Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-01
FIRE AND POLICE WIRES
Extensive improvements Of the System in the
District.
Interesting Data in Regard to the
Patrol Telegraph and the Work
of Fighting Fires.

The annual report of Henry r. Miles.
| superintendent of telegraph and telephone
| service In the District, which was filed yes
| terday with the Commissioners, describes
many improvements in renewal and extern
| sion Of the fire alarm telegraph system Of
Washington.
The following new equipment material
Mas installed:
| The new instruments purchased for the
| central office were: One automatic nom
| interference repeater, arranged for twelve
| signal and six alarm circuits, on a mar
bleized base. plate glass case, with mansard
roof; one manual three-dial repeater, ar
| ranged for six alarm circuits, self-spacing
with best modern electro-mechanical i'm
| provements, protected by an elaborate
| pate glass case; one mahogany switch
| board, arranged for twelve signal and six
! alarm circuits, with all the necessary
ground and test switches, test galvanome-
| ters, call bells, keys, etc, for the increased
| service provided for in the new repeaters
| IN ADDITION to the new central office in
| s'rumehts enumerated, twenty-seven new
tire alarm BOXES Zone Of which was paid
| for by the German Orphan Asylum and
| Two lS-lnch. excelsior gongs for engine
| houses were purchased at a total cost of
| *lo,loo, and the whole put into practical
| service august 81, 1898.
New Signal Circuits.
| Three new signal circuits were construct
ed. in which 400 pounds of No. II copper
| Wire (about seventy miles in length) was
used. costing, besides the labor of string
| Ing, $l,0321 as; ia poles were erected, cost
ing $l.2J0.50; extra help to string wire cost
| $I29.SO; other small items Of expense ag-
| gregated $1S5.34; total cost of extension,
! including central office Instruments sl3-
! 3iS. 40.
/ avf nc;n
$2,O1O was paid for renewing nineteen fire
| alarm boxes, which were destroyed during
| the year by contact with electric wires, max
| ing a gross sum of $l5,35S. ~ as the total
cost OF enlarging and renewing the fire
alarm system, but, stated above, the
German Orphan Asylum paid for one box
$12t-thuS reducing the net cost to the Dis
| trict 10 $l5, yy33. 40
/ The cost of renewing the nineteen fire
alarm boxes S2.U10) destroyed by electric
wires was provided for by special appropri-
| alton in the deficiency bill. SO that the
| amount paid for charging and extending
| the plant was S13, 81. ~, which was paid
| Tor out OF the regular annual appropriation
| for the telegraph and telephone service for
| the year ending June 80, 1896
Three new signal circuits were construct
| ed early in the season, for enlarging and
| extending the fire alarm telegraph, and
| thirty fire alarm signal boxes were placed
| in the three new circuits. One of the new
circuits covers the territory north of Wash
1 ington, from 18th to 10th streets west, as
| far north Howard avenue in Mount
Pleasant Another covers portions of Eek
| irgton, Ivy City and Trinidad. The third
Lew circuit goes out by the way of the
Washington Asylum, thence across the
Eastern branch to Twining City, to the
German Orphan Asylum; thence 10 and
through Anacostia, recrosses the river and
returns to headquarters.
New Facilities.
There are now in use ten signal and four
| alarm circuits (all metalic), and il is our
| purpose to construct and put in use two
additional circuits of both kinds at an
early date, TO relieve several of the
old signal circuits of number of their
| boxes, and distribute as nearly equal as
possible the striking apparatus over six
alarm circuits, now in use on the four old
circuits.
| The ten signal circuits now in use have
on them 1913 fire alarm boxes, distributed as
follows: No. 1 has twenty eight boxes, No
| has thirty-one boxes, No. has fifteen
| boxes, No. has twenty-three boxes, No.
| 3 has nineteen boxes, No. g has twenty
| three boxes, No. has twenty-four boxes.
! No. 6 has twelve boxes, No. has ten
| tcxes, No. 10 has eight boxes; total, 1913
boxes.
Within the area covered by the three new
circuits recently constructed there ought
| to be at least fifteen additional boxes for
protection of life and property.
The present Georgetown signal ciruit ought
10 De EXTENDED 10 1enleytOWn, ana nave ten
new boxes properly distributed thereon. A
| new signal circuit should be constructed
| running along Brightwood avenue to and
| through Takoma Park, returning through
Brookland, which twenty boxes should
| be distributed.
Another new signal circuit would be de-
| sirable along the BladensburG road as far
out as The reform school for boys, and
| thence to Benning, and thence back to
| the city through the eastern portion, be-
tween b and G streets northeast, with at
| least fifteen boxes on the circuit.
In addition to these sixty additional sub
| urban boxes, the city should have not less
| than forty boxes added to its present num-
| her, making total of 100 new boxes and
| the several new circuits mentioned, which
| should be provided for in the next annual
| appropriation bill
Alarm Circuits.
| The four alarm circuits now in use con-
meet with the following places:
| Circuit No. 1-Engine company No. 4, en-
| CINE company No. 6. residence of chief en-
| CINE company No. 4.
| Circuit No. 2-Hook and ladder company
| A, engine company No. 3, residence of As
s:stant Chief Belt, engine company No. 10,
Circuit No. 3-Evening Star office, engine
| company No. 2 Riggs Insurance Company,
Arlington Insurance Company, engine COM
| pany No. 8, engine company No. IL.
| Circuit No.4-Hook and ladder company c,
| engine company No. /, hook and ladder
| company b, residence of Assistant Chief
| Kurtz, engine company No. 5.
| During the great electric storm iii August,
| 1896, signal circuit No. was broken down,
| and the wires coming i'm contact with a
| trolley cable destroyed thirteen boxes In
| last Mays tornado the same circuit was
| broken down, and by contact with an
| electric light wire six boxes were destroyed.
The new boxes put in this year have cut
| out switches, that when the box door
| is closed the danger from contact with
| high tension currents is avoided.
| During the year there were 533 alarms
| and a portion of the department was out
| from quarters 415 hours and 10 minutes
| Allowing eight hours for day the depart
| ment was fighting fire 81 days, hours and
| AZ minutes in the course of the year.
| Police Wires.
OF the police patrol system Mr.. Miles
| says:
The patrol telegraph and telephone serv-
| ice covering the city portions of the nine po-
| lice precincts have 126 street stations from
which reports are made hourly or oftener
by each officer on patrol duty to his re-
| spective precinct staten day and night,
| from which 1t will be seen that these pa
| troll boxes work almost constantly year in
and year out. The first precinct has 13