Morning journal and courier., 1892-03-15
NEW TRIEPHoNE SERVICE.

The Fire Department Now Equipped With the Latest Private Telephone | Servtce-The Bridging System and l How it is Used-A Central Station l of Their own.
 The fire department has now completed and put into service probably as complete and harmonious a system of telephone communication as can be found in any de- partment in the country. The same is under the able supervision of Superin- tendent of Fire Alarm William 0. Smith, who, when he started on the new innova- tion, was bent on procuring the latest and most improved system which could be obtained. This service was rendered neces- sary from the incomplete and faulty sys- tenn which they have had for number of years and which has caused the depart ment an immense amount of inconven- fence through the inefficient service which was rendered. By the old method all the fire companies were on one circuit. This caused great inconvenience, owing to the long distances of some fifteen miles in extent of wire which had to be gone through with, and owing to the strong induction which the telephone wires took up from the electric light wires, which are in most cases strung on the same poles with the fire alarm wires, it was almost next to impossible to establish communication or carry on busi- ness with the various steamer and truck houses in the night season, owing to the great buzzing noises. This noise was an moving and enhanced the difficulties of the labors of the excellent fire service of our fire department. This wire was often used to forward orders from headquarters ! during storms and emergencies to the various engine houses. The new system | is known as the Bridging system and is l the latest improvement in telephone ser vice.
 By this system 8 switch board has been placed in the house of steamer 2, which is l made the central station for the fire de- partment's telephone service. It is strictly their own private service, and is equipped | with seven circuits instead of one, as for | merly. Steamer and hose 2 are on one | circuit, steamers and 6 on another, and on third; steamer 8 being on circuit by itself. Then there is separate circuit for the headquarters of the department and the telephone exchange.
 The headquarters of the department are | also connected with the telephone exchange irrespective of the private department ser | vice.
 All the circuits are double and of the | best of copper wire, some twelve miles of ! new wire being used. It is better con- ductor than the ordinary iron wire. In the new system the wires are transposed or are crossed on every few poles, two l cross arms being employed in the process, l which is done for the purpose of neutral izing the induction of the wires, or in other ! words, cuts up the induction so that it is reduced to minimum and is hardly per ceptible, so perfectly does this plan work. By the law of induction 8 wire charged with an electric current will transmit current to wire running parallel with it, the other wire becoming Il 1nducted.
 By this new method this difficulty is l nearly if not quite eradicated.
 To establish communication between the various engine houses now it will be neces- sary for the firemen to call up the central fire department station, and the operator or man on watch, who is relieved every l few hours at steamer 2's house, connects them, the same as :s done in the case oi ] any subscriber of the telephone exchange
 The switchboard, by which the houses are bridged together, is quite an elaborate | affair, and quite ornamental as we'll, and is
 provided with annunciators which droE
 when call is sent in, notifying the opera.
 tor on which circuit the call is dispatched from.
 When the men at steamer 2's house re-
 spond to an alarm of fire an arrangement is used by which the turning of switch l automatically throws the whole system into one, and this can be done withou,
 the aid of the fire department central of
 fee operator. This device is nothing more
 or less than plug or pin, which is placed
 under a wheel of the engine and when the
 steamer responds to an alarm of fre the
 pressure on the plug forces the switci
 over. A great many times when the chiet
 is needed or any of the other officials or
 matters pertaining to the business of tn.
 department, and they are not in the office
 an individual call is sent out for them tt
 all of the engine houses, when they ca1
 be notified of the business in question
 Thus 13 calls the chief, IA the fire marshal 15 superintendent of fire alarm. A regu
 lar code of signals has been adopted fo
 this purpose. The old telephone wire vii l not be dispensed with, but it will be uset
 ss signal wire to repeat alarms of fir,
 over on call bells, so that should the fir gongs not work or any disarrangement O
 the fire alarm telegraph take plac
 each engine company will receive tn
 alarms on a separate wire.
 The fremen are daily becoming pro ! fcient in the use of the new system ant
 are much pleased with its workings, l point of the service.
 It is certainly valuable addition to tn, : workings of the department and was ob
 Telephone company.