New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-02
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
CHAENINGs FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH.

CHAENINGS FIRE-ALARM TELEGRAPH.
To Ae Edssov u Tn " y Tr1sx<
SIR: Thin Ingenious and a.efulinveoton consists OF
gslvanc battery; q central office containing Vanou'
machinery; circuits Of wires rusoing over 'ne cn!'
either into beies or through snail boxes ias'ened "
bouses Ip each of these boIes is an
and other machinery necessary Tor teeg''Pu PN
roaes To the belfries are ALEC an electromagnetic
.hee,s . hammer. &c--el the arrangements neoes-
..,v 10 ring the bells by electricity By the use Oh
ho<, v.icbipp ls pounds. In the Office II an oPer-
etc, NIGHT and day. 10 receive intelligence OF hres
on .eleerauh Wire end TO let of circuit OF cleo
,,;c,v 70 strike the bells. He also has constant
,ppervi.on, by the aid Of electricity, of the web-wo
of wires extending through the city, to keep the sys
tenn in good working order a, all times This opera
tor lie the only constantly on the watch-tower'
and the only bell ringer in the CITY, Now construct
this system and put it in operation in NeT'iork-
Place battery and central Office in the Metropolitan
Hotel Extend from the Office over the tops oil housee'
above all liability of injury from falling snow OF 70
three or four circuits of wires running al, o'ei 80
CITY. and passing down to and through tne DoAo''
which are within reaching distance anu 'o'Ae
connection with an eleotro-magDef In e'ca oo.
these courfes of wires intelligence OF nre Ion.
uunicated to The office by one OF inc ~a'o., -.
Oyno
inon y, - 80, N the fire. These boxes may
IN ~ ooo eouidi-,snt from each other, being 100
ooo "a. a,s,t. from each OF which notice OF fire
80 10 o;yen by opening the box and turning crank
80, .;1 ,;nes. Now extend from the central office
or fonr other circuits of wires which run into
,ho be,fies and there form a connection with an
aloctro-megpet. These wires are for ringing some
10. 90, so, or 100 bes, if necessary. The hammers
strike simultaneously.
I Notice the action Of the system. Waterman dig
covers Judson's Hotel on FIRE; he instantly goes to
Trinity Church. on which there is one Of these boxes,
uplocks it, and turns crank about six times, and by
this time one of Morses registers in the central office,
hos registered District g. Seeing this the operator
presses down small key, and away goes the cleo
trcity into all the belfries connected with the system
and rings all the bell instantsneously and smuita-
neously Tie District Of the fire is now known by all
within the sound of the bells All this Is done in
few seconds. Another expedent gives the firemsn
more particular directions to the locality Of the fire.
If the boxes are near each other this information may
be very definite. The fremen listen at any of the
boxes which are all numbered, and there hear the
number of the box licked from which the notice came.
This Fixes the precise locality Of the fire. No time is
los, by a crcuitous course to fre-s circumstance
of great importance, when the loss Of a minute may
decide the destiny Of the House of the Hapers, or of
the Music Hall.
But supposiDg the supposed fire is found to be only
a smoke, the mestage "All out, is dispatched by
telegraph to the central office, and the bells are again
so ruDg that the remen understand that they are not
Gee ed and each one returns to his business Sup
pore the locality of the fire requires only part of
the 6remen, only part of the bells are rung The
system is 60 arranged that all, or part of the ire
men, may be called out as the Gao may require.
This system which has now been in successful and
satisfactory operation in Boston almost three years,
has proved itself admirably adapted to meet all the
contip ences and exeen cies Of fires in cities II
may be put in operation in this City for sum not ex-
ceedipg the present expense of urngers and false
alarms for three years. and operated and kept in good
repair for othirds Of the annual expense Of ringing
the bells. 1t would doubtless save the City millions
of dollars annually. While we are paying heavy
tax of four or five millions yesr to the devouring
element in spite Of fire alarm telegraph the Toes
BY FIRE in Boston in ls54/was emily sl5O,770. While
our false alarms, being one.fourih and 80 nemes one
third of all the instances in which the fremen are
called, costing the City annually more than $500
the false alarms in Boston in 1884 we're only four
expense about s4O0. Does MT NeyYork owe it 10
herself 10 have the best fire alarm system which can
ba commanded