Overturned bus...

[Curate]

From 'Dead london':

"At the top, near the park gate, I came upon a strange sight - a bus overturned, and the skeleton of a horse picked clean."

What did Wells mean by 'bus'? Is he talking about an electric or horse drawn tram?
I love the mention of a horse skeleton - it's those kind of little throwaway lines that add a wonderfully dark atmosphere to the tale. My favourite such line is the one where the narrator mentions finding a human skeleton with the arms dislocated. Makes your imagination work overtime eh?

[mctoddridesagain]

Horse-drawn, and they were called 'omnibuses' (such as the proverbial 'Man on the Clapham omnibus'). Here's one of around 1900:

[JonT]

yeah thts what is so great about this story, ur imagination is left to work out and picture whats happening. things like the horse skeleton add great effects. i like the way you discover more each time you read it.

[Curate]

Horse-drawn, and they were called 'omnibuses' (such as the proverbial 'Man on the Clapham omnibus'). Here's one of around 1900:

Ah, thanks for the pic. I thought it might be something along those lines. I feel sorry for the horse though!

[mctoddridesagain]

Yeah, but then again, it's London traffic, so he'd never have to do over 3 mph, and there'd be loads of rests in traffic jams.

I feel more sorry for the passengers at the front of the bottom deck - all those oats horses eat...

[BrutalDeluxe]

McToddRidesAgain said:

Horse-drawn, and they were called 'omnibuses' (such as the proverbial 'Man on the Clapham omnibus'). Here's one of around 1900:

Great pic. That's pretty much what I imagined it to be. I think they were on the way to the Annual Hat and Moustache Convention by the looks of things.

[EvilNerfherder]

No. That's a Freddy Mercury Fan Club outing.

[amber14]

Wells also mentions I think an early motor car if I remember correctly..apologies if I have this fact wrong.
Being a horse in Victorian times was terrible. The mortality rate was very high. spesh amonst the Hansom Cabs.
accidents were prevalant and very dangerous to the horse.

[keltiksylk]

I believe you are correct...The brother describes at least two in the exodus from London.

There would also have been some early electric transit, as the "trolley" as we know it had begun to appear. Electric railways were pretty common by the time WOTW was published. The "tube" opened in London around 1890. It's actually quite surprising that Wells doesn't mention it more.

For the most part, however, the horse drawn omnibus or horse drawn trolley car was a very common site. The streets would have been choked with them.

[Luperis]

keltiksylk said:

For the most part, however, the horse drawn omnibus or horse drawn trolley car was a very common site. The streets would have been choked with them.

It implies this in parts of the novel, including the scenes with the brother.

[Stewymartian]

The first tube line in London opened in the 1860's, but the trains were steam driven at that time. It is strange that Wells doesn't mention the use of the underground system at all in either the exodus from London or dead London. The underground can be a spooky place at the best of times, a good setting for some horror, but I suppose the story wouldn't have really gained anything from it.

In the exodus from London, Wells does say that the train drivers quickly stopped coming into the centre of London and were picking up people from the outlying stations, eventually getting to the stage where the drivers would go no closer than St. Albans (Some thirty miles north of London). This would probably explain why we hear no talk of the underground, although you would imagine that people would have taken shelter in there. Maybe the black smoke wiped them out?

[Poyks]

Mmm I bet there are not many people who own a portmanteau these days.