Daily Republican., 1880-12-13

very pleasant gentleman, IN opening
his explanation, said; $50 far 40 the
success Of the system is concerned, |
can only say that It works like charm.
1t never fails, and Is the most complete
piees OF machinery ever saw. Let
Wilmington try 1t once and she will
never cast 1t aside" The system Ia
known as the Gamewsll Fire Alarm
Telegraph, made by the Gamewell Fire
Alarm Company, Of New York. The
motive power consists Of 1900 batteries.
To go into complete explanation of
the workings Of the alarm apparatus
proper would require mole space than
can be spared. Briefly it Ia this: Con
Meeting with the headquarters in the
City Hall sre l54 signal boxes in va.
rious parts Of the city. Each police
officer has key to the boxes on his
beat, and all reputable citizens carry
key to the box nearest his home. II
frs occurs the nearest box is opened
and an alarm sounded.
All boxes are numbered and II the
boa from which the signal comes is
No. l42 the apparatus record on
stroke, then o pause, the four strokes,
another pause and then two more
strokes. Simultaneously with the re.
cordlDg Of this at the central station
automatic repeaters take up the alarm
and quick as q flash IL is sent to
every engine house and fra alarm
station in town. The first stroke Of
The alarm at the engine houses sewers
the hooks by which the horses are
fastened, and before the first sound OF
the alarm IL concluded the horses are
hitched up aud the drivers are in
their seats. One beauty Of this system
Is that only one alarm can be recorded
at once, thus preventing any con-
founding of localities. What is known
as q central station alarm is used
when the other apparatus is being
cleaned or the jars looked after. The
service is divided up into circuits.
There are 20 wires, each constituting a
circuit, and having q certain number Of
signal boxes.
One thing which will be surprising
to Wilmington people is that Baltimore
with population Of but little less
than 400, ,0n0 has but 13 FIRE engines;
Wilmington with q population Of some.
thing more than 1900 hasS engines.
But Baltimore is much more complete
ly protected against FIRE than Whining.
ton and it is all owing to the fire alarm
telegraph. Until two years ago the
city had but IL FIRE engines. One
thing which speaks volumes for the
system is that there has not been q
false alarm of FIRE since 1t has been in
operation. 1t is altogether owing to
this system that Baltimore can boast Of
the best organized dre department in
the world.
Steps will at once be taken to intro.
duce the Gamewell FIRE alarm in Viii,
mington, and an agent of the company
is likely to visit the city soon.
THE BETH AND DEATH REGIaTRY!
While the examination was being
made Of the engine houses, saturday
afternoon, Clerk Fraz4r visited the
Health Department, aud spent several
hours in examining the mode of regis
tsring births and deaths. 1t is pro-
posed to introduce asystsm, similar in
its workings, in Wilmington.
DR.. Stewart is the Health Com
missioner, DR.. McShane the assistant,
and Nr. Carter, Secretary. II Is the
duty of all midwifss and physicians to
report all births aud deaths to the De
partment, and they are carefully fled
after careful indexed record is made.
Permits Of burial ara issued, showing
the date OF burial and the cemetery in
which the intsrment takes place.