Sub-Way Meeting.
The Times, 1824-03-20T00:00:00

At a ineeting to form a Sub.wty Conmpany, Itet at the City f London Tavern, on the 18th of Mfarch, 1824, Mr. eLLIAMS, the patentee, was called to the chair. This meeting, the Chairman said, was caled for the purpose of formmg a Sub-way Company in London, and. w&a an adjourned meeting from one held in December. Unaccustomed to public sPeak-ing, he claimed indulgence wvhile he hoped to show that sub- vays were both necessary and practicable. Others had been the instrumtents of bringing forward schemeg beneficial to this great city, and these were brounht forward by men in trade. Water waas oti gially *broughtto,ondonbyatradesman. Dir. Winser,wbobas brouhnt gas to its present perfection, of vast utility, was also a tradesman. He (the chairman) was upon the committee* oppositon was then very considerable, but reason overcame it,and London is row indebted for iheuseofgas to atradesman,73ingenuity and perseveranct. So it was with paving: that improvement arose fron- the talent of a tradesman; and the powerful recommendation of Jonas Hanwray has benehitted and ornamented this maetropolis. Subways are es- sential to the welfare of everv large city. Sewers weredirected, ant carried into execution, undir one ot the Henries; and sewers are essential-and subways not less so-to every we)l-regulated city. Rome has given us an examDle. The great tunnel of Rome was, indeed, an aqueduct; and ihis subway will be a dry tunnel: the former remains even to this day. A committec was appointed, the Chairman said, at the former meeting, to inquire inmo the practica. bility and eapediency of the proposed measure. Air. CieAs'srAw BAsaEE then read the specification of a patent which the Chairman had obtaimed. It purported to be to prevent the frequency of public nuisances, as breaking up of pavements, &c., by making permanent subways in main streets for containing water atid gas, to which ready access may be had by convenient oeningt through the walls on the aide, and air and light holes at the top. *Bridges,' the Chairman observed, " have only optional custot ers; gas the same; water equally; but the subways sze the hand- maid of the public sewer,; a nd she is to draw her income from the severml companies, who are to be compel'ed to occupy the ways, at the price only of what they now respectively pay for tLe breaking uP of streets, and thereby really committing sucessive nuisances, of r,o small inconvenience to the inhabitants. A Gentleman then read the report, which asserted both the neces- sity and the practicability of subways. That the abolition of the nuisance of disturbing the pavement and interruption of passengers in the streets would greatly decrease the wear of carriages, and tbe deatruction of horses ; and would promote the facility of obtaining water in case of fire. Thelinepro,posed forthe weaysis from Aidgetao through 'lemple-bar. This, if made of stock-brick, and best lime, would perhaps cost 2,0001. per mile. That the remunera_ tion to the proprietors would be sufficient, without being at any extra cost to any public Companies. Thus, one-sixth part of the annual present ravyuent by the city of London, would be sufficient, under the' management of the Subways Company; and the five-sixths to be received from the city would, in one article, produce an income of nearly 4,0001. to the proprietors. The Subwvays Company, so far from intertering prejudicially with the Commifssioners of 6iewers, would, the report stated, exceedingly fa- cilitate all their operations; and, upon the whole, would redound equally to the comfort and honour of the metropolis of the world, and to every large city which should adopt the plan. To a question as to the real practicability of the plan, the Chair. man stated, that Mr. Davies Gilbert kad approved of the plan, and that an eminent engineer would andertake it. That, in fact, acomn mon bricklayer could build a subway, and that thers was wo diffi_ culty in it. SUB-VWAY MESTIN.