Daily Republican., 1889-09-20
CITY COUNCIL.
SHORT SESSION AND NOT
MUCH DONE.
j. w. Aydon, Superintendent of the Fire
Alarm Telegraph, Makes a Re-
port and Recommends Under
ground Wires.

The City Council held q regular ses-
sion last night, President Farra i'll the
chair.
Mr.. Forrest, from the law committee,
reported an ordinance amending the
plumbing inspector ordinance, aud the
report was adopted.
The city treasurer reported the balance
| In bank to current expenses to bo $780,
1887; park fund, 81, ,000.0I; received Of
Tex Collector E. p. Moody, 2.809 10;
Tax Collector NJ. J. Mealey, S725; water
commissioners for interest, 81, 500.
The Washington Steam Firo Engine
and Hook and Ladder Company sent the
following communications:
THE FIRE ALARM.
| ITO the President and Members Of City
Council: Gentlemen-At tue regular
stated meeting Of this company on Mon
day evening, September 2. 1889, was
instructed TO call your attention to the
/ condition of the fire alarm telegraph. 1t
has not been striking right for the past
six months; sometimes striking one or
striking at all. We respectfully request
that you give 1t your attention. by order
Of the company.
| JAMES Nj. DICKERsoN, Secretary"
The communication was referred to the
Fire Committee.
The following was received and read;
$50 the President and Members OF
City Council; Gentemen-I herewith
submit my report of the operations of
the police and fire alarm telegraph for
the past year:
"The work Of the year comprises the
Introduction Of o new tower and bell at
the Weccacoe engine house, o new fire
alarm box on Market street opposite the
Masonic Temple, the extension Of the
fre alarm service to Silverbrook. the
erection of 100 new poles and the intro
ducti0n OF four niles Of insulated wire.
"At present the nre alarm system Of
the city, embracing thirty-two boxes,
comprises only two circuits, between
which the alarm boxes are about evenly
divided. No. circuit includes all that
portion Of the city ea.t Of Market street,
and No. Q circuit all OF that portion of
ths city west Of Market street. Exreri-
ence has long tince demonstrated that
the two circuits are not enough for the
thorough and satisfactory operation Of
the system, viS.:
Any foul or obstruction upon the
wires Of auy one OF these circuits Affects
all the fire alarm boxes OF that circuit
ohu thAOWb tuSth Out vi btiNiCt WILL tuo
foul or obstruction Is removed. Thus, q
single interference with the wires de-
prlves oue-half of the city for the time OF
proper protection against hre. Thus lar
constant watchfulDees aud prompt at
tention to all obstructions on the line has
avoided serious trouble, but the danger
will continue as long as the present sys-
TEN remains in operation. respect
fully recommend the Introduction, at an
early date, OF an eight circuit repeater
and the division Of the system into eight
complete circuits as is the case with the
fre alarm system Of the city OF Recalling,
Pa. With eight circuits, o foul OF
trouble on any one of them would inter-
fere with only small number of alarm
boxes, instead Of fully one-half as at
present, and thus greatly facilitating the
operation of the present system and al
fording additional fire protection to the
entire city. The cost OF this change, iu-
cluding the repeater, wire and other ne
Ictssary appurtenances, will be III, $40 to
81 500, but the result obtained will fully
warrant this reasonable expenditure.
The appropriation for the current ex-
lpenscs of the Fire Department for the
present year 10 ample to allow of this
expenditure, and there seems TO bo TO
good reason why this important and
treatly nee1ed improvement should not
be effected without delay.
"The subject OF underground wires, to
which invited the attention of Council
q year ago, has since been brought to the
attention of the General Assembly, but
unfortunately the attempt to secure the
enactment OF law compelling the
/ placing of wires under ground did not
succeed. 1t 10 not now necessary to re-
cite the circumstance that led to this re-
suit The Council performed Its duty iu
the premises by preparing and endorsing
| q law having this object In view, but the
General Assembly, In its wisdom, saw it
to refuse rs sanction to the measure The
subject Is still prominent I'm tho public
mind, and there is every reason to believe
that public sentiment will continue to
demand that the wires go under ground.
The nuisance and positive danger arising
from overhead wires Is constantly on the
increase, and as 1t has been demonstrated
that Underground wires can be success
fully and economically operated there is
no valid reason why corporations con-
trolling the telegraph and telephone lines
should not be c. mpelled to bury their
wires beneath the surface of the streets.
1t IL to be hoped that another attempt
will be made at the next session of the
General Assembly and that 1t will result
successfully. Respectfully submitted,
u. w. AYDoN,
Superintendent Fire Alarm Telegraph"
Mr.. Baugh presented and had read a
first and second time an ordinance in re-
latl0n to fire escapes. 1t gives the build
ing inspector the right whenever he sees
necessary to order fire escapes TO be
placed upon public buildings, manufac-
tories, halls and school bouses, and If the
owners iail to otey within thirty days a
fine of S25 shall be I'm posed, and an addi-
tional fine of $40 for each twenty-four
hours thereafter.
Mr.. Forrest presented an ordinance to
amend the plumbing inspector ordinance,
which was read n fist and second time
and referred to the Law COMMITTEES. The
ordinance supplies an omission 10 the
original ordinance and increases the fine
for the first offsDse from IS to Si5 and
for the second offense from $40 to $25.
The cause is to be removed within "a
hours alter notice has been given.
Bills were passed as follows: Daniel
Hatton, S1.50; James Holton, t30. 81;
Hannah Wood, 81; II. r. Griffith, 81.