REVOLUTION THAT NH.
YERKEs WILL BRING ABOUT.
why the Great Metropolis Has Got
Atoms with It's Omnibuses and
Cabs-The 'Tupenny Tube"


It has almost forgotten to be ashamed that
Il should have been left TO the brains and
Imagination OF an American to advance its
local transportation problem thus far on
the way toward mastery. II has abundant
reasons for gratitude and abundant reasons
for shame.
There is something to be said in behalf OF
London. The germ OF the city's defense is
10 be found in the statement Of Sir Chris
TOPPER Furness New York" he declared.
SIS little better of than London" That is
true enough. The Indictment is that with
the comparative difficulty OF the transit
problems OF the two cities New York ought
10 be a dozen times worse of than London.
Local travel in London IS in many ways
pleasanter than in New York. Because the
city is paved with wood blocks, instead of
Belgian blocks or asphalt, there is no
nerve-racking din. Because it is not hem
med IN by wide tidal rivers, traffic branches
out in all directions; there is jam OF
crowded multitudes hurrying southwark
mornings and northward evenings. Prac-
tically every traveller gets seat here.
The omnibuses may be antiquated and
s'5w-paced. but they give their customers
a cheap alfresco ride on their roofs. where
one may smoke his pipe and enjoy the
street sights. Their conductors may forget
their aspirates. but they do not forget their
manners: they are veritable Cockney gen
tlemen.
Residential and business neighborhoods
are so closely associated that the great ma
Jority OF London's six millions within
walking distance OF their daily tasks. The
atmosphere and the comparative comfort
and quiet of the streets tempt uncounted
thousands TO walk from their homes 10
their offices a matter of exercise, where
they would invariably ride If they were in
New York. Then it is seldom so cold in
winter as 10 drive passengers from the bus
top TO Its interior, and seldom are the fire.
Quent rains OF so wetting a character as to
dislodge them from its roof.
If one is not in a hurry-and somehow in
London one Is not in a hurry-he can act
TALLY enjoy omnibus transit. If he Is in
the "tuppenny tube" he can get to il quick
ly and pleasantly by that route.
Or he can hail cab and for quarter of
a dollar be whrled to his rendezvous
with the consciousness that the same ride
would have cost from 81 TO 81 in New York.
There about 20 600 hackney cabs in Lon
don and every year. according to Mr.. ]. w.
Bonn. Of the London County Council. they
carry the extraordinary number of 10000. 600
passengers.
PASSENGERS LAST YEAR.
According to the same authority. the total
number of passengers last year in London
was about 1,275.OOOOOO. divided as follows:
BY omnibus. 5OO.OOO.OOO; by tramways. 300
COO.OoO: By railways, 4OO.OOO.OOO; by cabs, TO-
OO0.OoO and by river steamers. 3.5OOOOO. The
totals are vast and in part the service they
represent is comfortable. What has TO be
said against London transportation is that
it is Anticipated and slow beyond belief and
particularly that it utterly lacks organiza-
ton. Late at night it goes out of business
altogether
1t has been said OF London that it is
of all cities the most nearly inorganic.
This is chiefly because it has no inter-
penetrating local transit system. Picca-
dily Circus, the true center of the me-
trOpolis, is accessible only by omnibus.
IL takes longer to cross the city than Ii
does TO travel from London TO Birming-
ham Whatever lines of communication
there are by steam or electricity run east
and west rather than north and south.
and devious means of communication
cease operation. The electric tramways,
the electric tube" the steam Metropoli-
tan and District railways, and the buses
close down. Save in South London. where
the County Council owns and operates its
own tram system, the belated LOndoner
is compelled 10 walk or ride homeward
by cab. Between midnight and dawn of
each day London ceases TO be city. 1t
becomes an aggregation of mutually hostile
towns. In effect the stroke of twelve is a
curfew bell which warns strangers to get
indoors.
Ii was only two years ago when the
first electric street railroad. or 'tramway,"
was put down in London. There are sew
eral in operation now, but they are all
IN the suburbs and they of more
direct TO the congested heart of the
metropolis than the ''Huckleberry'' trOlleys
which come down TO the Harlem, would be-
II there was no electric connection thence
southwark
The omnibuses are doubtless less dis
figuring and dangerous than street rail-
way would be, but they travel not more
than FIVE miles hour. they are nearly
all urventilated and they are numbering
and hideOus OF design. Granted the ad-
vantages OF this independent form Of travel,
the bus IS nearly the worst attempt pos
sible ID realize them. II might be larger
and lighter and propelled by electricity in
stead OF dragged by horses
OF the Central Lonon Railroad, called the
"tuppenny tube" and its related branch,
the City and South London. nothing but
good could be said These are deep, level
tunnels fitted up with elevators and white
tiled galleries and equipped with clean,
bright electric trains, which ply at two
minute intervals and charge a uniform A.
cent rare ther equipment ana methou OF
management are American throughout, al
though the controlling company is English.
The only drawback 10 this system is that
its area is limited.
II is practically a single straight line,
only available for east and west traffic. But
IL has opened the eyes Of LOndOners. and
in particular has cut so deeply into the
profits Of the two steam underground rail-
roads the Metropolitan and the District, as
TO have prompted the enterprise of Mr..
Yerkes. The tube was opened for traffic
two years ago. Last year il carried Al .OOO-
COO passengers.
UNDERGROUND STEAM ROADS
The only thing TO be said I'm favor of the
District Railway is that Mr.. Yerkes got
into IT, With its associate. the MetropOli-
tan. IL was opened thirty years ago. and
since then until the appearance OF the
American fnancier both these underground
systems have been committing slow suicide.
The District has not declared a dividend in
twenty years In the last six months its
receipts were $4,000 less than the bedrock
figures OF the preceding period. In the same
interval the Metropolitan lost a like
amount.
Nobody ever rides either CO these two
railroads unless he has to- The trains run
intervals OF from ten 10 twenty minutes.
The traveller Is frequently compelled 10
alight and wait for another train. There
are no gEards 10 tell him where 10 get on or
where 10 get Of to announce the sta
lions. The subterranean gloom Is so thick
that 10 Is almost impossible TO read the
names OF stations on the signboardS.
There are first. second and third-class
compartments. but there is nobody 10 col
lect tickets IN the cars. and the intelligent
traveller usually buys third-ciess ticket
and rides FIRST class. IL Is the trlfiing fine he
exacts from the companies for their lack OF
accommodations. Indeed, the entire system
Ia heeu incredibly hauhaZard The mas