The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-10

He Tempered With the Fire
Alarm Apparatus
TO HELP WEST STREET BLAZE,
The Switches at Headquarters Moved
So That second Alarm Brought
No Response.

A remarkable discovery has been made
in Connection with the fire on West street
on Monday which gives evidence that
some malicious person tempered with the
electrical apparatus at headquarters in
such a manner as 10 prevent the alarm
from being given 10 the engine houses on
Nos. and circuits, namely Engine Com
panies Nos. 4. ). 6. {. Hook and Ladder
Company No. ! and Chemical Company
No. 2 The result was that when a sec
ond alarm was given calling out engines
Nos. ,. ard 6. and hook and ladder Nol.s
no response came and Acting Chief Clark
was left 10 fight the fire with only TWO
hose companies beside the freboat. The
freboat was on one of the circuits which
had been cut out and was therefore slow
to respond. only coming when the ire
had progressed so far that the man on
watch saw II and then she only had two
men TO lay long line of hose, which en-
tailed further delay.
The failure of the engine companies to
respond TO the second alarm caused an
investigation as soon as the fire was I'M
der control. A. r. Pinckney. the city
electrician, was sent for and soon found
the source of the trouble. The fire alarm
system is divided into three circuits, con-
trolled at headquarters by a switch
board connected with a three-circuit re-
peater. All three circuits are usually
connected 50 that an alarm on one is
given TO all engine houses. but by push
ing a switch they can work Independently
and an alarm on one would not be given
on either of the other two. Mr. Pinck-
ney found that this main switch had been
thrown and also those closing circuits
Nos. and 3. This cut out the companies
named so that no alarm could reach
them from boxes on No. l circuit That
fact explained the failure to respond to
the second alarm.
Acting Chief Clark has no doubt that the
switches were tarnpered with by some per-
son who fully understood their working and
who wished TO hamper the efficient work
Ing OF the department. The battery room,
where the switchboard is placed. is usual
~ kept locked. but ii happened 10 have
been left open that night TO allow one of
the firemen TO use Mr.. Pinckney's work
bench, and the person who did the mis-
chief took advantage of the opportunity
thus afforded.
The cause of the fire is still mystery.
but ii proves to have started in the Cash
Buyers Association store. managed by
r. Merchant, not I'm Gordon, Bowen &
Thurlow's store. as stated in yesterdays
Post-Intelligencer. II started In a corner
back of the Office where two fve-gallon
cans of coal oil were kept. Under the cir
cumstances the fire was well handled.
The insurance on the building fully
covered the loss. The buildings when
put up by j. NJ. Colman cost $1,000, the
loss was about $1,000. and the Insurance
amounts to $3.50. divided as follows:
Phenix of Hartford, $3.50; Hamburg,
s1.250 Norwich Union. $500: Home MI
tual, $1,000; Firemen's Fund, $500; German
American, 1919.
Gordon & Bowens loss is $500, insur-
ance. 5000 divided as follows: Home
Mutual 1850. Niagara of New York $1,000
Liverpool & London $500. Seattle Har-
ness Company loss. sl.00o. insurance ST.
500. divided as follows: Westchester
Sl,G1, Aetna Of New York $500. Peck e.
Brunsing-Loss $1,000, insurance, London
& Liverpool $1,000.
r. Merchant-Loss 800. no insurance.
j. b. Agen--Loss $500 insurance s., 000
divided thus: Phenix $1,000. Hanover
81 900.
Gordon e. Co.--Loss. s.. 600 Insurance
$1,000 divided as follows: National 81, 600
Hartford $1,000.
Seattle Hardware Co.-Loss $1,000. fully
covered by insurance.