, 1874-09-06

pushed his device With the diplomatic skill ex
hibited by his competitor in Now York, or tha1
our Board of Underwriters and Common Coun'
Gil have been blind to tho simplicity, economy,
| aud importance Of a proper thermostatic Fire
Alarm, We cannot say. Certainly, by some unto
ward overnight, the simplest, cheapest. and most
effective safeguard against fires has been most
shnmeful1y neglected in city that most needs
| it's protection. Comparing the two inyen-
tioas, ve find that that Of Watkins, which
has boen adopted in Now York, is
operated by gutta-percha cylinder, the e1pan-
the given temperature, turns hinge, which in
turn works hammer, the striking or contact OF
/ which completes the electric current and com
municstes the signal. It is not at first sight ap-
tainty produce the signal at definite tcmpora~
ture, though we presume it does. As it works
| with hinge, and is exposed to the air, it is
claimed by its Chicago rival thatit is liable to cor
| rode, and any rusting would impair its action,
| rendering the signal uncertain. It would also
be necessary in painting, ca1cimning, and clean
ing walls to which this instrunaendis uttacncd to
| take some pains to avoid thrnsting foreign mat
| ter between the signal hammer and the point on
! which it strikes, as the current would still bo
with the utmost care dust would often collect on
various parts Of the instrument sufficient to in
| torrupt its action.
| From all these objections tho Chicago Fire
Alarm invented BY 3Ir. ". 3. FarEar, Of the
| Western Electric Manufacturing Company, ap-
/ pears to be sinSularly FREQ. Wo have never seen
! simpler or moro beautiful device in mechanics
than the little ther1nostat contrivcl by him to
| avoid each and all Of tho foregoing objections.
It consists of = email thermometric bulb with
one p1atina signal-wire passing into tho mcrcu-
II at the lower end, and the other projecting
into the lermetically-sea1ed top Of the ther-
mometer and reaching downward to the degree
at which the signal ia wanted. or course, when
the mercury in the thermometer rises to that
point the mercury being as good an electric
conductor as the platina wire, the electric cur
rent is perfected, and the signal passca. No
dust, paint, rust vhitewaah, other foreign sub
stance can get into the thermometer between the
mercury and the platina wiro to Interfere with
it's action. The instrument can be attached to
any wall OF ceiling sud plastered or painted over
without affecting tH value or interfering with its
york. 1t can only be rendered inefficient by be-
ing broken.
hal r>r9fr 1y7, fr14n rfnr
prise in several hotels and large buildings in
Chicago, both before aud since the great confa-
grafton. and it's inventor claims to have expended
years OF time and many thousands OF dollars in
perfecting his mechanism, and in impressing it's
value on the reluctant and unwilling ears Of fire.
underwriters.
The theory Of insurance writer's prior to the
great Chicago and Boston con1ag1ations eeems
to have been that single fires woro favorable to
tue insurance business, and that tho Boards Of
Underwriters. as such, had no interest in pre-
| venting them. The burning out OF single
building caused thousands to insure. while only
| the conhagrahon OF Thousands of buildings af-
fected seriously the capital or profits Ut the in
| su1nnce companies.
| Our two great conaagrations, however, with
| that in Boston, have dono much to 1overse this
sentiment, and cause underwriters to feel TINT
their interests, as we'll az those OF property
| owners, wenld be subservcd by preventing fires
| To this change in sentiment tho New York fire.
alarm owes its success. Underwriters arc HOW
| willing to deduct from their premiums enough
to- fnr ha 9f
provide handsome income to their owners.
| The question begins to be discussed whether
some action caunot legally and wisely be taken
which wilt cause thermostatic 1irc-a1arnls to be
inserted compulsotuy in evary house in the city.
Owners object to putting them into their own
houses On the plea that their insertion would
be nearly worthless unless their neigh
bors also adopt them. Each owner thinks
Ills own property safe unless set fro to by his
ucighbor's carclessness. What To need, there
forc, for the eHectual prevention OF fires in any
city, and especially III city Of $4,000 wooden
buildings like Chicago, is that the Board OF Un-
dorw1iters shall first mako such deduction
from insurance rates Oh buildings supplied With
an efficient fre-aiarm Is shall enable RESPONSE
bio manufacturing company to insort the fire.
alarm into every building free OF cost to its own
er or occupant, aud then That the City Govern
ment shall require it to bo inserted in oyczy
room IN every house in the city. Tho
objection has been raised to any auto
matte or thc1mostatc system Of fre-alarm
that it will necessarily give rise to many false
alarms. It is said tnat the number Of instances
in which thcrnostat in the ceiling of room
will measure 1=0 degrees, when tho Temperature
of tbs room as o whole is not above tho
ordinary, il very great. This may bo SO. But
On the Whole VIC believe the labor Of the flremen
IN running to thefe talso alarms would be far
less than the labor Of fighting for hours against
extensive fires, which, 11ad the tire-alar1n been
in use would hare been attacked durin: theis