National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-26
FIRE ALARM.
A Glance at the New Telegram system-How
IT will he Workad

a Glance at the New Telegram system-How
il Will be Worked.
The new fire alarm telegraph now under con-
struction by Messrs. GameWen & Co., OF New
York city, is nearly completed, and will, when
finished, be the most perfect IRE telegraph in the
world-combining as it does all Of the latest and
more valuable improvements known to this
branch Of the art. The signal boxes are dIstribu.
Ted as equally as possible over seven metallic cr-
Georg etoHn. The six large bells which have been
selected for notifying the general public-and the
engine house gOngs from which the Fire Depart
ment will get the alarms for IRE are distributed
upon four metallic circuits and in addition
thereto, four earth return circuits will be en-
companies and the office of the Chief Engineer
0ftheFiTe Department with the ofice.OiIIhe Super
InteBdent OF the Fire Telegraph. There will be
maintained also Q line Of wire connecting the
Central Once and the United States Naval o.
seryatory, over which the correct time Of day
ND tspea1ed on he isrve bejI, an1 3 M
. total Of sixteen separatessnd Independent cir
cults, and measuring in the neighborhood Of one
The signal and Alarm circuits (eieven in mum.
ber), although separate and independent of each
other, are SO arranged as TO work through an
automatic and notwithstanding repeater In such
q manner as that when an alarm Is sounded from
any of the Signal stations It will be instantly
moments loss Of time, and with unerring Ger.
t2inty, ss all the machinery Is strictly auto
matte and each successive step lie propelled BY
8kGuk-6AeCLFlClIV-
causing all these circuits thus TO act and react
on each other instsntsneously. Ali that will be
necessary in order to sound an alarm Of FIRE will
be simply the unlocking Of the outer door Of
the signal box, and pulling down of an
iron hook which protrudes through a
Stat in the face Of the inner box which contains
the automatic signal machinery. The pulling Of
this hook (pulling the box" It lie called releases
a detent which allows q certain wheel in the
pIete revolution, and while HAT is being accom-
plished the electric current is broken and closed
alternately, in such q manner as to cause to be
sounded on the large bells, and upon the gongs in
the engine houses the exact number OF the box
thus set in motion. 1.-THE number Of the box will
be struck four times for fre.) To prevent in
reference from turning in or pulling) more than
one box at the same time, an ingenious device,
through the agency OF an additional electro-mag-
net IN each box, has been adopted which secures
way over that entire circuit and complete Is Il
in its operation and instantaneous in Selling the
right that If one box gets but fractional part a
second the start, no other box can modest IT. Tho
Central Once repeater is also notwithstanding in
the matter Of transmitting the alarms over the
take alarms from but one circuit at o time To
guard against the possibility Of losing an alarm
which might occur from two or more Simultaneous
hres springing up in different sections Of the city
although the repeater would take but one Of
them-yet the other or others would be registered
IN the Central Once BY smother automatic instru
repeater gets through With the first, the second
alarm would be sent out BY the operator, ct the
LenHI Omee-
Under the 6id system false and frivolous alarms
have been OF frequent occurrence. Under the
new system nothing Of the kind will be likely to
occur. Each box is provided with what lie known
as the "trap-lock," and Is so constructed that as
the key raises the tumblers Of the lock proper.
1t also springs an Otner device which clasps the
round barrel Of the key in such manner rs TO
prevent its removal without the aid Of another
instrument called o master key" which only
certain ofncers Of the Ore department will be al
lowed TO carry, and hence he who Hpulls the boxn
must remain there until the IRE department re-
spends or leave his key in the lock. Every Key
will be numbered, and record kept showing in
whose hands every key 10 placed, and thus will
box is pulled.
ThuB every necessary precaution seemG 10 haye
been taken to prevent abuse and 70 correct the err
Iors which have unayoidably grown out OF the old
system. TO secure efficiency In the new neither
time nor money seems 10 have been spared by the
enterpfiging contractors 70 which may be attrib-
uted the success Of this nrm as Fire Telegraph
All good citizens will rejoice with us that an
improvement so long needed In our city has been
sueeetsfully completed. For several year, this
subject has been pressed upon the stteution OF
cur law makers By the superintendent Of the
tre'TeleRraph the WORKOUT and imperfect ma
enlnery OF the old system was urged, while the
tuperiority OF the automatic system was pre-
tented n convincing terms II must be confessed
that u 70 only BY contrasting the TIVE systems az
appreciate the great difference. We now have
hIe.tsleEraph second TO none-a telegraph upon
wien cur citizens may rely In fall confidence
Hblch VIII DO an honor 10 US during the centen.
NAL year. and IN keeping with other grand IN.
proVements In the Nations Capital.