The Red Cloud chief., 1889-01-18
IN CASE OF r


IN CASE OF FIRE
"A Description Of C~hicagO's Cnrivale ed
Electric Alarm system.
Somebody smells smoke or sees q
strange light at night and rushing "a
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 r 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
n couple OF marshals are tearing along
the street. and in = minute or two arc
On the spot where the alarm Origi-
mated.
.How is it done?" repeated Prof.
John 7. Barrett. "By means OF an
alarm system tina, 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
DC given, and every time q box Is
pulled the electric current carries the
necessary information over 100 miles
OF underground wire and 800 miles OF
aerial wire. The current is never OF
the wires and the hooks of the boxes
arc 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 tho nearest box Is,
or where. in ease that fails. tho next
is to be found. Fully a third OF the
residences in Chicago could have pri.
vatc alarm boxes at an initial expense
OF about $3i. and no subsequent fees
whatever. yet there arc only 32O pri.
vatc 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 they
occur and then still fewer know Just
what to do. There arc three KEYS,
sometimes four. tO every alarm-box,
and citizens should keep posted as {
where those in their ncighborhOOd are
kept.
ut is often said that the man who
pulls the box awakcns the firomen.
lOoses the horses. and throws Dyer the
doors. and so forth. This Is r Of
small cities bat not Of "a r,lace like
Chicago, where there is n Network of
telegraph and telephone v Tres. II q
couple OF wires get crosse d there Is q
possibility Of false alarms ;. Under the
direct system II men ' ould be turned
out n hundred times might. Hence.
here. all alarms ON directly TO the
central Office. an2. ar, thence sent to
the various eng, inc Houses. In general
terms the syStcm is simple. Pulling
the alarm-t OK winds n clock-wOrk in
SIDE. To which is attached n wheel.
Jogged go rs to give the number OF tho
box Tho breaking and completing Of
tho circuit makes the register print
he number OF the box in the Office
her c. BY sliding q key. with sea rcely
n seconds delay. we transmit the num-
Der To every engine house in the city.
gongs awaken, the men. and mccha.n ical
applEnccs-aUcry thirg worked by
the ca,rrent-eeL free the horses. To
slide down The polo and hook 4 few
snaps is the work Of but 4 MOI mont,
and away go the companies.
Every day tho wires are tested to
N axe sure that the resistance o 6crcd
interfere with the pass: age OF
The current anil 10 guard a gainst
breaks. All oln. circuits are m, Sall:c
is. have n return wire They
are safer than tlrc common circoi t in
each enL Of the wire is ground ed.
We can't a sYord to risk having . pum-
bcr q: bs Wcs useless. As additional
security. specially downtown. the
wires arc intcrlaccd sO that II one
box fails I o bring the departments the
ncxt one , gill. Ey this in,crlaciug Of
the s security Of The h.sincss part
u the 81 ~ Is doubled. Every fire.
alarm box b., also = full Morse acle-
20: IT. II u OF our lines
Freak We AR . but TO ground tho ends
Il the en gin c houses between WHICH
he break "a .rrs and VIZ have tctl1roH-
'rily thc q rcuit commonly used for
purposes Every presla-
ion Is tak0 to guard agaiis. atnos-
'hcric h0u cnccs and every form @!
and accident
The - ility offered for giving
larms b rarely abused. lis .
aagrrsD thing To r~naliciousiy send
} Asses arm. for every keylcss box
- . scl1e q the inside that IS pretty
aE0 - - . crowd before the 0ts-
has a chnDce TO OcaNA"-
"a