The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-12-15
DOWN IN EARTH'S
BOWELS TRAFFIC
Of LARGE CITY
IS CARRIED ON
Forty Feet Beneath Street
Surface Chicago Freight
and Express Trains Rush
Night and Day

NlgnC ana lay
Chicago, Dec. 15.-Forty feet un-
derground Chicago has one Of the most
unique subway systems in the world.
Devoted entirely to the hauling Of
freight, it keeps the congested loop
district comparatively free Of heavy
traffic vehicles. Officials of the tun-
mel company estimate more than 5000
trucks would have to pass through
loop streets daily to duplicate the
work done by the company.
Over 62 miles of narrow gauge
track, 1872 electric locomotives and
1000 freight cars hauled 100000 tons
of merchandise and 100000 tons Of
coal last year.
Scores of downtown office buildings
and stores receive their freight direct
from the railroad depots via the
subway. Their coal comes by the
same route, and at night the ashes
are hauled away through the under
ground tunnels, to be dumped on the
lake front, where acres Of land are
reclaimed yearly. The ground ON
which the great new Field Museum
at the south end of Grant Park, is
built was a few years ago a part
of the lake. The tunnel company
filled it in with ashes.
Another unusual service is the re-
moval Of dirt from building excava-
tions. A shaft is sunk from the
building site to the tunnel level under
the streets. Workmen with wheel
barrows dump the dit down the
shaft, where it falls into cars Of a
waiting train, to be hauled to the
lake front disposal station.
For handling merchandise, coal and
ashes, electric elevators lift the sub
way cars from the tunnel level to
stores and office buildings, where they
are emptied and refilled and then
lowered again to the tracks below.
The subway tracks underlay every
street in the loop district, covering
a district 22 blocks long and nine
blocks wide, and in addition the net
work of tunnels extends north under
the river to the warehouse and rail-
road district along North Water street
and west of the south branch of the
river, for six blocks through the
railroad and factory district Of the
near west side.
-Four main receiving stations out
side of the loop gather incoming
merchandise for delivery to downtown
buildings, and distribute outgoing
packages for truck hauls to other
parts Of the city
Every railroad station but one has
connections, and freight and express
billed from one station to another is
transferred by the subway. In addi.
ton every station but one has con-
nections for sending mail to the post
office. Special trains of steel mail
cars carry the sacks through the
tunnel
The freight cars used are four
feet wide and 12 feet long, while the
track has a two foot gauge. The
merchandise cars have a.. capacity of
six tons; ash and dirt cars hold three
and one-half cubic yards and the
coal cars have a capacity of four
tons. Approximately 1000 shippers
use the subway system.
The entire operation is electrical.
A train dispatcher to telephones con-
troll the movement of the trains. At
every outlet to downtown building
an cmploye is stationed to operate
the lifting elevators, receive and dis
patch cars, and act as agent for the
company. The company employs more
than 600 men.
One Of the advantages Of the tunnel.
particularly in the transportation of
refrigerated and other perishable pro-
ducts Is said to be the even tenn
perature, which remains constant at 50
degrees the year around. Ventilat-
ing apparatus keeps u constant flow
of fresh air circulating through the
system, while 72 electric pumps re-
move what water seeps in.
Elaborate precautions have been
taken to prevent flooding of the tun-
mel when fires break out In one of
the connecting buildings. Water tight
doors shut off the elevator shafts so
that the tons OF water which fire
men pour onto fire cannot reach
the main system.
The subway was started in 1901
and completed in 1909. Thirty stores,
30 office buildings. three public build |
ings, six mail connections with mail
order houses, branches To 81 railroad
stations, four public freight stations,
two coal yards and the refuse disposal |
outlet are among the connections
served.