2 $8 Telephone Systems of the Continent of Europe 



German. At the same time, it must be said that the Dutch 

 standards are not nearly so well calculated to withstand the 

 vicissitudes of accident and tempest as are the Belgian ; but that is 

 a fault of the design, not of erection. They are not earth-wired. 

 Fig. 83 gives a good idea of an Amsterdam double standard. 



The numerous rivers and canals in Amsterdam and else- 

 where compel the frequent use of lengths of submarine cable. 

 Originally, indiarubber-covered wires encased in lead were put 

 down, but did not stand. Now a regular type of armoured sub- 

 marine cable containing guttapercha-covered wires is employed. 



Underground work has not been neglected, there being 11*6 

 aniles of cable already down in Amsterdam. It is chiefly designed 

 to get past the crowding of overhouse wires around the exchange, 

 and the cables usually lead to a terminal pole in some secluded 

 corner whence the wires are distributed overhead. No attempt 

 has been made to serve the subscribers directly underground ; the 

 Dutch towns do not lend themselves to such a method, the cost 

 of which would be prohibitive. The cables usually contain 

 fourteen pairs of twisted wires insulated with paper, each pair 

 being spiralled with metal foil for earthing. One wire of each pair 

 is tinned, and the identification of the pairs is assisted by two 

 -adjacent pairs in each layer being coloured respectively blue and 

 pink. The cable is first covered with plain linen and then by a 

 leaden tube, which in its turn is covered by a layer of impregnated 

 jute and another of impregnated linen, the whole being protected 

 by flat steel wires laid on spirally. These cables are supplied by 

 Messrs. Felten & Guilleaume. It will be seen that the ultimate 

 adoption of the metallic circuit is borne well in mind. The cable is 

 laid in sand contained in a closed trough of creosoted wood, access 

 boxes being placed every fifty meters or so, to facilitate distribution 

 should it be found desirable at any future time to erect addi- 

 tional poles and terminate thereat some of the spare cable wires. 

 The engineers appear to have confidence in this method of 

 laying, no accidents from the picks of strange workmen having 

 been experienced, and the cables maintaining their electrical 

 conditions well. The plan involves the reopening of the ground 

 whenever the spares on a route become exhausted, so a good 

 deal of capital has to be buried in the shape of wires that may 

 not be required for a considerable time. Great pains are taken 



