The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-20

desires TO talk frt m the box being p o.
vided with u portable telephone set WI ich
may be connected to the Eoy IN III
nent's time. Perhaps the most impor-
tant of the three sides of this roc In IS that
which one faces as ne enters, for here, all
alarms are usually received and trans
mitted. Thirty box circuits, with room
for adding ten more, should the city ev
require them, centre at tdls point. Encn
circuit Is represented by n glass cylinder,
i-2 inches In diameter and perhaps lS
inches long. the cylinder containing Isis
of tho mum Ders of tbs foxes located On
that circuit. he cylinder also carries "A
number corresponding TO the number of
the circuit. Beneath the cylinder is rcd,
candle-shaped eleCtric-lamp. and bonoath
this Is what is known ss the relay, to-
gether with n telegraph key anu n switch
FOR instantly throwing in tae cid auto
matte system If by any possibility il
should Le needed Near these devices is
situated "a beautiful linking register of
capacity of forty circuits for receiving
and recording the alarms coming in over
any or all of ths thirty box circuits and
for recording the alarms sent out 10 the
fire stations and to the tower bells on the
alarm circuits, for IL should be under.
stood that the box circuits, OF which, as
stated. there are thirty, are separate and
distinct from those on which the alarms
90 TO. the firomen.
On large pedestal near the receiving
register, is n marvellous piece Of mechan-
ism known as the transmitter, and ivy
this apparatus oil alarms ana signals
manually operated are sent out. IL has "A
capacity tor sending out any combination
of mum bers form | to 9999. and as 10 has
two dials OF this capacity, it follows that
10y its use the variety of signals nf which
it is capable are practically inexhaustible.
by a remarkably ingenious arrangement
this machine, whom tho numter which
the operator desires To send has been set
Up, first sends the number at a very rapid
rate over one set OF circuits TO the small
0ongs in the fro stations, then transmits
the same signal at slower rate to the
large pongs in the lire stations and to the
large tower bells. In accomplishing this
result, the tranSintter controls two
smaller machines, one opening and clos
ing the rapid circuits the other perform
ing like service for the slower circuits.
When the citizen desires 10 give an
alarm, he goes To n street box, just as he
hes done under the old system, opens tae
door and pulls the hook. IL he listens, La
notices that the machinery in the box is
clicking far more rapidly than forIperly.
Meantime, in the room described at city
hall n bell strikes, the red electric light
on the circuit to which the box Is attach
Ell flashes its warning. the register begins
its work uf recording the box number,
and u swinging plate has dropped onto n
lever corresponding with the number Of
the circuit on which the alarm is coming.
Meantime, If desired, the number of the
box has automatically pBssed through
the alarm circuits to the small gOngs or
tappsrs in the fire stations. and the luen
know just where they are going. All
this takes but fGw seconds, during
which the operator In the room sets ND
the number of tbe dial transmitter ana
sends the alarm at the slower speed to the
large bells ana RonRs. AS the boxes run
very rapidly. it will bc the general
practice Co lot the first round of the box
come to the central station only. That
without any appreciable loss of time.
allows the operator to see that the box is
working CORRECTLY before tho mum ter
goes tO the fire stations. When so operat.
Ing the system, it Is necessary merely To
change. wien no alarm Is In progress,
the position OF single lover which
ronders the system non automatic. then
the operator. waCn au alarm starts in,
merely. draws out, at the completion of the
first ruuud of the hos. u knou. correspond
Ing with the circuit on which the alarm
H. coming, and the following rounds co
through automatically from the box at
rapid >. oed 81 the fire station.
such In brirfsis description. free from
teghniCalities. ~ tbs methods uf ing
anu senuirg alarms nv the new system.
To describe all the devices wOulu require
n volume. Nor does the new stvie of hat.
fcry-tne storage-necd particular dos
criution. EXCEPT 20 snv that 10 is vastly
so superior to the old graYitv battrey,