LONDON’S NEW UNDERGROUND ROAD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1601, 30 June 1887, Page 3

LONDON’S NEW UNDERGROUND ROAD.

Rapid progress is being made in the new underground railway from the Monument to the iSlepham and Castle, connecting the city with the south of London. Two independent tunnels, it should be explained, are being constrnoted for the new cable subway. The first passes right under the river, and already extends about two hundred feet under the Borough road, while tho construction of the second has progressed considerably beyond the middle of the river. The work thus far accomplished has been done since October last. It will be remembered that the Thames tunnel took about eighteen years to complete, much the same work has now been accomplished in a little more than eighteen weeks. ' a Company have recently obtained from a Select Committee powers for an extension of the line, as originally contemplated, from the Elephant and Castle to the Swan at Stockwell, thus providing through transit from the heart of the city to close to Clapham Common. Doubtless when the line is completed, which, it is understood, will ba toward the end of the year, there will be a great relief of the traffic over London Bridge, and along the busy streets beneath which the subway runs. Official returns of the traffic over London Bridge show that 37,000,000 foot passengers and 7.000. cabs and other vehicles annually pass over it, while the tramway converging at St. George’s Church, Borough, convey about 6.000. passengers a year. The three miles of this new line are being made for about £600,000, which is about one-fifth of the cost of the Underground Railway. At each end of the line, it should be added, there will be hydraulic lifts, so that passengers may ascend and descend without trouble.