GO-AHEAD AMERICA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 147, 19 July 1909, Page 4

GO-AHEAD AMERICA

CHICAGO'S UNDERGROUND FREIGHT RAILWAY. Chicago can claim the distinction of being the only city in the world that can boast of an underground railway 'built expressly for carrying freight. Not a single ipassenger is carried over this unique system—only goods and mail. When it is stated that some sixty miles of track are now in operation, covering the whole of the business district of the city and the greater portion of the principal residential quarter

it will be seen that it is' no make-be-lieve ail'air, (but an up-to-date subterranean system designed for a special object. The fact is the railway was necessary to relieve the congested traf-- J fic of the streets. No city of its size is called upon to handle more freight than Chicago, which now amoimts to over 100,000 tons a i day. Here we must remember that no ; fewer than twenty-live trunk lines run into the city and that the business district where these lines converge only covers a comparatively email area—not more than a quarter of a mile square. It was these conditions that led to the construction of a system of carrying goods and thus relieving the streets of the congested traffic. Some anxiety was felt when the plan was first mooted. Chicago was built on a vast deposit of soft clay, of a consistency resembling that of cheese. Heavy buildings have to be supported on piles or concrete piers which pierce this' clay until they finally reach bedrock, from 80 to 120 feet (below the street level.

The engineer got over this difficulty by running the subterranean lines down the centre of the streets, the level of | the subways' being some 40 feet -below the road. The tunnels arc of two distinct types—trunk tunnels and lateral conduits. The former follow the main route of freight traffic, and the latter run out to the less important .parta of the city. The main or trunk line tun-, ncls* are 14ft 6in from crown to i;< \ and 12ft 9in wide at the .base; wi» the laterals are 7Vsft high and 6ft wide. The trunk subways have 18in cement walls and 21in cement floors, the smaller conduits lOin walls and 12in floors. Embedded in this concrete are steel ribs of such strength that it is virtually impossible for any weight erected above to caus'e the tunnels to collapse.

The 'business houses and leading factories and stores have found the railway invaluable. Hundreds of them are directly connected with the subways. This means that goods are brought direct from the railway depots by the underground route right under the heart of the warehouses and then lifted bodily in their trucks by elevators' into the basement of the buildings. In the same way the leading hotels are connected with the system. All their stores and coals are brought to their premises direct by the Tailway, which also carts away thei r dust and detois. It is the .boast of the stores connected with (lie subways that shoppers can rely upon any goods purchased being delivered to their doors within an hour from the time of ordering them. 'Tavo years ago the railway officials I secured from the postal authorities a contract for the transportation of the mails, and to-day one never sees a mail van in the streets of Chicago. All the'letters and postal packages are conveyed from one post office to another by simply dropping the bags and packages down through specially constructed shoots to the subway level. Indeed, for this mail work alone the railway cmploys 60 electric motors and. 115 cars. Last year the electric trains made 337,000 trips with mails through the tunnels to the various 'branch offices, railway stations, etc., transporting 10,659,567 bags, pouches, and packages of postal matter. Last Christmas Eve the railway was called upon to handle 50,447 hags and packages for tire post office, which were delivered on time and without a- hitch.

Another novel use to which the railway is.' put is that of removing excavated material in the ease of new buildings. A shaft is run up from the tunnel to the scene of the excavations, and ■down through this shoot the workmen pimply dump the debris, -which is caught m waiting oars. The wastage is removed to the lake, and bv dumping it here some nineteen acres have, been added to the city's park. The system, of course, is electric, and the rolling stock at present consists of some 250 electric locomotives and 2500 cars. The gunge of the line is 2 feet. The tunnels are lighted by 'electricity and the running of the trains is entirely controlled by telephone. The tunnels'also carry telephone and telegraph wires . The service ;s a 24-hour one. The railway has been built at a cost of £10,000,000 by private enterprise, and it is gratifying to note that it k a paving concern. It is regarded by many as the only practical solution of relieving congested traffic in the streets of busy cities.