From the Kearney Files
Electrical Industries December 26tn 1917
As we have not heard of the sudden death of the Editor of The Pall Mall Gazette, we conclude that he did not travel home by the Underground on the Wednesday evening of last week. Had he done so, the spectacle of the Tubes attempting to carry three times as many passengers as their maximum capacity would have brought on complete collapse. For certain reasons most people in London were anxious to get home at about the same very hour, and as a visit of something very like the vile old "London particular" had disorganised the Omnibus and Tramcar and Surface Train Service, the Underground was called upon to do the whole of the work. All things considered, it was a remarkable performance, and a magnificent proof of the ability of a well managed Electric Train Service to meet abnormal demands.
There were, of course, delays in clearing the passages at interchange stations; and in more than one case bookings had to be suspended for a period in order to avoid over congestion on the platforms, but the rapidity with which the huge crowds were handled reflected great credit on a severely- tried staff. The prevailing good temper of the passengers was also a notable feature; and perhaps the only occasion for blasphemy was the invincible reluctance of the majority to move away from the doors of the cars. Once on, they seemed to become stonily indifferent to the fate of those remaining behind and to the appeals to move further down the car. One can sympathize with the American Tramcar drivers who used to get up to speed and put the brakes on suddenly in order to move straphangers forward. Mr. Blain would do good work in the education of the passenger if he would place in every car and every station large reproductions of the Punch picture of the stout old gentleman blocking the gangway in spite of the conductor's repeated appeals. The conductor's final (and we hope, effective) cry was, "Does anyone here know the German for " Pass further down the car, please ?" By the way, Mr. Chalmers Kearney will probably regret that his Society of Engineers paper on "High Speed Railways" was delivered two days before Wednesday instead of two days after. Wednesday's experience would have given additional point to his criticism that "the London Tubes were phenomenally (sic) slow owing to the lifts ." At the same time, however, it would have reminded him that the ultimate speed of Tube transport depends to some extent upon the slowest passenger. If Mr. Kearney would find some way of reducing the inertia of the Tubist he would earn the gratitude of the railway world and also prepare humanity for the glories of 150 miles an hour.
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