The City and South London Railway was the first deep-level underground "tube" railway in the world, and the first major railway to use electric traction. Originally intended for cable-hauled trains, the collapse of the cable contractor while the railway was under construction forced a change to electric traction, an experimental technology at the time, before the line opened. When opened in 1890, it had six stations and ran for 3.2 miles (5.1 km) in a pair of tunnels between the City of London and Stockwell, passing under the River Thames. The diameter of the tunnels restricted the size of the trains and the small carriages with their high-backed seating were nicknamed padded cells. The railway was extended several times north and south; eventually serving 22 stations over a distance of 13.5 miles (21.7 km) from Camden Town in north London to Morden in Surrey. Although the C&SLR was well used, low ticket prices and the construction cost of the extensions placed a strain on the company's finances. In 1913, the C&SLR became part of the Underground Group of railways and, in the 1920s, it underwent major reconstruction works before its merger with another of the Group's railways. In 1933, the C&SLR and the rest of the Underground Group was taken into public ownership. Today, its tunnels and stations form the Bank branch and Kennington to Morden section of the London Underground's Northern Line.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_and_South_London_Railway

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1793:

French Revolution: After being found guilty of treason by the National Convention, King Louis XVI was guillotined in front of a cheering crowd at the Place de la Révolution in Paris. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XVI_of_France

1919:

The First Dáil Éireann first convened at the Mansion House in Dublin, adopting a Declaration of Independence calling for a new sovereign state: the Irish Republic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_D%C3%A1il

1948:

The Flag of Quebec , featuring a white cross and four fleurs-de-lis on a blue field, was adopted and flown for the first time over the Quebec Parliament Building in Quebec City. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Quebec

1968:

Vietnam War: The Vietnam People's Army attacked Khe Sanh Combat Base, a U.S. Marines outpost in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, starting the Battle of Khe Sanh. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Khe_Sanh

2008:

The Eyak language in Alaska became extinct after Marie Smith Jones, the language's last native speaker, died, an event that became a symbol in the fight against language extinction. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyak_language

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

beneficiary (n): (law) One who benefits from the distribution, especially of an estate http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beneficiary

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Was a revelation to be made known to us, it must be accommodated to our external senses, and also to our reason, so that we could come at the perception and understanding of it, the same as we do to that of things in general. We must perceive by our senses, before we can reflect with the mind. --Ethan Allen http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ethan_Allen