Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-07-20
LOCAL NEWS.

THE FIRE ALARM AND POLICE ELE&RAPH.
The central office Of the fire alarm and police
telegraph from which all wires, Ia in number.
radiate, is located in the fourth story of the
Metropolitan Police Headquarte on 10th, near
ID street. The apparatus OF this office consists
OF two dial instruments for police purposes;
self starting register for receiving fire alarm
signals; q magnetic clock for detecting delin-
quencies in any after circuits, together with the
necessary magnets, call bells, relays and witch
boards all of them manu- factured Of brass and
polished marble At this office will be sta.
toned the superintendent, his assistant and
two operators. At each police station dial
instrument will be placed. which will be in
charge Of policeman detailed for the purpose.
For the police telegraph eleven dial instru-
ments are required, all OF very neat and deli
cate construction. For the fire department the
instruments are equally as ingenious as in the
police department. Forty six signal boxes will
be placed at various points Of the city, from
which alarms may be given. The keys Of those
boxes will be placed In charge OF the patrolmen
of the respective localities, and of reliable ctt-
zens near TO the boxes. person discovering
q fire runs to the nearest box, upon opening the
box a simple crank is seen, and by turning it
the number OF the box is communicated to the
central Office, the operator there strikes upon
the gongs at the various engine houses, and
upon three of the large bells of the city, indi-
eating the locality OF the alarm by the number
Of the box.
lard's Hotel; the patrolman goes to Box al,
near by, and turns the crank; the register at
the central office records al. The operator
there Immediately strikes four taps in quick
succession, then a short pause, followed by
one tap, indicating forty .one, on all the gongs
and the three alarm bells, simultaneously.
The firemen look at their chart, and seeing the
locality, have no diff1 Guilty In finding the spot
Immediately. Should the call bell at the reg :
lister sound two taps, pause, then nine. it
would indicate fire near the corner opposite
the General Post Office
The machinery for striking the large bells is
as ingenious as effective, and will strike as
readily with the hammer OF 5000 lbs. bell az
one. Of 60olbs. ;isasa s. ssfts@-.- .sl0HaA
The bells selected by Mayor Wallach for
purposes Of alarm are those Of the Columbia
Company, ON Capitol Hill; the German Oath.
Ollie Church, (St. Mary's, 5.h street west, and
the 18th street Baptist Church, all Of which,
with the gongs, are struck simultaneously by
the operator at the central office by means Of
electricity. In constructing the telegraph forty
miles Of wire havelbeen used, requiring l,5O0
glass insulatofs to carry the wire, which are
secured 70 the tops Of houses and chimneys on
the routes by iron braekees. Instead Of glass
cups usually used in telegraphic batteries, and
which are liable to break, the contractors have
furnished copper cups Of the best manufacture,
$50 in number. These, by the accumulation OF
pure copper from the sulphate OF copper used
in the battery, increase in value. 1t has been
estimated that in three years they will DO worth
:double the original cost. - ssfssigybA
4 sORpHXNs, CorRr--In orr noucsof TIE pro-