The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-07-15

ALARM BOX. OPEN.

system has rapidly spread. Though only
four years have elapsed since that first raid
in the Twelfth street district, the
patrol has been adopted in St.
Louis, Cincinnati, Milwaukee,. Detroit.
Baltimore, Washington and dozen
other cities. Not long ago delegation from
Paris, France, was here to make an inyesti-
CATION of the system. Boston has just taken
it in, and New York is thinking about it
What is this pc ice patrol and telegraph
systeml 1t is fire department for the ex-
tinguishment of crime 1t is a device by
which the preservers of peace patroling
their beats are placed within instant commu-
nioation with their superiors and by which
the commanding officers are able to send re-
endorsements quickly and with full know
edge of the work to be done and the number
of men needed, TO any part of the field. In
Chicago the system has reached its highest
development There are upon the street
corners in this city 450 sentry or
signal boxes, to which thousands of
citizens and all officers have access
The citizens key cannot be removed until
an officer arrives 10 release 1t from the trap
lock, and as all keys given out are numbered
and registered at headquarters there is an
effective check upon trifling. Inside the
sentry box is an iron lox containing a tele-
phone and electric signal dial Only officers
have keys to this inner box, but citizen
may send in an alarm by simply pulling the
projecting lever This done, he has but
few moments TO wait, when his ears will he
gladdened by the clang. clang OF the gong
wi h which the patrol wagon heralds its
swift approach. A pull of the hook sum-
mons a wagon and three officers, but by
using the telephone the patrolman may
summon all of the twenty wagons
tiongng to the department, with
4 dozen men in each. should the
emergency require so many. The dia
saves much time and trouble, for by setting
the hand at the proper number the patrol
man may simultaneously with the trans
mission of the alarm itself send information
as to the character of the trouble. For a
simple drunk the horses drawing the wagon
are not urged to breakneck speed, while in
case of riot officers are picked up on the way
and all possible haste made in reaching the
scene Of disorder
In each patrol wagon are handouts, come
alongs, clubs, blankets, stretchers, canvas,
ropes, etc. There is also q medicine chest,
and the officers in charge of wagons have
been so often and so carefully lectured by
the department surgeon that they are now
excellent practitioners in emergency cases.
These wagons are justly famous for their
convenience and speed. They often travel a
mile in five minutes, and in less than an
hour all the wagons in the city may be
lnassed at Que point
| If the telegraph and wagon system has
been found as useful In all cities where en-
ployed as in Chicago, it has already been a
greater blessing to society than its fond in
ventors ever dreamed Of In Chicago last
year the officers in charge of station houses
received over the department telephones
| 1000, 900 reports from patrolmen on duty.
The patrol wagons answered 500 alarms
week, and during the year Travelled 65,000
miles.
But the system, admirable though 1t be, Is
not yet complete, even in Chicago. Had the
late Haymarket riot occurred in time of
usual quiet when there were few reserve
officers at the station houses, many moments
must have passed before re-enforcements in
effective numbers could reach the scene
Each officer patroling beat Is required to
report by telephone every half hour, but in
the case of the Haymarket struggle this
would have been half hour too late Ample
provision has been made for instantaneous
transmission of intelligence from officers on
beat to their superiors at the station houses
but there is no way in which the generals of
the city army may quickly dispatch instruc-
lions to their forces scattered far and wide
on picket duty. This is serious defect,
and, taking warning from the late turbu-
lence, Chicago will soon place large bells upon
her station houses, and on these bells signals
will be struck in great emergencies call
ing patrolmen from their beats and
sending them in haste to head
quarters These bells will have tone easily
distinguishable from the fire bells, and neigh