The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-12-29
CHICAGO HAS VERY
UNUSUAL SUBWAY
Network of Freight Tunnels Serve
Loop-Freight, Coal, Etc Deliv-
cred and Ashes Removed
by Electric Devices.

dereround Chicago has one OF ths
most UNIQUE subway systems In tne
world. Devoted entirely to the haul
ing of freight, it keeps the congesteo
1osn district comparatively free OF
heavy traffic vehicles. Officials OF
the tunnel company estimate more
than 5000 trucks would have to pass
through loop streets daily to duplicate
the work done by the subway.
Over 62 miles of narrow gauge
track, 1872 electric locomotives anu
5000 freight cars hauled 6OO,Ooo tons
of merchandise and 100000 tons OF
coal last year.
Scores of downtown office build
ings and stores receive their freigh'
direct. from the railroad depots via
the subway. Their coal comes oy
the same route, and at night the
ashes are hauled away through the
underground tunnels, to be dumped
ON the lake front, where acres OF
land are reclaimed yearly. ihe
Ground on which the great new Field
Museum, at the south end OF Gran'
Park is built, was a few years ago
,+ of tho lake. The tunnel COM
nanv filled it in with ashes.
Another unusual service is the re-
meval of dirt from building excava-
t;ons A shaft is sunk from the build
ing site to the tunnel level under the
street. Workmen with wheel bar
rows dump the dirt down the isha1t'
where it falls into cars of Waltlng
train. to be hauled to the lake front
disposal station.
For handling merchandise, coal and
ashes. electric elevators lift the SUD-
way cars from the tunnel level TO
stores and office buildings, where
thew are emptied and refined, and
then lowered again to the tracks be-
low.
The subway tracks underlay every
street in the loop district, covering a
. district 22 blocks long, and 9 blocks
wide. and in addition the network OF
tunnels extended north under the rlv-
or to the warehouse and railroad dis
trict 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 mer-
chandise 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 addl-
tion 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 tun-
mel.
The freight cars used are four feet
wide and twelve feet long, while the
track has two foot guage. The mer'
chandise cars have capacity of siS
tons ash and dirt cars hold three
and one-half cubic yards; and the
coal cars have capacity of four tons
Approximately 1900 shippers use the
subway system.
The entire operation is electrical
A train dispatcher and telephone:
control the movement of the trains
At every outlet to downtown build
ing an employee is stationed to op
crate the lifting elevators, receive
and dispatch cars, and act as agent
for the company. The company EN-
ploys more than 600 men.
One of the advantages Of the tun
mel, particularly in the transportatlo.
Of refrigerated and other perishabis
porducts is said to be the even tenn
perature, which remains constant a.
55 degrees the year around. Ventl
lating apparatus keeps a constant flow
Of fresh air circulating through th'
system, while 72 electric pumps re
move what water seeps in.
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