Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-09


around the strong box. 1t is always out
OIL sight. In jeweiry Stores and silk ware
houses that are in danger of house break
ers II occasionally lines weak or exposed
parts Of the walls, concealed beneath a
Walnscotng Of fancy paper or similar
decoration. The alarm registers the open
ing and closing hours, and acts as spy
on all hands. Every night the police find
scores of store do0rs, sometimes even
safes, left unlocked by careless clerks, and
the precauti0n is not a needless one. The
mystery is that more is not stolen in New
! ork than one hears Of.
PROTECTING THE TREASURY.
Only where the accumulation of enor-
nous values justfes or demands the
maintenance Of corps of armed watch
ers, as in the sub-Treasury, the Stock EX-
change and In some of the large safe de-
post vaults, is this now the chief feature
OF The protection afforded at night. Yet
even these are connected with the nearest
police station by wires that enable them
to summon aid in an emergency. Uncle
SANS funds and the bullion in the Assay
Oiilce are protected by a drill body of
armed men who, from their arsenal in the
upper story Of the sub-Treasury, might
keep mob OF thousands at bay. The
Stock Exchange and most of the big safe
deposit companies pin their faith to stone
walls and iron bars, and to time-lOCks
tnat, until they unlock themselves, shut
one body of watchers in and another out,
as hOpelessly apart as il the ocean lay
between them. BY night W all street fairly
bristles with policemen, and cracksmen
give it wide berth. At Police Head
quarters the TreasurY's safe and the
Property Clerks Ctlice are guarded by
electric alarms that connect with the tele-
DFlnn Offina N fbn hacnntanf
night some years ago, at a time when
charges OF dishonesty, that were afterward
dlsproyed, were then pending against the
then Treasurer OF the board, the big bell
ran in the telegraph office and scared
the officials into fits. The late Inspector
Thorne and a policeman made haste
slowly up the broad stairs to the huge safe
to hnd that is was rat, and not a Police
Commissioner, who had been fOOling with
the wires. The Bleecker-street Savings
Bank also connects with Police Head
quarters, and the wind and the rodents
have more than once caused Inspector
Byrnes detectives toll and VeXation of
spirit at midnight, to no purpose.
WHERE wA1CHMEN STILL REIGN.
The mass of property in the business
part of the city is yet guarded by night by
watchmen who are either the employees of
the owner, or in the pay of private corpo-
rations who hire them out as special po-
Icemen at so much per night, or per
week or month. Frequently Il store has
an outside and an inside Waterman, who
communicate by electrical signals at
stated intervals. Failure to send in the
signal betrays inattentiOn on the part of
the man inside, or trouble. The alarm
was silent one night last winter, in
W0rthngton. Smith Il Co.'s store in the
hnilHfntr n VTuion nd
the Waterman could not be reused. When
the door was broken open be was found
dead in his chair. He had shot himself
with his revolver in fit of insanity
brought on by suaerings from neuralgia.
Property along the shore is watched at
night by picked men I'm private employ. as
we'll as by police. PinkertOn's and other
detective agencies furnish men to watch
property when desired, and there is no
lack of private corporations organized es-
pecially for this purpose. Their en-
ployes may be encountered on the streets
any night. They wear badges and clubs,
occasionally uniforms. and exercise pow
ers delegated by the Board of Police, and
ID exceptional instances by the State by
special law.
SAFETY FROM FIRE.
Danger threatens the wealth of the me-
u0polis by night from another source
than the plotting or thieves. A single
fire That gets good start in the business
district can easily destroy more property
ia an hour than burglars get away W tn
in ten years. In fighting this danger, by
giving timely warning, the electric. or
sO-callpd automatic alarm, has proved in
valuable. The automatic fire alarm con-
sists merely Of a delicate spring made of
one of several metals abnurmally sensi-
~ oh a fhs. 80 Tho
springs are fixed on the ceiling or walls of
a room, or IN a show window where gas
is burned, on the line OF an open electric
circuit and IN such position that The
slightest expansion of the metal instantly
closes 1t and SETS up a current that rings
bell at the Automatic COmpany's office.
The spring may he adjusted to designate
any degree OF temperature by alarm, but
for ordinary purposes 1t goes OFF, at 400
degrees, which would indicate danger at
any time. From Automatic Headquarters
The alarm is Transmitted to the fire ana
police departments, and answered like
any other alarm of fire. The automatic
signals go on record generally as "ialse
alarms" In reality they were nothing OF
the kind, and notes OF warning uttered
Just in time to prevent trouble.
Once an electric fire alarm led to the
capture of band Of burglars, WAC, while
cracking" safe had put lighted can
die ON shelf directly underneath one of
these alarm knobs. 1t did not take long
to heat it 10 the "going-oil'' point, and the
burglars were shortly amazed AZ behold
Ing two fire engines and "A squad OF pO-
hce dashing up to the door. BY a simple
but ingenious mechanism the alarm reg
listers not only the street, house and num-
Der, but the floor where the trouble is, and
no time is lost in consequence in getting
AT il.
AN ANECDOTE.
The tiremen tell a story Of an alarm re-
ceiyed one night from a Broadway store
bV way Of an automatic wire. When the
engine reached the spot there was no
other sign of trouble than a Waterman in
side Of the locked glass.dOOr making signs
to the fremen. When they ran TO smash
in the door, he waved them away and
shouted TO them 10 go around the corner
and ask IN Ike" to come with his kew to
let him ont. lie was tired OF being locked
in, and, Mike failing to show up, had be-
thought himself Of the automatic alarm
and his lantern as the means Of summon
ing messenger. 1t was well for him
that Mike didn't happen around with the
KEY while the engine was standing with
steam No at the hydrsnt, or he would have
received "A ducking that would have as
tonished him. As It was he was left
locked In to his great wrath.
No Reflection.
From the WdH Street Netcs.