The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-23
POLICE BY ELECTRICITY.
THE oAMEwELL SYSTEM TO BIB
INTRODUCED IN SAVANNAH. -


crease of the Force to Over 100
Men-The Necessity for Some sys-
tenn Shown By Sundays Tragedy.
The Commission Which Went TO At
lanta Will Recommend Its Adoption
Tonight.
The adoption of the Gams~ell police
telegraph system will no doubt be author
lied by council at to-night's meeting.
Mayor McDonough. Alderman Haines,
chairman OF the police COMMITTEES, and
Chief Green, the commission which went to
Atlanta Sunday to investigate the workings
OF the system in that city. are highly
pleased with the results of the investiea>
ton. and will make a favorable report rec
ommending its adoption here.
Mayor MoDonough is particularly pleased
with the ambulance feature Of the system
and the quick and prompt manner 10 which
the wagon can be made to respond 10
alarms. Chief Connolly took the commits
sion to one OF the stations about a mile
away from headquarters and sounded a
test alarm. In little less than five minutes
the wagon with detail OF policemen was
at the box
NEEDED LAST SUNDAY.
Mayor McDonough remarked Yesterday
that had Savannah the Gamewell
system in operation here Sunday
at the time OF the Washington
square trouble Officer Kavanaugh
would probably have been able to get as
sist ce FROM headquarters In time to have
prevented the necessity for the use OF his
pistol, and also saved himself from the as
sault made upon him.
The system would also have proved
great assistance to Officer Baughn night be-
fore last in getting prompt assistance at the
time Of the Frogtown "dime party" riot.
The adoption of the system here will be
equal to the increase Of the police force to
over 100 men. The service which
is proposed for Savannah will
consist of forty street boxes, some of which
| will be placed IN iron booths, octagonal in
| form and connected by telephone with
police headquarters Each Of the forty boxes
will contain the private signals of the police
department, and any keyholder, by simply
turning his key in the lock assigned for the
''citiZens' key" In che centre Of the door, can
communicate to police headquarters that
assistance lis needed The citizens call is
easily distinguished from the private sig-
mails OF the patrolmea, as it is unlike
all other signals. The citizens key
is trapped In the lock, to avoid malicious
calling out Of the police. Any person at.
tempting this is discovered by the number
on the key when it is released by an Of
fcer.
WORKS LIKE A STOCK TICKER.
None but the police are admitted to the
inner mechanism Of the box. Their private
signals will be arranged by the proper au-
thorities, which generally consist Of ''on
duty" Telephone" ''slow wagon, i"
fast wagon" or ''ambulance."
The number Of each box when
pulled is recorded at police head
quarters upon strip of paper, similar to
that OF a stock ticker, together with the
month, date, hour and year. The time
stamp in connection with the apparatus
changes each minute and Is connected with
q clock. When q signal is received for q
''slow" or fast" wagon, by means of a
transmitter at headquarters, the number of
the box Is Instantly sent to the stable, where
it appears on visual indicator, and also
upon tape register, giving the alarm upon
gong. The driver at once knows where
TO 90, and Ia the shortest time possible the
citizen or the patrolman on his beat receives
the assistance called for.
THE AMBULANCE FEATURE.
The patrol wagons generally used in con-
nection with this system are models of con-
venience. They are furnished with an
alarm gong, and under the seats, which run
lengthwise on each side OF the box, are
compartments for handouffs, come-alongs,
clubs, blankets, canvas stretcher, ropes, q
medicine chest. and other articles neces-
sary and convenient
The Qamewell police telegraph system Is
in use In Atlanta and Charleston, and many
other large cities Chief Connolly Of At
lanta, In reply to inquiries last week, said:
THAT to discontinue the use of the police
telegraph would require at least City
additional men on the force to keep
up the present efficiency" Chief Golden
- A. ~
the police telegraph he could not keep up
the present efficiency with less than fifty
additional patrolmen.
IL 10 estimated that the introduction of
the police telegraph system in Savannah
will be equal to an increase OF at least
thirty-ive to forty men for street duty.
THE CITIZENS PROTECTOR.
With the present force of men when
patrolman leaves one end of bis beat to
visit the other he necessarily leaves 1t un-
protected for two hours, but with signal
stations as each end and in the centre any
citizen can call for an officer at headquart-
ers and receive assistance quicker than he
could find the patrolmen.
There will be furnished combination of
visual signals. These signals combine the
use OF semaphores by day and flashlights BY
| night. and operated to great advantage By
their use the patrolman who comes within
blkHb u buetu Cdu D9 summoned 70 the
booth for conversation, or to receive orders
from headquarters.
The line when constructed will consist of
four circuits, composed of the best No. 10
hard-drawn insulated copper wire, and
everything connected with the system will
be strictly hrst-class, and additional boxes
can be added at any time.
THE SYSTEMS ADVANTAGES.
The advantages of the system are almost
| too numerous 10 mention. Among the most
| important is the fact that 1t gives to every
citizen, however remote from headquar-
tiers, the means of instantly sum-
moning police assistance, increas-
ing the certainty OF punishment for
| crime, and therefore exercising the most
powerful influence for its prevention.
| By making a comparatively small force ex-
tremelv efficient, and large force un-
| necessary, the system saves a large annual
expenditure for the maintenance OF the de-
| partment, which saving will in most cases
| pay for Its construction In a year or two, as
well as its running expenses 1t makes
| every keyholder, to considerable extent.
| policeman, for he carries with him the
power TO summon the police to any point
whers he may see that their services are rec
| quired.
The ambulance feature Is one of the best
Of the system, as 1t enables the authorities to
humanely care for the unfortunate victims
of accident or sudden illness, 1t affording
the opportunity TO convey TO the barracks