| Show London's Subway Overnighters Overnighters' ts Develop Air Ak Raid Technique By C. C T. T HALLINAN LONDON Sept 17 UP i Thousands of Londoners carrying carrying carrying carry- carry ing bulging grips trudged out of J deep subway stations Tuesday after spending a dime for uncomfortable uncomfortable uncomfortable un un- un- un comfortable but comparatively safe lodgings during the nights night's air raids The nightly sojourn of Londoners Londoners Londoners Lon Lon- doners In the subways is one phase of a heated controversy raging around demands that Sir John Anderson home security minister provide better and more extensive air raid shelters for all boroughs The battle is expected to break out in the next meeting of parliament but meanwhile it is a serious problem problem lem Iem for the capital I spent part of Monday night In lit a subway station in the heart of the fashionable west end and saw hundreds of persons nestle nestledown nestledown down on cement platforms to sleep There was keen competition to gain the best Dest positions in the deep subways and several of those seeking shelter displayed a technique built up during the last 10 days L A train pulled the station i Passengers got out carrying heavy traveling bags and grips grIp as if they were starting on a along along along long journey Most of them had paid 10 cents to make the journey journey jour- jour journey ney from other parts of London which are most often bombed The grips contained pillows and blankets The first groups groups' of subway over began began began be be- gan arriving at p. p m. m but they were unable to spread d out oat their beds until 1130 p. p m. m when the trains ceased running at that station Nevertheless the early arrivals arrivals arrivals als placed their grips at the spots they had selected or staked out for beds Veterans who had been taking shelter in subways since the raids began crossed to another another another an an- other platform and placed their grips under a shaded blue-shaded electric electric electric elec elec- light in the subway roof roof- top I crossed over with them but butI I could not understand why they abandoned the platform on which they arrived One of the veterans explained A stream of hot air blows through this platform all nightOn night On Ow the other platform the cold air circulates until you almost freeze despite your blankets Asked why he chose a spot di directly directly directly di- di under the shaded blue-shaded light he said another trick you learn There are alternate blue blue- shaded and nd full glare lights They stay on all night Its It's difficult to sleep under the full glare lights Automatic chocolate machines in the subway did a roaring busIness business business busi busI- ness and most of them were empty soon after the refugees arrived That's another subway I trick Veterans Immediately raid the machines to lay in a astore astore astore store of chocolate for tor or the night Some who arrived late found all the machines empty and caught the next train to another station Thirst seemed to be the biggest trouble of the subway dwellers although about once an hour a subway carried a a big through the crowd and doled out drinks Mattresses are too bulky and are not permitted in the subways so that all beds are hard The crowd was mixed There were well-dressed well men and Women Wom women en as well as ragged women many of them carrying children and even some members of the armed services A few minutes before train service resumed in inthe inthe inthe the morning the station master sounded reveille and the crowd b began gan going home |
