Evening journal., 1895-08-02

Plant In the Diamond State Brewery.
a Minute Saved In summoniDg tho
Experimentation the system is Re
garded By Expert Fire Fighters and
Underwriters in Other cities.
A little fire is quickly trodden out.
NAch, being suffered, rivers cannot quench.
-Shakespeare-Henry VI Part 3.
Less than g score OF years ago and
within she memory of nearly every
member of the present Fire Department
the system employed for announcing the
PreseDCs of ths Ere fsnd was Of the
simplest kind and much time was lost Ia
ascertainipg where the "shine' was AID
determining how to reach it quickly. The
history Of the city, particularly as regards
the Fire Department. Is an interesting
one and no part more so than 10 the i'm.
provements made in the system OF ere
alarm. In the early days, the bells In the
City Hall tower, on the fire houses, the
church steepes and on such OF the public
buildings a. could boEst of bells. were
relied on for the 6rst warnings OF a FIRE.
and watehmen were stationed IN the
towers TO ring out the alarm as soon rs
the blezs was discovereS The location
was denoted BY hanging a light in the
direction Of the fire II at night and ilsg
by day
Later on this system was improved
upon By dividing the city into districts,
which were denoted by the number
struck, and when this was done the very
climax Of perfection was deemed to have
been reached. Under both Of these plans
considerable time was OF necessity
wasted and 'quick runs" consumed
minutes where now seconds are taken.
The result was that fires Of considerable
magnitude and great loss were frequent,
the flames gaining such headway
before the apparatus could arfi ve as TO
aorely tex the skill aud strength Of the
hreTIen
Some sixteen years ago the present
system of FIRE alarm b xes was put Ia,
and their Introduction marked a new
era in the department. Precious min
utes we're saved ia reaching the scene
and getting the streams 70 work, and the
percentage Of loes &C once grew percsptl
bly, less, until to day a really big fire Is
the exception The system has been
perfected until IL seemed almost i'm
possibls to improve on It, That 1t was
possible aud that It has been done, was
demonstrated very clearly yesterday
afternoon, by a test made under the
direction Of Jonathan w. Ay don, supsr
intendent Of the police and fire alarm
telegraph, by Chief Engineer John d
Walker, Of the fre department.. aud his
assistants John P Welsh and George
w. Sasse. Of What IS known as the
Game veil auxiliary fse alarm
In the hrst place an explanation Of
che auxiliary system and its advantages
may prove interesting to the readers Of
the EVENING JOURNAL TIE system by
which alarms Are given from boxes
located near the point where the 6re
starts, was FIRST introduced Ia 1852 in
Boston and about the same time Ia New
York. The main object In their inir5-
duction was the saving OF time and
since then the brains of inventors have
been turned to imprOv sHass,.s -
which even the smallest reduction Of
time ia responding to the alarms could
be made. There was an inevitable loss Of
time, however, in the running OF the
discoversr Of the blszs TO the box, the
finding of the key and opening the door
and Il was to do away with this that
the auxiliary alarm was devised.
The working Of the system is simple
and cannot fall to appeal to every think
ing man. 1t consists Of an auxiliary pull
or box located In residence, factory OF
store. connecting with the nearest FIRE
alarm bcx and capable Of putting the
machinery there in motion without
having to unlock 1t. The method OF
operation is easy and It's working per
fectly accurate. Each auxiliary pull Il
operated by battery Of strength
according to the number of stations IL
the plant The watohman or person
discovering the FIRE, no matter whether
in the building in which he is, or "a III
adjoining building. breaks q pane o
glass in the auxiliary box and pulls dowl
riuR or lever This ssts in motion th'
machinery in the street box and th
alarm is sent ia. A return signal device
starts a bell ringing In the vicinity Of tn
auxiliary box, giving notice thar tn
null has worked, and this continues 4
sound until Shs alarm Is completed. Ii
the event OF break in the circuit or
cross Ia the wires. another bell ring
continuously until the defect 10 remedied
So much for the working Of the system
As regards the advantage gained Chic
Bonner, Of the New York Fire Depart
ment, recently said:
"One Of the greatest difficulties tn
6rsmen have to contend with Is tho fac
that fires are allowed TO gain too muc
headway before they are informed G
them. The reason for th Is Is that th
average citizen has not had the goo
sense to take few necessary and simpl
precautions When a IRE does break ou
ia his house, he is caught totally unpre
pared, and in nine cases out Of ten lose
his head and tries to extinguish it hin
self, without giving a thought to u
fact that such things as firemen sxis
After wasting valuable time wiShor
accomplishing any good, he Is finsl
forced to give up the task, and then cal
on the fremen. OF course it takes ht
considerable time TO do even this, as
is probably unaware Of the location
the ire alarm box, and when ne does hI
it Is ignorant as to its workings
Another instance: A watch nan goir
his rounds discovers fire on the very to-
most floor OF the mammoth building
Is guarding To stay and fight 1t wou
be futile, aud do the best be can
will take many precious minutes
rush down stairs, secure the key, run
the box, perhaps several tq1ares avs
and then in his Excitement lose conside
able time Ia opening the door. BY y