The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-11
THE BELLS WILL STAY.
Fire Alarm System 10 Remain as IL is
at the Present Time.

at the Present Time.
The proposed abolishing of the call sys-
tenn, which has been in vogue in the fire
department since its organization, and
which continues TO the present time, has
raised the question in the community
as TO what disposition will be made
of the fire alarm bells throughout
the city. Now the department
is composed of permanent men, and
number OF men who, while they do not
give up their entire time to the work of
this department, answer the alarms and
attend to fires in their districts, with the
members of the permanent force.
These call men are notified
of fire by the big bells,
10 in number, which are located al
various points in this city and can in this
way receive the tidings OF blaze almost as
quickly as the regular members. But with
the reorganization of the force to one
composed entirely Of permanent members,
the primary object of the bells is done
away with, and this brings up the question
as TO whether or not they are to be taken
down.
Rumors have been rife for the past week
that, owing TO the great expense
system in working order, the city
would abolish the bells, and that in the
future the only knowledge that the public
would have of fires in the city would be
by seeing the apparatus dasbing i'm head
long rush through the streets. People liv-
ing in the vicinity of the fire bells have be-
come considerably worked up over the mat
ter and those who have been accustomed
TO set their watches and clocks by the
half past eight stroke are contemplating
drawing upa mammoth petition for pre-
sentation TO the City Council protesting
against the discontinuance of the system.
However, the rumors, as rumors gene
rally turn out to be, are wholly un-
founded, and those who have become un-
easy can rest assured that the bells will
remain as at present.
Superintendent Cloudman of the fire
alarm telegraph corps stated yesterday
that the probability that the bells would
the first place." said he, "the
expense OF maintaining the system
is SO small as TO be hardly worth consider
ing. The yearly cost for repairs on the
bells and wires, and the expense of keep
ing up the batteries necessary TO
And in the second place there
is the question as TO how the school,
police and militia signals would be given.
Now, il is the custom to sound these sig
nails on the fire bells and this prevents any
misunderstanding. The bells are so
near together as to include every
portion of the city within hearing
radius, but il they showed be taken down
IL would involve considerable trouble in
the sending out of the signals"
Chief Steere stated that the rumors
were entirely uncalled for, and were alb
solutely without the least semblance of
truth.
In all probability the 10 bells which are
located on the stations on Pond, Benevo-
lent, Richmond, Harrison, Atwells ave-
nue., Burnside, Oakland, Smith, Putnam,
Central. Wickenden and North Main
streets and Manton avenue, and the tower
bells on Cove and Pallas streets and Con-
stitution Hill, will remain in active use
for n decade to come, and with their
solemn clangings will continue to arouse
seepers in the dead OF night, notifying
the public that fires are in progress some-
where an the city.