The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-11-03

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The average citizen OF Seattle, who stands
complacently watching the fire engines 60
dashing by to the scene of con1agration,
and remarks that 1.-THE boys make pretty
good time" has but . vague idea how such
prompt action is secured He only knows
by the red-painted iron boxes set up here
and there that there is an electric system
of some kind. through which an alarm can
be sent in to the eneine-houses.
Nor is the man who PUSHES to the box to
give the alarm when a fire breaks out in
his neighborhood much better informed.
He unlocks the outer door, only to see q
second one. through which protrudes an
iron knob, while he reads the legend: "Pull
down the knob and let go. What happens
after he lets go is hidden from view,
but II he could look through that
second door he would see something
interesting going on. The wire which
brings the electric current into the box,
ends in broad, fat. metal terminal.
The other end of the terminal rests upon
the rim of large brass wheel. If the box
opened were No. 26. investigation would
disclose ct one point on the wheels cir
conference two teeth or points close to-
gether. and at short interval six more
teeth. When the knob is pulled down it
sets the wheel to revolving slowly, and its
rim slips along under the end of the ter
minal. When the point of the tooth passes
under the terminal the contact is for an in
slant stopped until the terminal drops
down to the rim of the wheel again.
When this happens the current is broken,
which causes an alarm bell to ring at the
engine-house. Almost Immediately tue
second tooth passes under the terminal, so
that second ring follows close
upon the first After revolving for
the space of five seconds the
SIX teeth reach the terminal, and then
the six rings. with an interval Of five Sec
onds between, indicate to the listening fire.
man that the alarm comes from box e.
After further revolution of the wheel for
twelve seconds the two teeth have COM
pleted The circuit, and the alarm of two and
six bells is again heard. This is repeated
four times. so that no mistake will occur
in determining the number of the box
Being familiar with the location of each
box the firemen know just where TO direct
their course. At the same instant the
alarm sounds the doors of the engine-house
and stalls fly open automatically, the
horses trot into place, the harness drops
upon their backs, the driver leaps into his
seat, and the engine is offin a twinkIing. The
fire-aiarm system OF S.attle is perhaps the
best west of Chicago. and has no superior
in the United States. Every precaution is
taken to guard against any con-
tingency that might arise. Only the
best insulated wire is used, and
it is stretched so that in no
place will it run within three feet of any
other line. Where the wire runs ont of the
alarm boxes it is covered clear to the top of
the pole with an iron pipe, to prevent its being
cut by accident or design. The Seattle sys-
tenn has sixteen miles of wire and thirty
four boxes. It is divided up into three
circuits, which intersect each other here
and there. This plan is adopted so that
should one circuit get out Of order box on
another circuit would be near at hand.
When AN alarm is turned in it is heard first
at the engine-house belonging to that cir
cult and at headquarters. In the cleo
trician's Office at headquarters is Z .sthree-
circuit repeater" by which the alarm Is re-
peated 10 the other houses.
Should break in the wire occur at anv
time, the fact will be announced at head
quarters by the ringing OF the bell the in
slant the current is broken. The repeater
Is arranged SO that 1t registers in which
circuit the break has occurred. AS a fur
ther test, there is galvanometer for each
circuit, and when one of these registers
zero it is evident that the current of that
circuit is broken.
Should the repeater get out OF order. the
three circuits. by the use of switchboard
can be thrown into one. and an alarm will
then be heard simultaneously at eli sta
tiOns.