Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-02-19
BENEATH LONDON.
THE WONDERS OLA GREAT SUBJ
TERRANEAN CITY.

THE WONDERS OLA GREAT SUB
TERRANEAN CITY.
That Half the World Does Not Know How the
Other Half Lives Finds Verifcation by Even
Many Who Are Next Door Neishbors-
It Likewise Justifiss the Axiom, Truth is
Stranger Than Fiction"
London Tid-Bits.
"If a man were to live to be hun-
dred," the late Sir Walter Besant de-
clared, "and were to spend every day
of bis life in exploring this vast Lon.
don of ours, am quite sure it would
be possible to put him down in q diff.
ferent part of it every day for year,
and nine days out of ten he wouldn't
have the ghost of an idea where he was.
And the same man might easily die
without knowing anything really Of
that other London which lies beneath
our feet. and which, in way, is more
wonderful than the one we see."
There are probably hundreds OF
thousands of people who think they
know pretty we'll all that is worth
knowing about London, who would
"open their eyes with surprise" if
they were told that when taking their
walks abroad they are walking over .
buried city with its network of hun
dreds of miles of streets following ex-
actly the lines of the streets above and
bearing the same names, with an his
toric river fed by many tributary
with waterfalls and baths, bookstalls,
bakeries and restaurants vast, silent
city to which the roar of the traffic
above cannot penetrate, but without
which the London we know could
scarcely exist.
If anyone doubts this let him get
permission to explore this buried me-
tropolis and within . minute he will
find himself transported from a crowd
cd, noisy city street into clean, we'll
paved, well-lit passages, along which
he may wander at will for hours or
days. By his side run huge pipes car
rying water, gas, electric wires, pneu.
matte tubes-all for the use OF the
millions of people above his head.
He will find that these vaulted
streets branch off in all directions, but
as do the streets above-ground, and he
never need be at loss to know pre-
cisely where he is, for each street
bears its name in plain letters. And
not only this, but on the walls are
numbers corresponding to those borne
by the houses Immediately overhead.
If, for instance, he is walking east.
ward along Gresham street he will
find Old Jewry branching of TO the
right and Coleman street to his LETT
while few yards farther on he can
continue his walk along Princes street
or Moorgate street at will. Thus he
may wander for scores of miles along
these wide.bricked, clean, well.venti.
lated subways, now startled to find
himself peering down on q railway
station far beneath his feet, and mo.
ment later by the thunder of an un-
derground train just over his head.
Deep below these subways are 9TH
ers through which run enormous gas
and water mains; and in between. at
different levels, is the most wonderful
network of underground railways in
the world. If curiosity carries him
farther there are hundreds of miles OF
sewers to explore, but the task is not
Q savory one, and he will encounter
rats by the thousand on his way. In
his wanderings he will rediscover the
old Fleet river, 60 familiar to long
gone generations, which now finds it's
way to the Thames through . channel
more than twice ones own height, and
which in time OF flood thunders down
in great volume. Beneath Ludgate
Circus it is recruited by q stream
which falls into it like = miniature
Ladore.
But wherever you wander in sub.
terranean London there is something
startling or interesting to greet you.
There are cavernous wine vaults
which, if they ran continuously. would
reach hallway from the City of Brigh.
ton, and which contain thousands oi
casks of wine. Beneath st. Paul's
churchyard-your bus or cab passes
over it's q spacious, well.equipped
restaurant where hundreds take their
meals every day deep below the city
traffic, and to gain access to which you
must walk under large block OF ware.
houses, and this is but one of many
underground eating houses, while
there are scores Of bakeries which day.
light never enters.
Underneath Bucklersbury you may
look on q venerable arch and doorway
which were built about the time
Pompeii was destroyed, and near the
Strand you may have dip in an n.
derground bath into which Severus
may have plunged seventeen centuries
ago.
"No, l won't give you anything to
eat" exclaimed the vinegar-faced fe-
male. "cYou are a fraud, sir-a trans
parent fraud"
81 ak yer pardon, ma'am," saidlthe
weary victim of circumstances.
know'd 1 wuz purify thin, but I had