Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-07-16

nails
The following is the very valuable and
interesting report made by Fire Engineer
Hill to the City Council, on Tuesday eve
ming last, in relation to the different sys-
tens of Fire Alarm Signals:
To THE HoNoRABLE CRY COUNCIL,
GENTLEMEN obedience TO instructions
passed May oath, that the Chief Engineer should
furnish your Honorable body 8 system Of Fire
alarms with AnggestiOns snd the cost Of the anne,
under those instructions / proceeded to Buffalo
City and found they have in use a central tower,
which cost $4,000 and has been in use eleven
years, bu. is badly decayed and is 20 be replaced
b. an iron one at a cost of 5 $500. The bell
which weighs SIS pounds will cost $4,000, two
men are employed in the tower who serve alter
pately eight hours each, and are paid ST, so per
day This plan disapprove of for the following
reasons, 10 Wit:-Fires cannot be seen until they
make an outward show and frequently fires have
been known to be raging inside Of buildings for
sometime before the men in the tower are aware
of it, and the results are heavy losses.
next proceeded to New York and Brooklyn
Cities and found they were working under the
same system as that of Buffalo, and consequently
under the same difficulties, except New York
which has a plain telegraph system in connec-
ton with the bell, and require the services Of two
! operators who receive 81 600 per annum, esch.
1 then proceeded 10 Boston, and investie ated the
system known as the Telegraph fire alarm. This
plan Is the most perfect in all its details of any
system in use, it consists of central office, COM
municating by separate metallic circuits with
bells or gongs in suitable places throughout the
city, aud groups Of separate local signal boxes,
placed at such intervals as the eOmpaIive density
of population requires. In the central part OF
1 fba nifr ne iufar rn c11ph haf Ia
string TO communicate an alarm to the office have
| 10 20 not further than the distance of a square
and half. On each circuit there are not more
than ten or twelve signal boxes. These signal
boxes contain a mechanical cOntrivsnce worked
by a crank, but so varied thatthe effect produced
in the main office by the turning of the crank in
] any one box, is different from that produced by
similar operations in any one of the other boxes.
Thus, if the crank in box number is turned Ell
! ther once or a dozen times, the number Of that
| box is registered by the machinery of the main
| Office and no other number. Hence there il no
possibility of confusion. These signal boxes are
locked and duPc4tea keEs dftgai' places of deDos
1 it that are likely TO be always accessible being
| preferred. Of course the houses or stores where
keys areskeptG occupied irresponsible persons,
as by tins an entire security agLinst false alarms
/ is attained.
The machinery in the main office, upon crank
| being turned, not only registers the number of
that box, but rings small bell to call the atlen-
tiOn of the operator there, who can, by means of
another instrument, strike at once either all the
/ bells with which he has communication CT any
particular ones. The strokes on the bslls in the
| belfries reached, and upon the gongs placed in
all the engine houses, indicate the number of
the signal box from which the original alarm
proceeds.
Information of the beginning Of f1e can be
| communicated instantly by any one who has
strength and skill enough TO turn crauk, it
making no sort of difference whether it is turned
forward or backward, fast or slow, as in any case
/ its movement writes and records the number of
the box and calls attention by Iingng bell.
The wires forming the means OF communica-
| tion between these signal boxes and the central
office usually along the house tops, upon in
sulatOrs especially suiIed to the purpose and are
consequently out of the way of interruption.
The writing and the recording mechanism en-
ployed, though Indicating great ingenuity, aud
the result evidently OF patient experiment, is not
complex enough to be easily liable 10 get out OF
order, or to require any great degree pIOfeien-
cy in telegraph operating for its management.
The constant preservation of communication
between the different members of the department
and between them and the chief Engineer, must
OF course bring the force much more under his
control and thereby greatly increase its efficiency.
The running cost OF this system would in my
year, as two persens would be ample force, one
OF them should be good practical telegrapher, |
the degree of attainments necessary to his assist
ant being something very easily acquired. The
repairs needed from time to time can be thorough
ly attended TO by one man.
Batteries sufficient for working this system
here will not cost more than two hundred dollars
per year. l need hardly state this as matter of
personal opinion, as stat sites concerning the
cost of operating and repairing may be easily
referred to.
The cost of erecting twenty five alarm boxes
connecting with the church bells OF this city
would be twenty five thousand dollars; for the
same number of boxes and no connection with
bells twelve thousand dollars.
The above plan is the most perfect known to
be in use and has always given universal salts
faction, but can not consistently urge your
honorable body 10 adopt i as the cost Is more |
than this city (in my oPinion) is able 10 bear.
After finshii my labors in Boston procee-
ded to Providence, K, 1. Here 1 found theu
using an alarm Telegraph. but different from |
any other system had examined, which is as |
follows: At the extreme ends the city, Batteries
are placed with wires running along house tops |
upon insulators which form one continuous circuit
connected with alarm boxes which are placed 10 |
the several Engine Houses aud corners CT streets |
aud are numbered from No. l TO 25. These boxes
are made of cast iron from twelve to fifteen in
tapped by persons finger, and giving; the cor
responding number of the box simultaneously
alarms the whole line. As for instance tire
occurring In the vicinity of Box person hAv
ing it incharge strikes the said knob and gives
the alarm Immediately and bringsIthe whole force
of the fire department to that given point.
This plan has been in use in Providence for
the past four years and has proven entirely sa-
tisfacorily- doing away with the maiD office
and operators, and its probable cost would not
exceed twenty-five hundred dolls. and the yearly
expenes of running 1t would not be more than
Two hundred dollars.
Taking these facts into consideration, sim
cerely hope that your Honorable body will give
this latter plan thorough investigation, as with
it the most iliterate person can give an alarm of
fire and point out its exact locality and believing
as do, that if y5ur honorable body adopts this
system, it win have the following beneficial
effects.
l, Il would do away with all false alarms.
2, Ii would do away with the necessity of a
steam fire Engine now demanded by the residents
of the eleventh ward.
3, Il would do away with the necessity of a
Watch-tower, which, with any other sys en- Of
Telegraph could not de dispensed with
When in Providence | had an interview with
Chas. Z. Carpenter, Esq, who was instrumental
IN erecting their Telegraph. and he assured me
there was no danger of any trouble with the
Boston Co. as regards infringing on their patent,
as Providence has been using the present system
for over four years.
Col. Stsger, resident of this city, and con-
nected with the Union Telegraph Co. has kindly
volunteered TO aid US in erecting a telegraph.
alarm. and says, be will sell US his patent iu-
sulators al cost, and also allow US to use the
poles whe.e the wire may run and the cable in
crossing the river. these privileges will be a
saving of considerable expense.
In conclusion, most earnestly recommend the
immediate abolition of the Providence Plan, as
it will save thousands in expenditure, and per-
haps millions from conhagration.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
JAMES HILL. Fire Engineer