The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1921-01-04
CHICAGO HAS
UNIQUE SUBJ
WAY SYSTEM

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Ing OF freight, II keeps the cOngoBtod
loop district comparatively free Of
heavy traffic yrhicloH. Officials of
the tunnel company estimate moro
than G0Oo trucks would have TO pass
through loop streets daily TO dupll.
cato tho work done by the subway,
over J2 miles of narrow gauge
track. i32 electric locomotives and
1000 freight cars hauled 100000
tons Of merchandise and 100000
tons Of coal last ycnr.
AcOrcH Of downtown office build.
ingH ana stores receive their freight
direct from tho railroad dopota Via
tho subway Their coal comes by
tho Hamo route. and at might the
ashes arc hauled away through the
underground tunnels. be- dumped on
the lake front. Whoro acres are 70.
claimed yearly, The ground on which
the great now flold museum. at
tho south end OF Grant park. II
built. was few years ago part
Of tho lake. Tho tunnel company
filled II In with ashes.
Another unusual service In the re-.
mosni OF dirt from building cIcay'
atIona. A shaft " sunk from the
building site to the tunnel level un.
der the street Workmon with wheel
barrowH dump tho dir, down the
shaft. whore I, fails into cars of n
waiting train. to be hauled 10 the
lake front disposal station.
For handling merchandise. coal
and ashes. electric elevators lift the /
subway ears from tho tunnel level !
TO stores and office buildings. where |
they are omp,lcd and r.fiiisd. and |
then lowered again TO th. tracks be. !
low.
Tho subway tracks uadcrihy every |
street In tho loop district. covering n !
district - blocks long and nine
blocks wide. and In addition the net. |
work OF tunnels extends north under |
tn. river To th. warehouse and rail |
road district along North Water !
stre.t. and wost Of tho south branch !
OF th. river for slr blocks through |
tho railroad and factory district Of
the near west side.
-Four main receiving stations out.
side OF tho loop gather Incoming
merchandise for delivery to down.
town buildings and distribute out.
going packages for truck haulS to
other parts OF tn. city.
Every railroad station but one has
connections. and freight and express
billed from one stAtion 20 another
IN transferred by the subway. In al.
dition every station but one has con.
neotiona for sending mail TO the
postoffioc. Special trains Of steel
mail cars carry the sacks through
the tunnel.
tn. freight cars used are four feet 4
wido and ~ feet long. white the
track has two foot gauge. Tho L
merchandise cars have a capacity OF
six tons: ash and dirt cars hold thrcc
and one,haif cubic yards: and the
coal cars have capacity of forr
tons. Approximately 1000 shippers
use the subway system.
The entire operation II electrical,
A train dispatcher and telephones
control the movement ~ the trains.
At every outlet To u downtown build.
Ing an employee II stationed 10 OPP
crate the lifting elevators. receive
and dispatch cars. and act aS agent
for tho company. The company en-
ploys more than 600 men.
One OF the advantages OF the tun.
mel. particularly In the transporta-
tion OF refrigerated and other per-
ishable products is said to be even
temperature. which remains constant
at 6B degrees the year around. Ven
tiiating appartus keeps u constant
flow OF fresh air circulating through
ths System. while ~ electric pumps
remove 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 40 that the tons OF water
which firemen pour onto fire can
not reach the main system.
The subway was started In 1901
and completed In 1909. Thirty stores,
thirty office buildings. three public
buildings. six mail connections with
mail order houses. branches to 27
railroad stations. four public freight
stations, 2 coal yards and tho refuse
disposal outlet are among the con-
nections served,