Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-02-17
Misrellaneons.
row FIRES ARE PUT OFT.
THE WONDERFUL WORK OF THE NEW
YORK FIREMEy.

TOT TIE DeSI WOTK IN the ledSt possible
time, for dash, bravery and Esprit du corps,
it il doubtful whether the New York Fire
Department 10 egualed. The fact that time
and again commissioners have come here
from other larg cities, both in this coun-
try and in Europe, to study the workings
If the department with view to modelling
their own forces after the New York plan
is sufficient evidence that our fire brigade
.ias won IFS lanrels.
Like The . lice staiion-ffouses. the engine
houses are modelled afDr no particular
plan. Some of them haze been built ex-
presslv for the purpose and others are in
buildings that tor many years were stores
or dwellings. One of the down town en-
gine-hpuses, close 10 the old Post Office
and In busy street. may be taken as a
fair example of them all. il is three
stories high. with basement. and aft 'rJs
room enough for all the requirements. hut
with none to spare. The machinery is all
on the first floor, On level with the street
Directly in front Of the big door stands
the engine little further back and on
the other side of the large room isthe hose
carriage. technically known as 1.-THE tend
err Back Of these, at the extreme rear.
are the stalls where the three horses are
kept-two for the engine, one for the tender.
In the second story there are two rooms
the Off "ers' room in front and the dormito-
nv in the rear. where the men all sleep.
The third story. all in one large room, is
the family sittiDg-room, where the men
spend their spare time. The wall on one
side is covered with closets. and each man
has his locker
A fire is discovered. for example, at
Broadway and Fulton street. 1t may first
be seen by policeman. or by fireman
on patrol duty. or by some citizen. There
is fire-alarm signal-box at the corner,
and the policemen has key; so has the
fireman: but if the fire is discovered by
citizen and the policeman is not in
sight he goes to the box and sees by the
printed notice attached to it where the key
is kept. Procuring the key he opens
the door and pulls down the small brass
handle directly in front of him. Each
signal-box is known by its number, and
by pulling down the handle the number is
instantly and automatically telegraphed
to the headquarters of the department,
where operators are always on duty.
Suppose the number of the box to be "a.
Two strokes. with short pause, and then
seven strokes more are told upon the bell
in the operators room. This does not
send the signal to the engine, but only TO
,he headquarters. The operator without
the delay Of a second, reaches to little
cabinet in front of him in which are sew
eral hundred tiny drawers. Opening the
drawer marked No. q he takes out
small brass wheel. with two notches on
one side, and seven on the other. He fits
this wheel into socket made to receive
1t and opens the circuit The wheel re-
wolves, and taps corresponding with the
notches are automatically telegraphed to
every engine-house in the city, the whole
operation from the time that the signal-box
was opened taking less than 10 seconds.
There is no chance for mistake, for there
are the notckes, cut in brass. and the bell
must give just rs many taps rs there are
notches. This signal goes to every en-
gine-house in the city. no matter where
the fire is. If it is only chimney burn
ing down in Greenwich street. the engines
in the furthest corners of Harlem and
Morrisania are manned every time the
handle in signal-box is pulled. This
signal sent out from headquarters is
sounded upon three gongs in each engine
house. One gong. very large one. that
may he heard for blocks. is close to the
engine. Another is directly over the
horses heads. The third ia in the sleep
ing-room. to waken the men who NAV he
in bed. And with the sending of this sig
nal is done some of the most curl
Gus automatic work in the world.
The iiremen have come nearer to
making an electric battery think
than any other people. The electric cur
rent that makes the first stroke on the
gong loosens big 25-pound weight that
hangs by a wire into the cellar in every
engine-house. The weight Jerks long
wire, and the wire releases the springs
that tasten the horses brides in the stalls.
and at the same time strikes the gong over
the horses heads. letting these intelligent
animals know that they are wanted. At
the same instant. and by the same stroke
Of electricity, the gong in the sleeping
room is sounded. BY the side of the gong
in the engine-room stands small clock
The electric current lets loose n. tiny
weight. and the weight straightens out a
light chain which holds fast the pendulum
of the clock. and of course stops it at the
instant the alarm is received. This is 80
that when the firemen re urn from the fire
they can tell the exact minute at which
the signal was received and state the time
in their daily report. Another weight
dropped by the same current draws back
the bolt that fastens the front doors. All
this is done by single flash of electricity :;
so when the operator at headquarters
touches his key and opens the circuit he
rings the alarm in every engine-house in
the city. wakes the men ifthey happen to be
asleep. rouses the horses. unfastens them.
stops the clocks. and unbolts all the front
doors. Even in this city. that is surround
ed by spiders web of telegraph wires.
there is no place where single flash of
electricity does half rs much work.
The harness is kept constantly on the
backs of the horses. and these four-legged
firemen, as full of the Importance of their
business rs any of their comrades. are so
well trained that they back ont of their
stalls and run to their places in front of
the engine and tender the instant they
hear the gong sound. For this reason
it is not we'll for visitor in an
engine-house to be caught standing be-
tween the horses and the apparatus when
an alarm comes. The horses do not
take the trouble to dodge ANYBODY who
happens to stand in their way. All this
has beengoing on while the gong was
still striking "a. Before it is done strik-