Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-07-23
THE STEVENS STRIKER.
An Expensive Toy for Some sixth
Ward klrenen-Anether Fest. p


| The fire committee of City Council, al
q recent meeting, directed that another
and final test be made of the Stevens fire
alarm striker on the Phoenix engine house
George NJ. Stevens Of Boston, the con
tractor, was notified of the intention to
make another test, so that he could
be present if he desired, but in
stead he wrote to u friend in this city,
directing suit to be instituted for the re-
covery of the amount of his contract II
his bill is not paid soon.
Il The Stevens striker is a relic of the
Republican Council that went out of
power at the June election, 1884. Thomas
johnson was chairman of the fire COM
mittee, and the project was consummated
mainly 10 please the members of the
Phoenix Fire Company, who were strong
hackers of Councilman Il. O. Moore Of
the Sixth ward. There was not the
slightest reason why the Phoenix should
have been given tower striker
in preference to any other company of
the department, and really no occasion
for any such addition to the fire alarm
telegraph system at any of the engine
houses, the city hall striker and the
engine house gongs being amply sufficient
for alarm purposes. However the Re-
publican majority of City Council made
it party measure, and the striker was
ordered to be contracted for.
Proposals were asked for from Stevens
and the Gamewell company. The latter,
whose bid was $675, afterwards claimed
that the weight of the bell WINS misstated
in the specifications given them, and that
had they been correctly informed their
bid would have been but $500. Stevens
bid was 1850 and he awarded the contract.
For long while after the striker wns
finishcd.it failed to work properly, and
one OF the failures happened while Mr..
stevens was here IN person TO superin-
end the test. Recently Superintendent
,ydon of the fire alarm system, increased |
he strength of the battery at the city
mll station, since which time, he says, the |
striker has been working in a proper |
manner. No formal test, however, has |
been made since Mr.. Aydon's change.
While the majority members of the |
present Council would be very well |
pleased to get rid of the striker, there is
no disposition to refuse to pay for it if it |
is found to work properly. The contract
was fairly entered into, and cannot be
eyaded whenit is properly complied with,
Notwithstanding the fact that the strikerl
is entirely useless as an adjunct to the
fire department. It should never hayell
been contracted for, and will silnplyll
prove n waste of every dollar expended
on it. H5o.
Sholld the city use the striker after it
is paid for, suit is threatened by the
Company, on the ground that
the Stevens striker is an infringement of |
their fire alarm patents If this matter is
pushed the Council may he compelled, in
order TO save costs and trouble, TO dis
continue the use Of the striker, even after
it is paid for.
The fire alarm system of Wilmington
was established in 1881, and was con-
structed by the Gamewell Fire Alarm
Telegraph Company. The City Council
investigated the subject, visited
Baltimore and inspected the system
in that city, and then decided TO
have it introduced here, the or /
dinance passing council with only.
three dissenting votes. The city
hospital property was sold and the |
proceeds applied to the construction of |
the alarm. The first cost of the system, |
comprising eight engine house gongs,
eight miles of wire (for which new poles |
were erected) the city hall strikers, is fire
alarm boxes, with all necessary appli- |
ances, was only about $1,000. Nine |
new street boxes have since been added. |
The system has worked in satisfactory |
manner from the first, and is generally |
conceded TO be one of the cheapest as |
well as best fire alarm telegraph sys-
TENS in the country.