Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-08

1 III
HIi the electric current,
H.Ns but wide apart to
the methods of trans
mission and receiving
Up on the sixth floor of the police head
quarters building. divided by only a thin
partition. the police patrol systems foun-
tain head Is located and works almost side
by side with the fire alarm department.
Three bright, conscientious gentlemen
guard the phone with hours similar to the
other system. that Is $50 in the morning
till O'Clock in the afternoon: 8 till 8 in the
evening. and from pm. until $50 am.
While the police patrol wires are frequently
used for transmitting a fire alarm. they are
also called into service for almost every
other variety of city government bust
ness A call for detail of police usual
y goes In with an alarm of fire in the
downtown districts; some poor unfortunate
drops on the sidewalk too Ill to proceed on
his journey and an ambulance call goes in /;
murders. robberies, losses, cases of distress
are each and all speedily announced to po-
lice headquarters through this agency.
The police patrol system, with it's tele-
phones and little retreat boxes for the OFF,
GERS on duty. was first adopted in 1884. and
not until 1891 were all TIE precincts sup
piled Their efficiency was demonstrated
from the very first, and now 1t Is a case Of
don't see how We got along without them"
the situation being boiled down to the point
where the watcher is watched.
Those who Handle the Phone.
The three officials who handle the phone
for this observation-disclosures. Domer. Aus
tin and Maddux-are especially fitted for
the business. as they handle on an aver
age about 1900 messages onthly. 1t
takes a cart load Of patience for a man to
handle telephone, and for this reason
lad oil to elf IN
Of the transmitter, but the police system
calls for sterner material, hence the as
cendancy of the male operator in this de-
partment.
1t Is a safe conjecture to make that the
patrol system of Washington will never be
called into such a thrilling use as the ones
of Chicago. New York or other large cities
OF course. the late experience with Coxey
and his followers bordered on the sensa-
tional. but there Is no comparison between
the Coxeyites and the recent mob of rioters
in the windy city. When matters arrive at
such a dangerous climax In Washington
patrol wagons and blue-coated officers of
the local government will quickly give way
to the strong right arm of Uncle Sam.
There Is too much valuable property In the
nations capital to take even the smallest
nance.
Interesting Apparatus.
The apparatus of the police patrol system.
although very simple. possesses many points
of interest to those not acquainted with its
workings 1t Is entirely automatic and re-
Quires no trained operators for its success
full working. Any person who can use a
telephone can master all the details of the
patrol system in few minutes. Each police
district has its own circuit OF wires con-
Meeting all the boxes within its limits. The
scbstations are connected with the main
ONCE at headquarters by another circuit.
At the substations are the necessary instru-
ments for receiving and recording automati-
90 al fya1 frnr, hrx
These are simple in their arrangement.
The patrol boxes are neat, and so coTsl-
pact as not to interfere with street traffic
They are generally placed on the corner Of
the sidewalk at street intersections, and
sometimes serve in addition as a lamp post
or as a holder for the names Of the streets
Keys are given to all police officers and to
such citizens as apply for them and who
differ from those carried by the policemen
because when they are inserted in the key
hole they cannot be withdrawn until they
are released by a key carried by a police
man. The reason for this Is to keep the
citizen who makes use Of the box at the
corner a sort Of prisoner until the patrol
wagon arrives with the policemen. so that
ne can explain the reason for the call
Every key Is numbered. and a register is
kept showing to whom keys are issued
This establishes the responsibility of key
holders.
Must Report Every Hour.
Every policeman makes a report from
some box on his beat every hour during
his watch. By this means the location of
every man on duty is known at the police
station every hour. and his progress along
his beat marked with absolute precision
When the policeman makes his hourly
report he turns the Indicator to the tele-
phone call. As soon the 20. K" button
shows him that his signal has been re-
a ha 70 hA de IL ~
and report of any disturbance unusual
phone.
In addition to this hourly report. the po-
iceman can, at any time. make reports
from the boxes which are placed about two
or three squares apart in the down town
districts. and a policeman can never get
more than two or three blocks away from
a Dox No accident, no robbery, no muir
der. no fire, can occur more than two or
three blocks away from a box, where in
slant communication can be had with the
police station.
q Citizen who has key has sent in an
alarm from box, a patrol wagon or fire
engines VIII dash up to the corner. If riot
can should be sent in the substation sends
the call TO ell the other substations and
warns the entire department while the
chief OF police. from the central station,
can land hundred men at the spot within
twenty minutes. or practically the whole
department inside of an hour
As rapidly as possible all wires belonging
to the city are being placed underground,
and II Is to be hoped that before the coming
winters storms set in the more important
circuits will be protected in this way.
IL would be a hard estimate to figure on
the cost of the patrol system to the Dis
trfct, but Its benefits will surely quadruple
Its financial outlay. The greatest benefit de-
rived from the system is in the control
which the chief of police has over the men
under his command. The efficiency of the
police is certainly doubled. and at critical
times IL is quadrupled
SOCIETY WOMEN WHO FENCE.