Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-08-08

perlntendent OF the police and fire alarm
telegraph system, was demonstrated
Wednesday afternoon at public test
which took place at the Diamond State
brewery, Fifth and Adams streets,
under the auspices of the Gamewell
Fire Alarm Telegraph Co. The test
was extremely interesting and attracted
several hundred people to the locality.
Among those who were present by in
vltation were representatives of the
city, State and Federal government
and men prominent in professional and
business circles. Chief Justice Lore
was an interested spectator and City
Council attended in body. Chester
was represented by Col. Samuel NJ.
Wood, James McKane, V. M. Ingram,
Conrad Hiorth and Messrs. Cooley
and Heacock. Theodore Torrey, Capt.
Il. NJ. Cross and ". H. Kirnan Of
New York, representatives of the
Gamewell Co., were also in attendance
The greater part of the gathering had
assembled by o'clock and during the
ensuing half hour the guests, headed
by Mr. Aydon, made tour of the
brewery and inspected the auxiliary
fire alarm system. The owners of the
establishment, who were the first Della
wareans to adopt the system, have OBJ
tanned seven auxiliary boxes. Four
are located in the brewery, one is in
the stable and one each is in the dining
rooms of the residences of Mrs. Joseph
Stoeckle and Harry Stoeckle. The
cabinet containing the battery, the test
galvolemeter and the relay is in the
brewery office and is surmounted by a
bell which rings when any Of the boxes
are pulled and continues ringing until
somebody goes to the instrument and
stops the ringing. After thoroughly in
speeding the boxes the assemblage pro-
ceeded to the entrance to the brewery,
when Mr.. Aydon introduced Capt
Cross, who explained the operation Of
the system.
AT 3.45 o'clock Chief Engineer
Walker of the fire department as
cended to the fifth floor of the establis
ment and, proceeding to an auxiliary
box, sounded the fire alarm and
Immediately ran down to the street
box located at the northwest corner
OF Fifth and Adams streets, where
press representatives., and ex-United
States Marshal Mahaffy, who served as
time, keeper, were standing, and opened |
the door. He did this to show the time |
the Waterman of the brewery will save
by not having to go out doors to sound |
the fire alarm. Fifty five seconds |
elapsed from the time Chief Engineer
Walker pulled the auxiliary box until |
ne opened the door of the street box. |
should the building get afre saw
ing OF DO seconds might enable the |
Waterman to extinguish the flames Or
prevent them spreading. With an
auxiliary box in the brewery he con
HllnRq mot fbn1,
seconds summoning the firemen and is |
given an opportunity to battle the |
flames while the fire department is |
responding to the alarm. Had there |
been fire on the fifth floor of the |
brewery the Waterman would have con
sumed at least a minute and 80 seconds |
IN going from the conhagration 10 the |
street box and back, which is % |
seconds more than the Weccacoe Fire |
20. 8 hose cart consumed in going |
from the Weccacoe engine house TO the |
brewery.
The Weccacoe hose cart arrived at
Fifth and Adams streets a minute and |
q seconds after the fire alarm was
struck and the Weccacoe engine an
peared Is seconds after the arrival
OF the hose cart. Three minutes after
the sounding of the alarm members
OF the Weccacoe had a line of hose
attached to plug and water turned
on. The Washington chemical engine
arrived three minutes and 90 seconds
after the sounding of the alarm and
when the apparatus turned out of
Adams street into Fifth the crowd
had to scramble to avoid being ducked
by the stream which spurted from the
hose the tiremen carried. The Fame
and Friendship hose carts arrived
simultaneously three minutes and A.
seconds after the alarm was struck.
Inc Friendship engine reached the
scene four minutes after the sounding
OF the alarm and the Fame engine
arrived 10 minutes later.
The test was a complete success
1t took place at the brewery because II
was the first Wilmington plant to secure
the auxiliary system. Everybody was
delighted and Superintendent Aydon
and the visiting representatives Of the
Gamewell Co. were enthusiastically con-
graduated. At O'Clock the firemen
departed.
At the conclusion of the test the
guests re-entered the brewery and par
took of collation..
THE AUXILIARY BOXES.
The auxiliary boxes are kevless
Their size is Axe inches The front Is
of glass, which can be broken easily
with the fingers. Inside the box is
ring, which, when pulled down and
held in that position for two seconds,
sets the nearest street box in motion.
A buzzer in the auxiliary box indi
Gates that the street box has been
operated.
The Gamewell Auxiliary Fire Alarm
Go. has supplied a missing link in the
fire alarm service by providing
method for sending in firealarms from
any part of all buildings within the
territory covered by each street signal
box, so that upon discovery of fire IN
any warehouse, factory, hotel or pub
lie building equipped with the system
an alarm can be instantly rung in upon
the street box without any delay.
In the practical working of this sys'
tenn the mechanism of the street box
is operated simultaneously with the
pulling down of the ring in any one of |
the auxiliary boxes connected there
with, and the person giving the alarm |
by this means is instantly made aware |
of its effectiveness by positive vibra- |
ting signal returned from the street box |
at the moment Of the starting of its sig
mailing mechanism. He may then give |
his attention to the fire, or to the saw
ing of life or property, with absolute
assurance that the alarm has been
given as surely as could have been
done by his personal visit to the street
box. 1t may be stated in this connec
tion that the attachment Of auxiliary
circuits TO street boxes in no respect
impairs or prevents operating the same
from the street in the usual manner.
The GameWell auxiliary svstnrn hnn