The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-09

LONDON. Nov. 9.-With the dazzling
prospect of securing an order worth S.
600.Go0 (s25. 600 .60O). electrical contractors
and engineers of the United States Eng
land, Germany. and France are engaged il
one OF the keenest competitions in tbs
history of international business.
The London Metropolitan District IN
derground Railway has invited the cleo
trical geniuses of the world to submit
plans and estimates for converting its
road from steam to electricity The ex-
traordinary size OF the contract. which
contemplates relaylng more than fifty
miles Of subterranean railroad. has en-
listed the attention of the largest con-
Germs in the business. The prize viii be
awarded on December /
This battle OF brains is now at its
height. American bids are coming from
the Westinghouse General Electric AMI
Thomson Houston companies. The Brit
ish competitors include Mather & Platt.
the Brush Electric Company. Crompton &
Co., Thomas Parker & Co, and Dick, Derr
& Co. Germany is represented by the
AIIgemeine EIectrikstat GeseIischaft, Sic
ton and Guilleaume, while the Bregguet
Electrique Company, and NM. Houtin &
Leblanc VIII attempt to secure the order
fo- France
American firms, relying on the prestige
gained from having built the London Cen
trail '-tuppenny tube ard the MetToPoh-
tan underground in Paris, expect to cap
tu-e the lions share OF the big contract
The Westinghouse Company is hurrying to
IL, hos
ter, which viii employ 5000 men TIE
Thonson-H Houston Company is rushing its
construction of i new factory at Rugby.
In an interview Sir William Preece, con-
suIting engineer Of the Metropolitan Dis
trIct Railway, said:
Owing to the fact that We have not
hampered the bidders with specifications Of
any kind We expect TO be rendered
scheme for the best system Of electric trac-
ton which modern ingenuity is capable OF
devising- We possess facilities for seTy-
ice Of twenty-five trains an hour, and all
We ask is a plan Of operation which viii
test our capacity TO the Utmost.
That the United States VIII be promi
nently represented goes without spying
That country is the pioneer Of all that is
good and great in electrical science. and
in the application of it she is not to be
surpassed
Electricity as q motive power in the Lon
don underground roadside Metropolitan.
the Metropolitan District, and the City and
South London-will reyolutionize traffic IN
the English capital. and should do more
than any system Of new streets or surface
railways 10 relieve the congested condition
OF the city's thoToughfaFes.
It may be safely asserted that no one
ever uses the old underground roads ex-
cept through the necessity Of covering a
long distance in z shorter time than can
be done by bus or cab The London fog
which during the summer, at least leaves
the streets. seems never absent from the
tunnels Of the inner and outer circles under
London. The heavy air is charged with
smoke and coal dust-bituminous coal is
used-and there seems no circulation OF
the atmosphere. To keep the windows of
the compartment closed is 10 reach ones
Journey s enc hot and uncomfortable; 10
travei with them open is to come into con
tact with a fine black dust. which settles
in the throat and eyes and covers the
clothes
Even the most loyal citizen of London
never defends the underground steam
roads. and if he can travel in any other
way he avoids them and ad vises others to
do so
With the tunnels modernize5, properly
lighted and ventilated, comfortable cars.
and no smoke or coal dust. and caIy that
amount of fog which is common 10 London
above ground. hundreds of thousands of
passengers who now travel on omnibuses
and in cabs viii use the new system. The
streets viii thus be relieved of countless
vehicles, and life in London viii be not
only more agreeable, but it viii be safer.