The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-01-13
From the New York Independent.
A BOSTON NOTION.

Boston The city maxim seems to be that
there's best way Of doing all things"
II public and domestic affairs, the "soiid
men Of Boston" are not conient with sim
pie achievement, but they must haze
achievement by the best methods.
The latest illustration Of this Is their SCI
cniific way of giving fire alarm, and call
ing OUT and guiding their fire department.
A very simple matser, one would think, t.
raise the window sash and shout fer two
Gr three times, and leave the alarm to
-pread Every yillager knows how to
count the booming strokes oil the big bells,
as the ton Off The district number A very
simple thing! One way just as good a.
mother, so long as d rouslng alarm Is
-,aried
B. no means. These Boston men have
found out best way.
II your house takes fire, and gets past
ame sic control, and YOU feel il necessary
NO apne4l to The municipal authorities for
nelp, do not he al all excited or harmed
D. not make Yourself red in the face, and
lhoarsc with shouting. Put on your hal
ma run 10 yonder corner, where yon see
that little IRON box fastened op against The
vail step into the store, ask quietly tor
The key, adding, .'My house is on fire. BY
way Of apology for the intrusion; now IN,
Iloek The little iron door, and, remembering
iha, the longest way round is sometimes
lie shorles, way home. obey the inscrIp
ltion and "turn six times slowly" YouF
Responsibility is ended Yau have done al
sou need do. B ,-ton will take care ai
soar house. Shut loo the little door linr
If, nome OF the engines will be there he
re va!
Every bell in the city, and several NOR
cross 'he water are telling people where
/ on live. and that 1our house is 90 fire
In other parts Of the citY, men with glaze
that's and brass trumpeis may be seen run
tning to these same little boxes; they seem
Ito whisper moment, then they listen,
lnd then lock knowing. and slap the door
too; and here ,hoY come. all peilneii T.
our help How much time has elapsed
since yuu needed help? Perhaps three
minutes. There is d best way OF giving
Ian alarm. that's a fact.
But how was il done?
/ That little box YOU opened was iele-
graph station; YOU can see the wires where
jlhey come down through those two iron
pipes into the box. The crank YOU turned
lrs merely q contrivanca that enables an
.iInexpcriencei person 10 send the only mes
lSape ever sent from this hOX--its 0UR nuan
/ her. just so hand-organ enables The
! grinder 10 PLAY one tune well. even though
nc be no organis'. Yon turned i six times
Once would have been enough, but sia
times over. and every time the same mum
her, there could be no mis'oke. The cen
traI Office knows in an instant OF your dis
Itress.
Yes. but how did that make The bells
ring all over the city. and East b s'on. too?
D. they keep sexton al every beil-rope
an the time, ready 10 pull when any bodN
teleeraphs?
No; that would be !ul as bad as the New
York plan Of keeping Natchmcn mp 10 the
ire-towers, on perpetual lockout, lhal
would no, be scientific enough for q "besf'
way Blu, you know church clock strikes
the hours without any help from The sexton
Except to wind itup. Just SO the bells are
ruug for fire; in every steep!e there IS
machine like The striking q clock These
machines will strike several hundred blows
aach with their heavy banners, BY being
wound up once. When YOU sent oil soor
dispatch. il went direct TO third story
room on Court Square, and was read by a
man whose business is 10 attend to such
messages From this same room he can.
Ii, touching KEY. send by another sci OF
wires. a current of gaYanism TO every
.te,p!e in The CITY. II YOU look, YOU can
K ee these wires euterng every steeple that
holds n good bell. When this galvanic cur
rent passes into the several steepies Il cir
Eruates ia each around a bar ct soft iron.
which instantly becomes q powerful mag
mel, strong enough to lin the detent that
keeps the striking machine from running
Now these U,schines are made so that they
would strike one blow and stop, unless the
Imagnet keeps the detent back, and leaves
The wheels unlocked and free 10 run: So
This man in the little third story room bN
the Cour, House, (he'Ii show you how 1t Is
done il YOU call upon him. for he Is verN
courteous to visitors can, b> pressing th'
proper knob or KEY, make these heavy bell
hammers strike any number he chooses
And he made them strike The number Of
Vaur ward.
But how happened the engines aud FIRE
men to come straight to my house? There
are Two or three thousand houses IN the
ward.
The foreman OF every fire company has
kew to those useful little iron boxes, and
so when he has 90, tc the ward signiied by
lthe bells, he runs TO the nearest box, and
sends private signal 10 The man in Court
Square, asking gust 1rhere is the fret"
aud then he listens while the answer GENES
back in little taps, one, t,ro. three, -four,
&c. ill he learns the number of !he very
box YOU opened when YOU gave the alarm
IN the frs, place. Every box has its own
number. The bells tolted the frsmen
what ward, and the telegraph taps whis-
pered what station box the alarm came
i from.
see. But is it worth ali this trouble Of
wires and machinery and boxes and bate,
ries!
u Yes, indeed. Five minutes at the be-