Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-01-18

the detent that kc-ps the striking ma
chimes from running. Now, these ma.
chimes are made SO that they would strike
one blow and stop, unless the magnet
keeps the detent back, and leaves the
wheel unlocked and free TO run. So this
man in the little third story room by the
Court House, (hc will show you how ii
is done if you call upon him, for he is
very courteous to visi,ers,) can, by press.
ing the proper knob or key, make these
heav, bell hammers strike any number
he chooses. And he made them strike
the number Of your ward.
But how happened the engines and
frcmcn TO come straight to my house!
There are two or three thousand houses
in the ward.
The foreman Of every fire company
has key to those useful little iron box.
cs, and so when he has got to the ward
s;gnifcd by the bells, lie runs TO the
nearest box, and sends private signal
to the Court Square, asking "just where
is the fret" and then he listens while
the answer comes back in little taps,
one, tpo, three, .Jour, &C., till he learns
the number of the ve,y box you opened
when you gave the alarm in the first
place. Every box has its own number.
The bells tolled the fireman what ward,
and the telegraph taps whispered what
station box the alarm came from.
see, but is it worth all this trouble
Of wires and machinery and boxes and
batteries?
Yes, indeed. Five minutes at the be-
ginning of fire are very precious. But
oitentimss so rapid is this system, an a.
larm will be given, bells rung, boxes
consulted, fire found, hose procured anu
screwed to a Cochitaute fire plug, and
the fire extnguised, ere the family in dam
ger arc well awake. Many time, the
first thing man knows Of his danger by
fire, is that his room is flooded with wa.
ter. But this municipal telegraph isus'
ed for more purposes than one. In case
of riot, the police captains can send fol
hep to head quarters. To catch an alb
sconding thief by setting guard at every
: rail road and steamboat, can be done ii
five minutes. Then, too, very soon al
the city clocks will be hitched togcthe
by these wires and all of them 60 by on
; central pendulum, acc urately, five hun
: drcd clocks to a second!
Go l., Boston! We shall soon hea
} Of newer notions still. The next NOV
will be to introduce into every first clas
house city time as wei as city water an
! city gas. Telegraphic time wires will b
e introduced just as now the water pipe
= and gas fixtures are. What milleniun
ofpunctuality! Twenty thousand clock
I ticking together! Yes, and next W
; shall hear of refinement of the hre sys
I TEN. Phillips annihilator will be pu'l
into the walls, their nozzles just peep
G ing out into the room. Convenien
: wires will be arranged so that a ma
L walked mp at midnight by smell OF hf
l. or a red light in his room, will only nee
) reach out his arm to the fire knob, an
pull it "six times slowly" and Instant
that wakcrul, watchful, handy man o
a Court Square will touch his wlres' nc
S to frighten sleep from all the city wit
o his dinging bells, but utquietly he'll touc
u the wire, and smash go the acid bottle
j. in the ambushed annihilators' phiz squl
e fu,h .sh .sh, rushes out the humid, hr
destroying, fe.prescrving vapor' In
n unreasonable fire surrenders and goe
e out. But long ere this, the solid ma
!. has rolled himself back into bed AGAR
| tucked the blanket snug about his chi
= and fallen asleep, blessing the BEST tn
c yerv best, the Boston way ofPuttlng OF
e 6res.-Albany Euemimg Journal,