Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-09
A FEW INNOVATIONS
nthe City Fire and Police Telegraph
Indicated by Supt. Mead.
TWISTED WIRES PREVENT LEAKS.
A Better Central Office Needed and en- I'm.
dergrOund System.
THE TEST DISTRICT Is SUGGESTED

There are some interesting and entirely
new suggestions in the fifth annual report
of Morris W. Mead, Superintendent Of the
Bureau Of Electricity, just submitted to
Chief Brown, of the Department of Public
Safety. Among other things recommended
by Superintendent Mead are the following:
There have been two systems or ideas lately
tried, the result Of careful tests, and found to
be quite successful in eradicating the induction
or leakage, so troublesome to and preventive
Of a good telephone service, they are both
highly recommended in electrical circles.
would suggest trial of both these ideas to
limited extent this year. and IL successful a
more general adoption later.
The first consists of double or twisted wire,
the twists occurring every 21 inches; this, it is
claimed on well-known electrical principles,
balances the induction or leakage within itself,
by presenting every ~ inches alternate sides
Of the line to the interfering wire. The second
idea consists in running heavy copper wire
much heavier than the regular line wire, par
allel with the telephone wires, and using this
extra wire both as ground wire and COM
mon return line for, say Is or 20 telephone cir.
cults, according to the size of the extra wire;
this also has been found very effective for the
purpose intended.
desire now to present fully the importance
Of extending our central office facilities for
handling our rapidly increasing fire alarm
service. Even the safest limit for any circuit,
either underground or overhead, has been
reached and surpassed in another way. for
while we can add more extensions and boxes
to our present number of circuits, yet when
line Is broken or in any trouble whatever. it
throws out OF service a greatly increased
amouns of territory, and much more ground
has to traversed in repairing the line than
should be necessary
The idea wish to emphasize is, that the only
remedy now is to sub-divide these circuits,
which are already too large, into smaller ones.
To do this the facilities of the Office for addi-
tfonal circuits must be greatly increased. even
doubled or trebled, by the addition of necessa-
ry machinery. Also, much Of & the present ma
and should be greatly extended and the facili-
ties enlarged to suit the present size of the city.
In this connection would recommend that the
alterations be arranged SO as to include in the
new additions both the automatic and office
systems. The Philadelphia, New York and
Baltimore fire alarm offices have all been lately
rebuilt, and when say we need these additions
as badly as they did, and in some respects even
more, / recommend what will be borne out by a
thorough investigation and sanctioned by the
needs of the city as well as by the highest de.
mands Of modern electrical science.
So that the necessity for this improvement
cannot be dwelt upon too strongly and it would
be the part of wisdom to do 1t this year, and is
hereby recommended. The total cost will not
exceed $40 900, and this amount is suggested for
that purpose.
The underground problem is one have sew.
eral times in the past had occasion to empha-
size in annual reports. would not at present
urge too extensive application Of the idea,
but start could be made, and each year we
could do what properly and economically could
be accomplished during that period.
For beginning the district outlined by
Grant street, Eleventh street, and between the
rivers and down to the Point covering the
main business portion of the city, could be
undertaken. This would be enough territory to
cover the first year, for to reach the many
fire and police boxes in this district nearly
every street would have to be trenehed to q |
greater or less extent