The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-11-12
FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH.
a SYSTEM WHICH INSTA NTLY
LOCATES a FIRE.
Great Advantages AccruinG From
such System and the Small
Cost of Introducing and NIain-
Ing 1t iii all Parts of the City.

y special meeting of the City Counci
was held last night to consider the advis
ability of putting up a fire alarm teIc
graph system, and hear the explanation.
OF the mode of operation OF the Game
well Fire Alarm Telegraph Company
system as given by their representative
Mr.. J. D.Clarke, of New York City.
The fire alarm telegraph consists of 4
central or battery station, the wire cir
cults of which connect the central sta
tion with the street signal boxes and i,
alarm apparatus, consisting of electro
mechanical bell strikers in church OF
other towers, electro mechanical gong
strikers located in engine houses, public
buildings and residences of the fire de.
partment officials and indicators, show.
ing in plain figures the number of the
signal box from which an alarm origi-
mates.
Whenever fire occurs The information
is given by signalling from the boxes.
This signal is communicated to all the
different gongs, thus giving every one
information Of the fire at one and the
same time. five suppose box No. 81 to
be operated, the way Of giving the signal
is to unlock the door, then take hold of a
projecting hook and pull this two sue
cessivc times, then pause for five seconds,
and then give one pull. This is repeated
four times.
The manifest advantages of such a
quick method Of signalling is too evident
to need any further comment. These
boxes are provided with keys for code
signalling. To illustrate the workings
ul this, we can look at the way it is done
i'll Raleigh, where this system is used.
There when the fire is out the chief of the
fire department gives information of this
to the citizens by simply going to the
box and giving three blows on a lever
which rings the various communicating
bells and gongs in the city. Also i'll that
place sometimes increased water pressure
is needed, and so they communicate this
TACT to the water works by means of sig
mails. Thus the ordinary water pressure
III Raleigh is twenty pounds, but this can
be increased to one hundred pounds
when needed, and the chief can obtain
greater pressure by simply signalling the
strokes ID three times in quick success
sion. The system, now advocated, is in
usc i'll $50 places i'll the United State.
such as Raleigh, Chattanooga, Birming-
ham, Nashville, Memphis, Wilmington,
etc
The cost of putting up this system in
Ashevlle would be governed by a variety
of different items, such as the style of the
signal boxes used, and the kind of wire
employed. OF course whether the city
has to buy the poles or not would be an
other item, resulting in quite little diff
ference in the expense. But there are suf-
lirient poles in the city to carry all the
wire, and it would merely med the re-
quest of the mayor in all probability to
obtain the consent of the different COM
panies to allow the city to use them for
this purpose. The cost then of putting
up this system without poles would he |
from 100000 to $3,5O0.O0, according
to the value of the wire used. This would
include the putting up Of fifteen signal
boxes i'll various parts of the city. Now
the wire may be of three different kinds,
the galvanized iron wire generally used
by the Western Union, which lasts from
ten to twelve years, the hard drawn cop
per wire, which has no wear out to it,
and the insulated copper wire The last
two kinds cost from two to three times
as much as the other The wire itself
will cost Onc-scventh ofthc entire amount |
of the estimate given above.
Now as to the cost of keeping every
thing III good running order. This de
pends on the number of cells in the gray
ity battery which furnishes the electric
ity. To furnish sufficient electritv for
use in this place, a battery containing
forty cells would bercquired, and the run
ming expense per year is ut the rate of
from $1.0O to $1.25 per cell or an entire
expense of from $4,000 to $4,000 per
year.
The strength of the battery is shown
by a galvanometcr, whose indicator
should show a detection of thirty de-
grccs when the battery is in proper run
ming order. 1t would work at twenty,
seven degrees, but such decrease would
betoken very bad condition, and it is
in this way that the necessity for any re-
pairs is made known. BY this means
also any break in the wire is indicated as
he needle of the galvanometcr will then
point to zero.
Mayor Blanton drove Mr.. Clarke
around the city Yesterday afternoon and
hose the following as the probable loca-
ions of the signal boxes subject to
'hange and alteration by the Council if
his system is adopted, viz: Corner
Chestnut and Charlotte, Chestnut and
Merrimon, East street, near J. S. Lind
'eys, North Main and Mcrrimon, Acad-
my and Haywood, Patton avenue and
the railroad near Green's
store, Bailey and Phillip, North Main
md Walnut, Cosmopolitan Club, corner
College and Oak, French Broad avenue
md Patton avenue and Patton avenue
md Main street.
Mr. Clarke offered to exhibit the in