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| Boston Globe, 02-September-1897 |
125 years ago today, on 01-September-1897, Boston's Tremont Street subway, the oldest surviving subway in the United States, opened to traffic. The original plan was to get electric streetcars off the busy streets. Over time, the Tremont Street subway became part of a much larger rapid transit system.
EVERY CAR CROWDED
Rode on Subway Cars.
Between 200,000 and 250,000 people rode through the subway yesterday, according to the best estimates that could be obtained from officials of the road. Nearly everything went as smooth as the proverbial clockwork, and the opinion heard on all sides was that, as far as it goes, the subway is an unqualified success.
No results of any systematic methods of computation of the passengers carried could be obtained last night, though doubtless they will be published later, but Pres. Little gave it as his opinion that cars left the Park st. station on an average of at least 120 an hour during the entire day and most of the evening, and as most of them were filled coming in and going out, and many were uncomfortably crowded, the above estimate does not seem at all extravagant.
Next to the case and speed with which the hitherto snaillike electrics on Tremont st now glide through the underground passage, the most notable feature of the new order of things is the transformation observed in the appearance of Tremont st. between Park and Boylston sts.
"Why is looks like an unused race track," remarked a West End official as he stood in front of Park at church at 8 last evening and pointed in the direction of Boylston st, where not a single outward-bound car was to be seen.
Indeed, in the vicinity of 6 p.m, which is usually the time of the greatest blockage of the day, there were moments when a clear stretch of rails could be seen the whole length of the common.
In the meantime, just beneath the surface of the mall, the south and west ...
The story continued on page four, but I can't read the scan of page four, so this is the end of the line.
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| Boston Globe, 02-September-1897 |
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