Evening star., 1895-08-16
A Look Backward.

In presenting the thirty-frst annual re-
port of the telegraph and telephone serV-
ice of the District of Columbia, while treat
ing mainly Of the operations and expendi-
lures of the department during the fiscal
year ended June 30, 1885, it will be neces-
sary in order to give proper statement or
the subject to take a look backward anu 10
say many things which will have to be re-
peated in the report for the fiscal year
Just entered upon for the reason that the
work of extending ard enlarging the nre :
alarm telegraph was begun in March last
and not yet completed, and to be paid for
when completed out of the appropriation
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1896.
The urgent necessity for, enlarglng ana
extending both the fire alarm Telegraph
and the police patrol system in the city and
to the suburbs has been called to the at
tention of Congress year after year, ana
the necessary appropriations asked Tor by
the Commissioners, but not until the passage
CT the last appropriation bill has any pro-
vision been made for the extension OF the
fire alarm telegraph to the suburbs, and
even nov, owing to the small amount ap-
propriated, but little can be accomplished.
Last Years Recommen dntions.
1t will be remembered that in the esti-
mates submitted last year, and by you ap-
proved, rad the honor to recommend:
For battery supplies, purchase and
rent Of telephones and general ex-
penses of all kinds. including or
dinary repairs. rs..........................S .Sio,OU
Extension of fire alarm telegraph in
city and suburbs. bs..................-... lO,O0o
Special repairs and renewal of the
police patrol system. 5000
Total ... :. $50 600
Congress-. however, cut the first down to
S11,OOO and the second and third items
combined to $1,000, thus providing. only
nIkA N shlh
necessary to do that which ought to be
done this year. 1t follows that only por-
ton of the work can be done until further
appropriation shall have been male.
The extensions of the fire alarm tcle
graph. which are now being made to the
suburbs, with theJ small appropriation
available. will be of great service, but
many, other places heed protection quite as
tice of which will BE found further on in
this report. ab
Extensions of Fife Alarm Now Being
efMade.
On account of, the meager appropriation
for extension of the fire alarm telegraph to
the suburbs, only twenty-seven boxes can
be put in service this year. and one Of that
number will be paid for by the German
Orphan Asylum and placed in that lnstitu-
ton. .,.-..,,.. ..
owing to the limited capacity of the
switch board. and the repeaters in the fire
alarm office, all Of which have been in SER
vice twenty years. two new repeaters ana
one new switch board have to be procured
at considerable expense to accommodate
the new circuits which are required for
suburban extension, and hence smaller
number of boxes can be purchased than
would be had the old repeaters a capacity
for the increased number of circuits le-
uuired for the extensions.
Three new signal circuits for suburban
boxes and Two additional alarm circuits
one each to, the two new engine houses
are being Constructed.
One new signal circuit covers the terri
tory north of Washington between 1th and
Goth streets west as far north as Howard
avenue in Mount Pleasant, and viii -fe
supplied with eleven fire alarm boxes
Another of the new signal circuits will
cover portions of lexington, Ivy City and
Trinidad, and will, have distributed there
The third new signal circuit will go out
by way of Washington Asylum thence
across ths river to Twining City to the
and through Anacostia, and will have
seven boxes. ss5,5. ~.s.,,a...,.
Additional Boxes Much Needed.
Within the area covered by the three
new circuits now being constructed there
crght to he at least fifteen additional boxes
for protection Of houses.
ought to be extended to Tenleytown, and
have ten new boxes properly distributed
thereon. . ....... .- -..- .e ....-
new signal circuit should be construct
ed running along the Brightwood avenue
to and through Takoma Park, returning
through Brool1lahd, on which twenty boxes
should be distributed. .-
Another new signal circuit would be de-
sirable along the Bladansburg road as far
out as the reform school for boys, and
thence to Benning, and thence back to the
city through the eastern portion b tween
north and G streets northeast, with at.
least fifteen boxes on the circuit.
In addition to these sixty additional
suburban boxes the city should have not
less than, forty boxes added to it's present
number, making total of 100 new boxes,
ard the several new circuits mentioned,
which should be provided for in the next
annual appropriation bill.
Alarms for Fire Received and Trans
mitted.
Month";. Regular. Local. I'd. 3d. Gen.
July .. "a "a O