Wichita eagle., 1888-07-21
OUR FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.
Instructions as to Where and How to Turn
in Alarms.
Post This Prominently.

The business portion of Wichita has to-
day one of the most perfect and the least
expensive fre-alarm systems Of any city in
the country. In nearly ali cities heavy
royalty has to be paid to the patentee OF
system before it can be put in city and
then additional royalty has to be paid for
each box used. In Wichita this expense
was avoided, as the fire marshal put IN,
free of any expense other than the cost OF
labor and material, system OF his own.
one which, from repeated and personal
observations and trials by city officials,
the department and newspaper representa-
tiyes. is known to work lnstantaneouSly
and infallibly.
In one or two instances during the past
few weeks a couple OF alarms have bee n
improperly turned in by persons who did
not understand the very simple operation
OF the alarm box, and the mistake was
laid to the system when there was no trou-
BILE with it in any particular In fact, the
system is kept under constant scrutiny,
and is regularly and thoroughly tested
every evening at O'Clock.
For the benefit and instruction OF the
general public we print below complete
list of all the boxes, together with the 10
cation OF the keys for each box. They are
located on Main, from Central avenue south
to Douglas, and on Douglas as far east as
Fifth avenue. They are the little flat red
boxes, placed on the telephone poles about
five feet from the ground. Experience in
Wichita, and in fact in other cities, has
taught that as a rule the only fires which
prove very disastrous are those which orig
mated in the latter part or the night, when
there are few people astlr and the oppor-
tunities for giving an alarm are meaSre
If an alarm is turned il from the closest
box, instead eff running by two or three
others to get to some telephone, with the
chance of being misunderstood as to the
location of the tire Should you succeed in
getting central after considerable time,
or not being understood at all, the de-
partment would come right to the proper
place in less than no time and save much
valuable property. Wichita's department
is as efficient as that of any other city of
her size in the entire country.
The boxes and their keys are located as
follows:
f. Southeast corner of Central and Main,
Keys at drug store, northwest corner, and
Jail.
6. Northwest corner Third and Main,
key at fruit stand same corner.
IA. Northwest corner Second and Main,
key at Occidental hotel.
16. Southwest corner First and Main,
key at Gandolfos hotel
%. Northeast corner Douglas and Water,
kew at Douglas Avenue hotel.
"a. Southeast corner Main and Douglas,
kew at Wichita National bank and at Ea-
gle Office.
26. Northwest corner Market and Doug
las a, key at Biting Bros, and at Paul
Jones & Co.
81. Southwest corner Douglas and Law
renee, key at Princess restaurant 3O6, East
Douglas.
a. Northeast corner Topeka and Doug
las, key at Manhattan hotel.
SO. Southwest corner Emporia and Doug
las, key at European hotel and at Good
year drug store.
~. Northeast corner of Fourth and
Douglas, key at Carey hotel.
A. Northwest corner Of Douglas and
Fifth avenues, key at City Mills and at
Mattel Bros. restaurant
90. Grand opera house, in office.
OF. a. ~. l.. ana w eStern Union Offices.
| TO SEND IN THE ALARM.
| Procure the key from the location given
above or from the police. and open the
door Then pull dow the lever (Which IS
! on the front of the round box inside.
! Leave the door of the box open until the
lever stops moving and the alarm stops
sounding. Then let go. Do not tcu h
the lever when in motion. Do not close
the door until after the alarm is finished
Then close it with a slight slam.