Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-31
Superintendent Miles Urges Its
Complete Reconstruction.
The SERVICE NOT ADEQU ATE.
Better Protection for the Suburbs
Required.
THE COST OF A NEW SYSTEM.

missioners today by the superintendent,
Henry r. Miles. 1t is the twenty ninth
annual report of the service.
Superintendent Miles dwells at length
upon the urgent necessity for the enlarg
Ing and improving the fire alarm telegraph.
Ihis telegraph covers only certain portions
OF Washington and Georgetown. and with
the exception Of box at the corner of
columbia road and 18th street extended,
the suburbs are wholly without aid from
this most important adjunct to the fire de-
partment. Speaking of the present sys-
tenn. known as the Gamewell automac
which was put in eighteen years ago, he
says that seventy-five signal boxes were
placed on seven circuits. This number was
increased in 1884 and since, SO that there
are now 1888 boxes on seven circuits an ay-
erage or twice the number that ought to
3e kept on any circuit for such purpose
me four alarm circuits with the intro
duction from time to time Of new fire com
panles. are as much overburdened as are
me signal circuits. AT no time during the
tion sufncient to provide for the purchas Sc
ol new central office instruments or to
co r new or additional circuits.
10 insure the best results each circ,it
ousnt 70 De comparatively short. and in no
Ease should signal circuit carry more
ullan Ten signal boxes. or an alarm circuit
.nore imam two fire companies, for the res-
son IN part that when a break occurs In a
Gir ni only small portion of the service
|
IS now, by single break IN a single .ircuit
| as many as twenty-six fire alarm boxes
fnr ba Uv thrown OUT Of service and be out
Lux hours until repairs can be made.
| 10 Prevent Disaster.
To prevent serious disasters of tb,s
KIM, Mr.. Miles goes OF, 1t is highly i'm
portant to increase The number % circuits
Ia my report last year l had the honor TO
aIssest mat forty signal boxes and fifteen
alarm circuits We're needed: and that 80
| ire alarm boxes should be incr,.ascj m tH1
an average of ten boxes to each circuit AZ
aaIeaoy animated, such all increase would
eaiIy with II the necessity for the tulrcha 81.
OF new central office apparatus With -
responding capacity; IN short a compete
seDuiiding o, the entire system, using only
| SO much OF the present apparatus. IncirS;,.y
| az the alarm boxes, Us riay he suit,hia tn
an. axna pace IN the new plant. Another year 3
strengthens m and de,,st observation greatly
theh onered We're, ani are Bow. Inc trass
ny ns uennands OF the people. 1t IS impossb BILE
in any fire department, unless harL
telegraph. - III
FOR several years past, both In annual
and special reports. / have called attenl
t tion to the inadequacy of the plant. and to
n rne wretGhed condition of the old rotten
sty Oh sumcient appropriation to renew the
pores pore take down a portion Of the old rusty
and mrt when has been in use since 1875
put the appropriations made have bsen 60
meager as to render II impossibIe 10 Laan
t ,h. lines in any other than dangerous CON.
passerby. " the
J., IL" In view of the urgent necessity for en-
With the WORKOUT and tumbled down con-
ul,ion OF nearly all the old lines now i'm
aS s Ieg to n.; suggest the propriety of
Ine Old lines except 50 far as it may be.
come necessary to keep them up for the
' 1,.ne neing. and to ask for sufficient ap-
nd ,1,.
tenn, tenn as briefly outlined To put the old
mas ,ars IN good state of repair would cost
q iarge sum OF money without giving that
needed and hence. as 1 look at it, the bet
ter plan would be to rebuild and enlarge
at the same time. I do not make this ap
peal because Washington is the capitat IF
great nation. but simply on the ground
that the citizens of the District of Column
ought TO have better protection from fire
than this department can give them with
the wornout and insufficient telegraph we
now have
Protection for the Suburbs.
TO construct anew the necessary lines
to cover city and suburbs on good poles of
sufficient height to keep the wires above
the tree tops. and with the best quality of
copper wire OF suitable gauge. would cost
ments. with capacity for forty signal and
nfteen alarm circuits (metallic), would cost
5000 Total. 100000. These estimates l
consider fair and reasonable. but far below
relative prices paid eighteen years ago for
the cons truction of our present system
Within the densely inhabited and business
portions or the city alarm boxes ought to
De so placed that in no case would il be
necessary to go more than one square from
the loca ton of a fire to reach an alarm box:
and in the suburbs not more than one,
eighth OF mile. but If this rule should be
adopted, 400 boxes would be too limited by
one-half to supply the want.
The destructive fire which occurred on
the I'D instant al the Reform School for
Boys furnishes pleading and convincing
argument In favor of providing better facii-
tiles throughout the entire suburban set
Elements for transmitting alarms of fire to
the the nre department The suburban locaii-
Ties most in need of protection of the fire
alarm telegraph are Anacostia and St
tension to the Reform School T' fo WIN Ro es
lie Droit Park. with extension to Howard
, University; all that portion of country
streets as far north as the extreme limits
OF Mount Pleasant: Georgetown heights.
with extension to Tenleytown; Brightwood
University, Soldiers Home and Ivy CITY
IF the system be not reconstructed it
viii be an absolute necessity to expend at
least So 600 to patch up the old lines, and
even with $4,000 patch no adeduate pro
lection would be afforded even to city prop
erty and none whatever to suburban.
with an actual experience of TWENTY
nve years IN the fire-alarm office / offer it
as my best Judgment that the entire plant
attempt at general repairing. The old poles
are too short, besides being rotten and un-
safe. In consequence of the short poles
now In use the wires are in contact with
the limbs of trees to an extent rendering N
difhcult at best, and in wet weather nearly
impossible, to receive and transmit alarms
Most of the iron wire in use has become
rusty and is almost worthless from old age
THE only remedy for these serious Do
fects must be found either in repairing the
old lines securing only temporary relief. or
rebuild and enlarge substantially as above
suggested and most earnestly recon-
mended."
The Police Telegraph
The patrol telegraph and telephone SER
vice Of the nine police precincts has 12s
street stations, from which reports are
made hourly or Oftener. The furniture i'm
connection with the patrol system in sew
eral of the precincts ought to be renewed
During the year there were sent and re-
ceived at the central telephone office 1Is 772
messages. There were 527 alarms for fire
an increase of 120 over the year before of
which 2S2 came direct from the boxes and
eight were general alarms.
The apprODriat atoms for the year were
81 500. and the total disbursements s2l :
43f7, leaving an unexpended balance of
IS. 50. The estimates for the ensuing wear
are as follows: For salaries 81. 100: for
supplies and special repairs, SD 900; rebuild
Ing and charging the fire telegraph $500
OO0 total, s23l, 100. This includes a Slight in
crease in the salaries of the three tele-
phone operators, which Supt. Miles thinks
they have richly earned Should a suffi-
cient appropriation be made to rebuild the
five o1pvv, al =.