The morning call., 1894-02-11

credit is due to the local Fire Department
Tor collecting so many exhibits, and their
visiting brother fremPu derived no little
nsetul information from an inspection Of
the collection and personal observation
Of the workings of the apparatus in use in
large city.
The ronms of the Fire Commits son are
a. AL times interesting, with their picture S
of men and machinery and contrivances
for fighting fire. Portraits OF many vet
Grams in the profession. whose names are
familiar TO fiTemen throughout the coast,
hang from the walls, and there are mary
objects to recall acts of bravery on the
part OF men VINO have answered the gong
for the last time.
The face of David Scannel and the
kindly features of that no less daring fire.
man. Captain Jim Riley, looked down
from their places on the walls upon q
Jealous and Interested throng of hremen
on Thursday afternoon last when the
delegates 10 the convention assem- bled to
examine the collection. Every man in
the party was looking for some appliance
or suggestion that would Increase the eff
cheney Of the department of which he was
the head. and they all crowded around the
articles displayed and earnestly discussed
their merits. Many OF the chiefs were
from towns which have not yet RISEN to
the dignity of an electric alarm system.
and they watched very closely the wo king
Of the G rnewell repeater. as it was re-
peatedy put in action by some local fire.
men for heir enlightenment o her
chiefs were from cities whi have all the
most approved fire apparatus, and they
passed the time examining the new pat
ents, OF which there were quite number
On exhibition.
Ihe Garnewell automatic repea ter is not
new invention, but Cd tn contrary has
neen In use Tor wears. As far back as tn
centennial Exposition, in 1876, 1t was pro-
nouneed by Sir William Thompson thp
most ingenious and finest piece of iele-
graphic mechanism ever exhibited. THAI
on exhibition at the Fire Comm ssioners'
oInce mas improvements over he model
when called forth The eminent English
eIectr!clan's enc0mum, and it cost the city
Just $500. 1t is constructed for three
cIculIs' ana Is SO arranged that 81 nal
on any one circuit is instantly repeated on
tile otheIs. II the signal has been caused
oy the breaking Of a wire the repeater.
aitel sounding one blow on he other
cilcu Is, throws the one disabled out OF
service. leaving the others intact. 1t thus
not only guards againsI accidents, but
gives n"tlce of them. With its three cir
CUTS II makes assurance trebly sure. and
IL MAKES II possible To connect the signal
DO1eS on the street and the bel-sirikers,
g"ng-Strikers and indicators iDdiscrimi-
hately and directly with each other on the
various cIrcu Is through the cent? al Office.
ID case a battery becomes too weak to
Work efficiently or an interruption occurs
10 any part of the wire, notice is given by
one blow on all the alarm bells and gongs
In the city, calling attention to the fact.
Do 1t watches Itself more closely than any
human guard an could do. The battery
is the life blood Of the cleo rical alarm Sys-
tenn aud Affords the current which oper-
aies it.
Many of the new inventions displayed
to The fire chiefs were In the line OF
convenieTces to fremen. Among these
was an electric hOrse-unhitcher IL Is an
improvement on one already IN use, and
lis superiority, according To The Gains
Of the inventor, William Hewitt, consists
In the fact that when the bar to which
the horse is hitched flies down 1t 0oes so
IN such way that there is no possibility
OF the ring at the end OF the hiiching-
strap catching. AS the horse SANDS in his
stall he is held by strap passing through
the bride and fastened to a small steel
bar fixed in the side of the stall. With the
tap OF the gong the STEEL bar tails down
and the ring slips off, leaving the horse
free to tr0t 10 the engine or bose-cart
without waiting TO b. unhitched. VIII
the Unhitchers now in use the horse,
by starting too quick. pulls the strap
toward the opening If the STALL Instead
straight and from he side wall, and the
hitching-ring caches. As stated the re-
cent invention OPENS in sucG a way that
this does not oc ur.
Another inconspicuous but useful in
ventlon was seli-lubrIcatlrg axle. A
part OF the axle, that portion which enters
the hub OF the wheel, is partly hollow ami
this space Is kept full of oil. There is a
slol In the axle and f. this is fitted a riece
OF absorbant cloth. One edge Of the cloth
Is In the oil on the inside and the other.
protruding slightly on the GU side. conveys
the oil to the sides IF the casing as 1t re-
wives, keeping it ALWAYS most
Chief A. b. Cairnes of San Diego exhi-
blted new ladder and gearing apparatus.
OF which he is the inventor and paten ee.
The model displayed was very handsome