The San Francisco call., 1896-01-22
FIRE ALARMS COME HIGH
Extramen Complain Of the
Charges Made for Clarke
Gongs."
THE cITYs POLES ARE USED
How Private Enterprise Is Conducted
Partly at the Expense of San
Francisco.

Occasionally the worm turns and wants
to know why and wherefore.
This is the case with the firemen who
are being charged So month each for
gongs which have been put in their homes
to fill the place of the big fire bells on the
engine-houses, which in many cases have
been removed.
Extramen who are connected with the
Fire Department are not as rule expected
to sleep in the engine-house of the dis
trict IN which they belong, and conse-
quently stay at their own houses.
As great many of the S00-pound bells
have been removed from the towers lately,
it has been necessary for the extramen to
put private tappers in their homes, so
as to be warned in case of fire. For these
tappers, which are known as the CLARKE
gongs," the firemen are compelled to pay
81 per month or probably lose their Job
through failure to hear a fire alarm. In
the event of high wind or stormy weather
the whistle alarms are frequently of no
value, and Consequently private alarms
are essential to the preservation OF the
extraman's job. He simply has to put
them in or run the risk tnat follows failure
to appear at fires in his district. The nom
arrival of a fireman when he is wanted,
generally results in his being "broke," to
use the term that means dismissal among
tiremen.
Chief Sullivan, interviewed yesterday
regarding the matter, said:
Il regard the charge of So per month as
very high, and have always thought that
81 would be enough. Extramen make only
$35 per month ont of their positions, and
they should not be expected to give up
such a proportion of their earnings to be
called to fires.
NJ
lation there are fully paid fire depart
ments, and extramen are done away with
altogether, but here We have them still,
and the City should pay for the electrical
service necessary to warn them of fires.
OF course the steam whistles are valua-
BILE, but if firemen want tappers they should
/ have them, and the charges should be rea-
sonable. [ am not over-familiar with the
matter and would suggest that you see
Mr.. Clarke, who is the gentleman who puts
IN these tappers or gongs for the firemen
who want them"
''Does Mr.. Clarke use the City's poles for
his wres?"
Il do not know; but it is probable that
he does"
Has he any right to use tbem2"
"WeH, not to any great extent that l
can see, unless he has a franchise. But
you had better see him about it. He will
have no hesitancy in giving you all the
the business great many years"
Later IN the day Mr.. Clarke was visited
at his office in the telephone building, and
in answer to the question of whether or
not he had a franchise TO use the City's
poles, he admitted that he had not.
DO you find it necessary to use the
| poles of the City TO run wires into the
homes of the firemen who are compelled
to use your gongsr
Occasionally; but as rule run them
over the housetops, as most of the extra
| men live on the side streets, and there are
no poles there that it would be possible to
| USE"
"It is claimed by great many firemen
that private citizens use the gongs, and
that the City's poles are used to run the
wires. Is there any truth in that?'
"Well, have few subscribers outside
of the tiremen, and whenever / find it
necessary to use the poles of the City use
them. But that is not often.''
There is great deal of complaint among
the fremen of San Francisco over this
gong service and the charges are bitterly
complained of.
The firemen claim that Mr.. Clarke's en-
terprise is conducted as far as possible on
the poles of the City and that if he had not
the use of them the Fire Department
would have to make some provision for
calling the firemen together in case of fire.
Chief Sullivan is of the opinion that the
City ought to have control OF all such mat
ters and that the lowest possible rates
should be given the tiremen who are COM
PEELED to use gongs in their houses.
The most general complaint is that if
Mr.. Clarke is utilizing the City's poles to
conduct private enterprise he ought to
be in a position to give a lower rate to the
men who are forced to do business with
him.