Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-03-02
IN CASE OF FIRE.
4 Description OF ChicAgo's Unrival I'd
Electric Alarm System.

|
Electric Alarm system.
Somebody smells smoke or sees
strange light at night and rushing to
the nearest alarm-box pulls the hook.
In ten or twelve seconds the number OF
the box pulled is transmitted to every
engine-house in the city. Five or six
hundred men are instantly out OF bed
and dressed, and about two hundred
horses, released from their stalls.
spring into position. In twenty-five
seconds, on the average. four engine
companies, one chemical company and
II couple Of marshals Il, tearing along
the street, and in a minute or two are
on the spot where the alarm origi-
mated.
"How is it donep" repeated Prot
John p. Barrett "By means OF an
alarm system that hasn't its superior
in the world. Counting ordinary fire.
alarm boxes, public boxes and private
boxes. there are in Chicago upward Of
1900 points from which alarms may
be given, and every time a box is
pulled the electric current carries the
necessary information over 100 miles
OF underground wire and 500 miles of
aerial wire. The current is never off
the wires aud the hooks OF the boxes
are always there to be pulled as occa-
sion requires. Yet you would be sur
prised to find how few citizens keep
posted about the fire department. They
don't know where the nearest box is.
or whore, in case that falls, the next
is to be found. Fully third OF the
residences in Chicago could have pri-
vate alarm boxes at an initial expense
OF about $34, and no subsequent fees
whatever, yet there are only 32O pri-
vate boxes in the city. Every citizen
may have a key that will unlock any
box in the city and the multitude don't
get them. Few think of fires till tn sy
occur and then still fewer know just
what to do. There are three keys
sometimes four, to every alarm-box
and citizens should keep posted as to
where those in their neighborhood are
kept.
at is often said that the man who
pulls the box awakens the firemen
looses the horses, and throws open the
doors, and SO forth. This is true o
small cities but not of place like
Chicago, where there is network o
telegraph and telephone wires. II
couple Of wires get crossed there is
possibility of false alarms. Under tn,
direct system our men would be turned
out one hundred times night. Hence
here, all alarms come directly to TIN
central office, and are thence sent t,
the various engine houses. In genera
terms the system is simple. Pullin!
the alarm-bOx winds a clock-work in
side, to which is attached wheel
logged SO as to give the number of tn
box. The breaking and completing @
the circuit makes the register prin
the number of the box in the of1ic
here By sliding key, with scarcel.
IA seconds delay, we transmit the nun
Der to every engine house in the city
where registers reprint the number
gongs awaken the men. and mechanics
appliances-every thing worked b.
the current-set free the horses. T
', slide down the pole and hook fe,
snaps is the work OF but a moment
and away go the companies.
Every day the wires are tested t
!, make sure that the resistance offere
doesn't interfere with the passage {
the current and to guard agains
hrooLo <pw nj ,O,,tf, ra ~ ~ oll
that is, have return wire The
are safer than the common circuit i
which each end OF the wire is grounded
We can't afford to risk having a nun
ber Of boxes useless. As additiOna
security, especially downtown, tn
wires are interlaced SO that If on
box fails to bring the depa tment tn
next one will. BY this interlacing {
lines the security of the business pal
OF the city is doubled. Every fire
alarm box has also full Morse telt
graphic outfit. II one Of our line
break we have but to ground the end
at the engine houses between whic
the break occurs and we have tempol
arily the circuit commonly used fo
commercial purposes. Every precal
tion is taken to guard against atmo.
pheric influences and every form {
disturbance and accident.
1.-The facility offered for givin
alarms is rarely abused. It's
dangerous thing to maliciously sen
in a false alarm, for every keyless bo
has bell on the inside that is prett
sure to call crowd before the mi.
9 chief-maker has chance to escape. y
l Chicn0O Means