opardy in which his impetuosity had placed the success of the
entire project:

After all else we have borne and suffered and achieved in your
behalf, we regard this as a trifle too much; and we do not hesitate
to declare, in the strongest terms possible to the English language,
that we will not put up with it ... and, if there is to be War, under
the existing circumstances, propose that at least part of it shall be
fought on American ground. If Mr. Eiffel shall, on the contrary,
treat us as we believe we are entitled to be treated, under the
circumstances, and his confidence in our integrity to serve him well
shall be restored in season to admit of the completion of this work
at the time wanted, well and good; but it must be done at once ...
otherwise we shall ship no more work from this side, and Mr. Eiffel
must charge to himself the consequences of his own acts.

This message apparently had the desired effect and the matter was somehow
resolved, as the machinery was in full operation when the Exposition
opened. The installation must have had immense promotional value for Otis
Brothers, particularly in its contrast to the somewhat anomalous French
system. This contrast evidently was visible to the technically
unsophisticated as well as to visiting engineers. Several newspapers
reported that the Otis elevators were one of the best American exhibits at
the fair.

In spite of their large over-all scale and the complication of the basic
pattern imposed by the unique situation, the Otis elevators performed well
and justified the original judgment and confidence which had prompted
Eiffel to fight for their installation. Aside from the obvious advantage
of simplicity when compared to the French machines, their operation was
relatively quiet, and fast.

The double car, traveling at 400 feet per minute, carried 40 persons, all
seated because of the change of inclination. The main valve or distributor
that controlled the flow of water to and from the driving cylinder was
operated from the car by cables. The hydraulic head necessary to produce
pressure within the cylinder was obtained from a large open reservoir on
the second platform. After being exhausted from the cylinder, the water
was pumped back up by two Girard pumps (fig. 31) in the engine room at
the base of the Tower's south leg.

THE SYSTEM OF ROUX, COMBALUZIER AND LEPAPE

There can be little doubt tha