The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-21
THE CITY HALL.


| DEMOCRAT was admit cd into Mr. Meallie's ofrlc
and permitted TO listen to what the operator
had to say. From this interview and sub seauep
conversation with the operators, our reporte
learned that tho alarm having been sent frou
station box No. 70, the operator on watch imme
diatey set the hands on two Of the three dial
OF the Indicator necessary to convey the alarm
and switched on the electric connection with tn
clockwork Of the indicator, but In his grea
desire to DO prompt he shifted tn
lever of the wrong dial The Indicate
operating automatically the full alarm had I,
be sounded before the error could be corrected
| This. says MIR. Flynne, required IA usual onl,
twenty seconds. and after the lapse of that tim
| the proper alarm was given. Regarding thu
telegraphing for fully ten minutes" from tn,
Harbor Station Mr.. Flynne said that he was al
ready by the side of the operator on watch n
the City Hall when it was received, but that \,
attention was given to 1t because the first dut,
Of tho attendants was to correct the error II
giving the fire alarm which was Of far greate,
Importance than cali from the Harbor Sta.
ton: Further he says. with some reason cor.
| tainly, that the alarm given by the policeman
from bog No. q latter the first one had been
correction, for the No ~ Is an automatin boy 1n
which could not indicate that there VS. Gre
Mt ~.
ar IEk IHF EXPLANATION
tho representative of the DEMOCRAT Walked
down from Administrator Meaie's Office to the
Central Fire Alarm Telegraph Office to receive
an illusr ration Of the facts related above The
hands Of the three dials were set on ia and
so much care was taken by the operators not to
make mistake. that a gentleman paesent hay
ing suggested another number, IL was n jeeted
No. 122 being preferable. because there was no
such number used In giving fire alarms
Therefore 1t afforded more security against
the possible tampering Of the Instruments
which had previously boon discovered.
Our reporter, who has a tolerabIe ac1uaint
anee with the machinery of the telegraph took
particular notice that the switch" was in its
usual position, and therefore the working Of
the indicator could not communicate an alarm
TO the fire bells; for this switch has to be moved
from It's stationary position to another poiAt In
70 the clock. BY accident. however. the Work,
house bell was made to strike 1879. which was
taken FOR 1913. one of tho numbers used in tele
graphing.
occurred IN this WISE Among the instruments
there Ia n test switch which is used to connect
lust enough electricity to inquire into the eff set
cause the fire alarm bells to strike along wire
circuit. Unfortunately the circuit comprising
W aae
where there are small gongs established is both
a wire and ground circuit.
As we have already said the current of cleo
trieity which is allowed to flow by the operation
Of the test switch cannot affect the wire circuits
but on u few occasions IL has affected the only
ground circuit. although on numerous other
duced no effect This ground circuit has existed |
Tor many years. and should be remedied but It |
financial condition Of the city; for
to complete II with wires would cost some |
money. Had the ILLUSTRATION sought to be given |
on any other circuit than the mixed circuit the |
accident would not have occurred.
1t appears from what was seen that neither |
~ an tha r.Ixn
Operators for In so far as the mechanical part |
OF the business OF turning In an alarm Is con
oerned. any person Of ordinary intelligence can |
pear that MIR Flynn. Or The other Operators aP
are incompetent to turn In an alarm
Is ABSURD,
whatever may be their capacitiesoin other re-
The only thing that could be said OF them. If
anything. Is that whilst laboring under undue
errors OF omission. 1t might be added that Mr.
tlynne was. before his present term. one Of the
most efficient operators at the City Hail.
Mr.. Flynne and his assistants took in setting
he hands Of the dials on number u22) not
lent might occur through the previous tamper-
Dg OF the Instruments
It is feared that their apprehensions are well
Thomas O'Connor. the chief engineer of the
Ire department. was the superintendent of th-
ire alarm telegraph. few days prior to his
with commendablc forethought, he
every station box in the city from
he signal wheels" of which he made a signal
abeau This tableau was found of indisrensa-
le advantage to the Administrator of Police
rhen the operators had combined to resign be-
ause Mr.. Fynne had been added to their mum
or Whosoever is guilty of what will now be
elated must take Me responsibility of IT.
we speak from IN interview with the chief
ngineer and Mr.. Flynne, who gave unmistak-
BILE evidences of what they assert When Mr.
'yunR took pDSSpSEiDn with the mo |
,as thought. being provided with the tableau
!. signals and circuits. their practical knowl- l
lake everything work smoothly. Such. how
YER. was not the case and they had scarcely
cen installed than they discovered that all. or
early all. the wires had previously been
hanged from their proper magnets to mag g
cts of other circuits. /
To be more explicit. say the wire of circuit :
0. mad been attached to magnet No O. the
ire Of circuit No. 2 to magnet No l. and SO on v
aturally creating the utmost confusion when v
y dint of study and watchfulness the tamper-
~ was rendered ineffective. But j
THIS Is NOT ALL. n
1t was eventually discovered also that the |
heels Of the street or station boxes had lin a 9
alf dozen or more casesl been changed he- 7
veen the period of the retirement of Chief @
Conner. as superintendent. and the installa- 8
on of Mr.. Flynne and his men. For example: s
I'd Of the city and No. 1916 at the lower end
he exchange of the signal wheel (which are S
OF unlike tDe n0ur Wneel OF q clOckl from one s
Ok to another would. in case Of an alarm =
luse false ringing of the bells from the City {
all although no possible blame could be at Il
tho Of ws 6ayng been
ituted for that Of No. 325 the signal at the Q
ity Hall, although coming from an uptown I
*; would Indicate that fire was taking place G
lie alarm would be rung for box No 1916. whilst Il
70 fire might be raging near box No. s. And
ire seems to have been taken by the perpetra- q
rs of this tamperng to make the changes be- .
Veen boxes In the same circuit. such that c
0 suspicion could occur In the mind OF the e
oerator on watch at the City Hall. who would v
herwise be told by the proper magnet that n
,mething was wrong. The result OF such a n
'ndition Of affairs can better be imagined than a
rtten. Il
Mayor Patton and Administrator Mealie have V
ready begun an investigation of the matter. s
Id will doubtless follow 1t up. s
As for the operators ii
WHO RESIGNED
cause of Mr.. Flynne's northumberland
whom are known to be competent clever and a
is no idea of reinstatng them,
1t. on the contrary. II is proposed to put the