The Portland daily press., 1894-08-21

etc.
Immediately after dinner the Montreal
Fire Department gave parade on the
Champs de Mars, and an exhi bltion OF
their water tower, which was entertai n
ing. As one can hardly on such occa-
slons refrain for making comparisons
the Portland delegations were unani-
nous in the opinion that considering
the size, wealth and amount annually
expended for Fire Department, Portland
is very much in it," with Montreal or
any other city,.
The closing session of the convention
was held at pm, at which time
routine business was transacted, cleo
tion of officers ard selection of place for
holding the next convention. Outside
of the election of Chief Engineer Jack
son as Vice President from Maine, each
State being represented in that capacity,
| nothing of local interest occurred
The question of the selection of a
place for holding annual conventions is
one over which there is considerable con-
tentlon, ard Keen competition. 1t is the
policy OF the Association to avoid hold
ing consecutive conventions in the same
or contiguous sections of the country.
Therefore the writer found, in discuss
lug the matter early in the week with
some OF the more Influential mem bers,
that II would not lie probable that Port
land would be selected for next year,
Tor reasons above mentioned. Augusta,
Georgia, had strong backing. The
convention had been carefully can
vassed, and it seemed to be foregone
conclusion for the convention to be held
there in 1925. 1t is more than likely,
however, that Portland will be selected
within the next two or three years, If
the matter is followed up carefully in the
meantime, as the New England delegates
were, as Tar. as seen, in hearty accord,
as we'll as others outside. When the
matter WAS taken, up in regular order
Invitations by letter were received from
Toronto, Canada, aand Kansas City, KAN
sas. Mvitations were extended by their
Representative esssfron Augusta, Georgia,
Salt Lake City, Utah, and Portland,
Maine. The writer, however, withdrew
the invitation from this city for 1895 in
favor of Augusta, Ga. A vote was
taken by division of the house he
tween Augusta, Ga., and Salt Lake city,
resulting in the choice of the former by
a substantial majority, and the conven-
tion adjourned sine die, after passing
the usual vote of thanks to the local
committee.
1t may be well in closing to mention
briefly the exhibits displayed in the VIC
torla Rink. Ibis was a very interesting
feature OF the convention, and comprised
a very wide range of appliances, consist
ing OF engines, hose reels, water towers,
aerial trucks. salvage wagons, fire alarm
telegraph plants, and everything needed
for fighting fire. The GamewelI Co. had
an especially fine exhibit of electrical
apparatus, prominent among which was
an automatic switch, which when the
outer door was shut cut the box out of
circuit, thus affording absolute safety
from danger from outside currents of
high porentiality. Another important and
recent invention was a box repeater,
which consisted of wooden box with a
glass door, about the size of an ordinary
fire alarm box. Inside each, hung on
separate hooks, are break wheels, COR
responding to every fire alarm box in the
city; the rest of the mechanism is SINH
lar to the interior of an ordinary box.
This box is designed to be placed in
central telephone Office, and placed in
circuit of the fire alarm telegraph sys-
tenn. The advantages claimed are that
it makes every telephone an auxiliary
fire alarm box through the medium of
the central office. Much valuable time
could be saved by stepping to Il tele-
phone and asking the operator to send in
an alarm from box No. giving the
number of the box in the same district
where the fire has broken out. The
operator would then 60 to the. box ust
described and I1ace the break wheel cor
responding 10 b16 SdlHe Oh U0c
spindle and pull the hook. The result
would be precisely the same as if the
person discovering the fire had gone to
the street box, perhaps some distance
away, unlocked the box and pulled
in the alarm in the usual way 1t would
be of course necessary in the former
case for some one to be despatched to
the street box to give the department
the location of the fire. The expense of
this box is but a trif1e more thar an or
binary fire alarm box, and no doubt the
Telephone Co. would be willing to put
one in their office here for the benefit OF
their patrons.
In conclusion, it is the opinion of the
writer that no city, large or small, can
afford not to send representatives of
their department to these annual con-
ventions, as Information of incalculable
value is to be derived from The expert
ence and knowledge disseminated by
discussions participated in by chief en-
glneerS and others who have devoted the
best part of lifetime to the service.
With pleasant recollections of the 22nd
convention the Portland delegation
boarded the cars at g. 40 p. m, Friday,
arriving on time Saturday at 1856 a. M,
after pleasant journey. The slumbers
OF the writer, however, were somewhat
disturbed at about d a. M, by the genial
voice of Doc who occupied the upper
berth, asking the porter to run along
that Hayes truck, SO he could climb
down." FIJI. LITTLE.