The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-30
THE POLICE PATROL.
Completion of the Signal and
Wagon System.
THE VALUABLE EQUIPMENT.
Telephone Communication Between tho
Signal Boxes and Headquarters
The Patrol Wagon.

The new police telephone and telegraph sig
nal system was completed last evening, and to-
day Seattle will have a service which is en-
joyed by nearly every large city in The United
States, and which, it is claimed, adds 10 per
cent. to the efficiency of the police department
On July 5 last Chief of Police Rogers sub
mitted petition to the board of police commits
sloners wherein he set forth the many advan-
tages accruing from the establishment OF the
police signal system; he represented that as an
economic measure il would be wise for the city
to follow in the line of Tacoma, Portland and
San Francisco. and in, fact, almost every large.
energetic city in the Union. In his petition
the chief produced figures to maintain the
claims made as TO its economy. The police
commissioners looked with favor on the
scheme, and submitted the matter to the coun-
Gil with their recommendation that the system
be adopted.
The city council sanctioned IL, and on Sep
TENDER % the contract was awarded to the
Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Company, OF
New York, the price being $3.50.
The system in this city will operate twenty
five boxes, located as follows: Corner of Com
msrcial street and Iesier avenue, Washington
street and Railroad avenue, Commercial and
Weller streets. Third and Marion streets, Sixth
and Washington streets, Fourth and Jackson
streets, Seventh and Weller streets, Eleventh
and Jackson streets, Jackson and Market Streets
Twenty-irst street and Yesler avenue, Four
teenth street and Yesler avenue, Ninth and Ter
race streets, Seventh and Cherry streets, Tenth
and Madison streets, Eighth and Pike streets,
Sixth and Stewart streets, Republican and
Moltke streets, Temperance and High streets,
Temperance and Harrison streets, Fifth and
Depot streets, Battery and Front streets, Front
and Pike Streets West and Marion streets, Sec
ond and Columbia streets and Third and Madi-
son streets
The boxes answer many purposes and are ar
ranged similarly to fire alarm boxes, though, of
course, their workings are more intricate. mas
much as they include at the same time q tele
phone, by which communication can be had
with the officers at headquarters; means OF
automatically reporting the fact that the officer.
on whose beat the box is located is going his
rounds properly, and calls for either an ambu-
lance or the patrol wagon; thus each box has
five separate calls, besides q telephone service
Responsible citizens will be furnished with
keys by which they can open the box and either
call up policeman or the patrol wagon. Ten
of the signal boxes are located in the heart of
the city and are inclosed in framework of gal
vanized iron, octagonal in shape, with pointed
top. two feet four inches in diameter and about
eight feet i'll height. These are called street sta
tons, and they guarantee an officer wher within
it perfect immunity from disturbance while
communicating with his superior through the
telephone, and insures for his communication
secrecy which is sometimes important.
Keys to the street stations and boxes are given
to the patrolmen of the district and the locks
being uniform throughout the city one key will
open any station. Citizens keys when used are
trapped. These keys numbered and the
name OF the holder kept on record. This estab-
fishes responsibility and prevents the giving OF
needless alarm When key has been used it
can be returned to its owner only by the proper
officer who holds in his possession the master or
release of the key.
iS nj all
with door and lock, the case containing an
tomato signal instrument, by means of which
signals are transmitted TO the police station.
When an officer pulls in his periodical re-
port by an arrangement at the central station
the number of the box, the day of the month
and year, and the hour and minute of the day
are registered by means of an electrical auto
maton on a slip of paper which operates on q
reel. This reel is saved and serves as a record
showing for all time the regularity irregu-
larity with which each individual officer goes
his rounds.
The work of placing in operation this system
has been extremely tedious and complicated,
but the operator, in whose hands the working of
the system will fall, will have but little incon-
venience in attending to his work, for his duties
are simple and the plant is easily kept in repair
In the central office are two standard gslvano-
meters, which indicate at all times the electro
motive force of the batteries and the exact
electrical condition of the circuits by the de-
Election of . magnetic needle. A rheostat COM
bined with the galvanometers has also been
placed in position at the central office. By
means of this instrument a break in the wires
or ground escapes can be located almost within
block of where the trouble lies. IL is also in
valuable for testing circuits, apparatus. etc.
The patrol system, which is part of the
plant, provides for the maintenance of four
horses. two drivers and hostler, and already
this part of the plaut, which is one of the best
on the Coast, has been in operation about two
weeks. The browning feature of the signal and
patrol system is that an officer at no time dur
ing his watch leaves his beat uncovered. When
he makes ar arrest. whether il be a drunken
man or burglar, he rings for the patrol and the
prisoner is given IA free and speedy ride to Jail.
In the patrol stable is large gong, which,
when an officer rings for the wagon, sounds the
number of the box at the same moment the
operator in the station receives the call
Chief Of Police Rogers il elated over the pros
pective success OF the system, and Electrician
S. j. Stillwell, who put ii in working order, de-
clares thata better equipped electric signal and
telephone plant does not exist anywhere.
Though only twenty-five boxes Will be operated,
the system is so arranged that as the city grows
the number of boxes can be increased 10 thirty
two without diminishing the efficiency OF the
present plant.