The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-31
A SERIOUS DANGER.
How the Fire Alarm Telegraph Ser
vice Can Be Destroyed.
The City Left without Any Way To
Sound An Alarm for Hours-Cause
Being Investigated Today.

The possible evil that may result from
having All ordinance on the city law
books that is not enforced was illustrated
last night in the serious damage 10 the
entire nre system, and the fact that the
city was for two hours without any
means by which to give an alarm OF nre
should there have been occasion for one.
The ordinance Is that no person or
corporation shall string wires without q
permit from the public works depart
ment, n that no one shall interfere
with any OF the various electrical sys-
TENS, OF the city or corporations,
already in operation. The penalty is q fine
of from go to go or 10 days In the county
jail for every violation. The violation In
question was late yesterday afternoon, on
the part of three irresponsible persons,
supposed to be employed by q concern as
irresponsible as themselves, who, without
any permit whatever and apparently with
out nue. knowledge Of their business,
attempted to "sneak" q wire into the city
via Atwells avenue. In doing 80 they al
lowed their loose wire to come in contact
with q trolley and a fire alarm wire ut the
corner of Bradford street and the result
was the burning out OF the re-
peaters at the center of the system
in city hall as well as a good many boxes,
setting fire to the Hose 8 bell tower and
leaving the city unprotected from 4 until
9 O'Clock in the a~ftarnoon. 1t was neces-
sary to send to Boston for experts to as
sist in the work Of repairing, and that ex-
pense, together with the damage TO the
system, cost the city about $500. And
just because any man with q pair OF spurs
strapped to his ankles and q coil OF wire
over his shoulder can climb around on the
pole and monkey with the wires, and no
one be- the wiser until something breaks.
Then II the mischief maker Is found he is
asked to desist and get of the pole, and
that's all there is to it.
The police officers are instructed 10 de-
mani any one putting up poles to first
show a permit but there is no such regu-
lation relative to the ~stringing OF wires.
The concern for whose benefit the at
tempt to run in a wire is supposed to have
been mad is the New England
Telegraph Printing Company, although
the company is not doing business here
at present. IL was esta blished In Provi-
dence about two years ago for the purpose
OF exhibiting a new telegraph printing
machine Inc at that time purchased from
the Union Wadding Company of Paw
tucket, u private Wuo iIohH Dahioi5oh-
Vile that was In miserable condition and
grew rapidly worse until It became o
nuisance to other wires. When the poles OF
the Telephone Company on Atwells ave-
nue., on which this wire had run, were
renewed, the New England Telegraph
Printing Company connection was taken
down and not renewed when the new set
of poles were up. The company itself failed
about -four months ago and the property
at 80 South Water street was put into the
hands OF a receiver from Boston and the
outside property Of the concern left In
charge OF a lineman named Henry Dono-
van.
Although the three linemen who ruined
the lire alarm system were allowed to go,
an attempt is being made today to trace
back the unauthorized wire n all who
are responsible at the other end.