The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-05
Criticises the Central ONCE Fire Sys-
TEN and Otheu Things.
b Ia Editor of The News

To the Editor Of The News:
Having just returned from a somewhat ex-
tended tour through the United States, and
having been az one time a member OF the
Providence fire department, ! was, Of course,
m ore or les Interested i'm the fire departments
Of the various cities which have visited, and
my ideas not being in accord with the pres
ent board Of fire commissioners, made in
quiries while away, and have since | returned,
and as there may be other citizens hereabouts
that believe with me that the fire commission
ers are oxtravagant and are at the head of a
smaller department than they think they are,
but perhaps not any better.
What has attracted my attention the most
Is the idea of having a central station, a
place here all alarms will be sent and from
here sent out 20 the several stations. Now,
in Boston, New York and n number Of other
large cities | was informed that for Proyi-
dence 20 have anything Of that sort was
simply foolish, for the present system, with
only about 800 alarms year, is the best, the
most simple and at the same time the most re-
liable. The best known nremen in the coun-
try say that there is no fire alarm that is per
feet. Let us say "A word about the commits
soners. They saw that the present repeaters
would not carry any more boxes, and they
wanted at least so mere, and they made n
great hue and cry about putting one into each
schoolhouse in the city. and the school com
mittee did not like the idea. so they fought
against the scheme. And II you will notic',
Mr. Editor that when tho bill went through
the wash" there was nothing said abolt
schoolhouses | am positively aware Of the
fact that there is n fire alarm box near every
schoolhouse in the city, and, furthermore,
each school has a jauitor who sees 10 10 that
tine building is kept entirly free from inham.
mable material, and no one can call 10 mind n
Of fire in any of our schoolhouses except
when some entertainment has been given.
But the commission made much OF the schools
10 get thpir pet scheme through the Legisla-
ture and they succeeded. But will any man
that has got the least bit OF common sense
tell me what they wanted alarm boxes in the
scho1lhouscs for, anyway Would II not be
the height OF foolishness should there be- fire
in IA school room 10 notify the scholars OF that
facts Would il not be- better to get the little
ones out of the building as II nothing was the
matter instead ot getting them excited by
ONE one pull ing box We could say much
moro about schools and the much-ialked-of
boxes, but every mother and father in the city
is not in any way alarmed at the present sys.
TEN.
The commissioners also say-so l am told
that the present system sometimes sends in a
mixed alarm. Well, Wen admit that that is n
fact. but 1 want 20 say thIs We will sup
pose that box l2l comes in all straight on the
first alarm and after that IL comes in mixed.
Y1u can bet, Mr.. Editor, that when the sec
o q alarm comes in, mixed or not, the fire.
men that res ond To that box do not know
1t. for 10y the time that the box has struck the
| and that the tremcn are waiting for the 1,
and just n soon that comes in they are
off, II en- IL the second round comes in mixed
the rest of the department are ready TO re-
spond 10 whatever box comes in. Now, then,
suppose that-ue- -had-this great central sta
tion that our commissioners talk about !:
should this same box come in the man who
would have charge of the apparatus at this
station must wait until at least two rounds
have been sounded before he would send IL
out o the department, and then suppose one
of the rounds comes IN mixed, where are we
at" will you tell us? And are we not safer
with one handling 2f the alarm than we are
TO have it go through two hands, and will not
the delicate machinery that will be necessary
to use In this new method send out mixed
a'armsi i"I guess yes Thgn, again. suppose that