New-York tribune., 1902-09-01
ENGLISH RAILWAYS.
HOW REWILDERED HOLIDAY CROWDS
ARE LEFT TO THEIR OWN DEVICES
ECONOMIC MOTIVES FOR THE
RETENTION OF COMPART-
MENTS AND FOR LACK
OF SYSTEM
OF SYSTEM
SOUTHAMPTON. August IS.

q review
1t is the incompetency of the railway manage
ment on land l have witnessed FOUR impress |
sive marine pageants il. Spithead. and each |
time / have paid the penalty of vexatious de- |
lays and rough-and-tumble conflicts with mobs |
@ holiday visitors At the Jubilee review. the |
Queens funeral and the arrival of the Duke OF
Cornwall from his voyage around the empire |
there were unmanageahle crowds of sight |
seers fighting their way into railway trains |
at the Harbor station. and there were no |
resources Of orga anization for directing and |
controlling them and facilitating their prog
ress homeward On Saturday night railway
Tnismana cement reached the eliminating point
Of complete decentralization at the main
station in Portsmouth town. A violent thunder
storm had interrupted the illumination of
the feet. and multitudes of spectators
had been driven from the long Southsea
promenade by torrents of rain Every electric
car was filled with refugees from The storm,
and there was a frantic onrush of pleasure
seekers through the streets the railway sta
tion- Thousands had come from London, South
ampton, Winchester. Brighton. Chichester and
surrounding towns witness the naval parade
and the Examinations, and they were depend
ent upon the powers of organization OF the
railway officials for a speedy and comfortable
return to their homes My own experience Will
show how feeble and untrustworthy was this
resource.
Nv destination was Southampton, where had
dined after seeing the naval reviews most com
fortably from of the Admiralty vessels, and
then had taken the train for Portsmouth Tor a
second glimpse OF the feet. The station was
filed with a multitude of travellers masseu
from the entrance down to the platform gates
10 information respecting the movement OF
trains was available except from gatemah
with a hcarse, indstinct voice who shouted
Brighton train for thirty forty minutes
When this train had been dispatched after pro-
Ionged delay, the Southampton train was an
nouuced and there was g ruEnutuous advance
of an immense thron5 toward platform be
tween two long trains. Every compartment on
either side was locked, and remained SO for
fifteen minutes, although both trains were TO
convey passengers to Southampton via East
leigh After the crowd had been kept unneces-
sarilv on the open platform in the rain the com
partments Of Of the trains were unlocked
and at once crowded to suffocation- The guards
made feeble pretence of protecting the first
class passengers against invasion by locking the
doors when the compartments were filed, but
rainsoaked outsiders were not to be withstood
An intoxicated enthusiast flung a gripsack into
nv corlpartEnent and clambered through the
window calling upon his companions to follow
him and the guards neekly surrendered. uh-
locking the doors and allowing passengers with
third class tickets free ingress until there were
fifteen in q compartment designed for the ac-
eornnodation of five. Meanwhile, the train on
the opposite side or the platform, which was 70
follow what was called the Southampton Re
lief was kept under lock and key. and there
was a mob Of passengers bowling in the rain
At the last moment il was announced from the
platforms that neither train would go TO South
arnpton, and that both would be emptied at
Eastleigh on the main line south of Winchester
When EastleigEl was reached there was an inde-
scribabe scene of confusion and turmoil. The
open platforms we're already crowded with
passengers who were una BILE to ascertain Where
they were take their trains, and with the
fresh reinforcement of travellers from Ports
mouth there was an unnana geable mob. There
were no gates no signboards no officials and no
trafnrnen anywhere in sight There were empty
trains but nobody knew in which direction they
were going The swollen throng Of beiated
pleasure seekers surging from one PLATFORM
TO another and drifting 20 and fro in drehch-
ing rain AT last a feeble cry. Train Tor
Southarnpton:' was raised, and the empty car
riasAs which had come from Portsmouth were
-anIdly flied Passengers who had been ordered
ont of This train at Eastlegh were permitted to
return TO ii, and were ultimately carried 10
Southampton long after midnight At ports
mouth the railway officials had deliberately
overcrowded two trains without reference I'd
compartment privileges. and they had ordered
and in the fulness Of protracted night OF ols-
comfort each was reloaded with passengers Tor
Southampton.
have described this holiday journey IN ae-
tail for the purpose Of illustrating the ihcofhpe
tent management and lack Of organization u
which travellers in England are constantly eA-
posed The system answers all the oroliiaiS
requirements OF routine traffic; but whenever
there is an emergency il breaks down under It's
own weight Any unusual increase or traHlc
caused by midsummer journeys or holiday ek-
c1Irsions reveals the incapacity OF railway Su-
peFintendents and station masters railway
fares are lowered and immense holiday cTo"os
are set in motion; but arrangements dre
made at stations for handling and directing
the swollen traffic The trains are dispatcleP
from London with little detention. because there
is an adequate reserve Of rolling stock aValapie
at the main stations, and because. also, there
Is host OF porters to answer questions and TO
conduct passengers 10 their compartments
Outside London there is unceasng vexation and |
delay whenever the traffic is heavy there are |
Inadequate safeguards against overcrowdlng OF
platforms and trains. and at terminal points |
where holiday crowds assemble the offlclals do
not clan their operations in advance. and in an
emergency are invariably helpless and without |
resources for systematic management. Such |
scenes as were witnessed at Portsmouth and |
Eastleigh are exceptional. but there is a gem
eral lack of organization all the railway
lines in the regulation of congested traffic and
;n the control of large crowds. and 1t is mat |
If common observation that the train ser |
- on the best managed railways becomes |
more irregular and uncertain year by year.
There is an economic motive behind the re-
tionS n |