The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-25
THE AUXILIARY FIRE ALARM.
An Exhibition or How it Works-Its
Many Advantages.


Many Advantages.
An exhibition plant of the Auxiliary Fire
Alarm Telegraph Company has been placed
in rooms Al and AZ Rengstorff building.
where Charles A. Matson, of the American
District Telegraph Company, who is the
acting manager, will De glad to show tho
workings of IL to any who desire to ex.
anime Ii.
The mechanism of the system Is simple
In the extreme, and ct the same time Il
certainty in operation, and to prevent in-
reference with the regular FIRE alarm sys.
tenn.
1t will consist of number of circuits.
each having terminal Office IN some CEN
trail point near each street FIRE alarm box
which is auxiliarized. In these Offices will
be eight dry batteries and four or six fluid
batteries, closely cased. and terminal sets
of bells which will indicate trouble or other
interference with the wires. These will be
connected with the street boxes, The aux
iliary boxes viii be placed in buildings, not
over 100 on each circuit They are simply
miniature fire alarm boxes, SKA inches, with
q glass face. behind which is brass ring.
On the glass are painted the words: "In
case Of fire break glass. pull ring and hold
down till buzzer gives the return signal"
When this hook is pulled the buxzeR
will respond within five seconds, indicat.
ing that the street box has been turned in
and one second later the big FIRE alarm
bell. OF the two bells ut the terminal OF
each circuit, the ringing of the smaller one
indicates IN alarm from some auxiliary
box. The larger bell will ring when the
street box has been pulled on that circuit.
or when there is break or cross in such.
circuit. or when the street box has BEEN
pulled, in which csse notice of this call viii
be sent in Immediately to the central aux
iliary Office.
The system is provided with numerous
safeguards. In case of IRE being observed
by half dozen persons in big building
where there were as many auxiliary boxes,
each one person would rush TO turn in an
alarm and there would be half dozen calls
from the same street box. Such vain rep
etition is avoided by q simple contrivance.
As soon as the bell at the terminal Office
announces an alarm on that circuit the
whole circuit is cut out Thus the first
man to pull an auxiliary box rings the
street box and no other alarm can be given
on that circuit until it is again connected.
The system is also arranged so that it con-
not affect the regular fire alarm circuit and
is always open to inspection by the super.
intendent of fire alarm.
The saving Of time in giving alarms will
be so great that the chemical engine can
usually be on the scene and extinguish =
blaze in the time it would ordinarily
take for the discoverer of FIRE to find tho
key to the street box and turn in thu
alarm. Nor can alarms be turned in from
different street boxes for the same FIRE. 6
the auxiliary boxes viii be always con-
nected with the nearest street box. and
the person who gives it will be required to
go to the street box and await the engines
and direct them to the fire.
Mr.. Matson states that the Pacific In
surance Union has promised reduction OF
rates on buildings which have auxiliary
boxes placed in them under the direction
OF its surveyors. and that the saving in
insurance has been so great in San Francis.
co that the owners of buildings are actually
money in pocket by the adoption Of the
system.
An order for about 800 boxes with six
terminal sets win shortly be given by the
local company. The cost will range from
81 month for . single box to 81 each for
six and upwards.