Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-09
NEW FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
Trial Of New Device to Be Made by Dis.
trict Department.
Four Instruments to he Used by Way
of Observation-Disclosures by
superintendent Miles.

The District fire department will tomor-
row be supplied to certain extent with
another modern invention designed to ex-
pedite responses to alarms, we'll as to
protect the members of the department
from being unnecessarily aroused from
sleep. This invention, which Commits
sioner Wight decided some time ago, as
stated in The Star at the time, should be
tried here, is one which it is proposed to
place in every house, should it prove the
success Mr.. Wight and Superintendent
Miles believe it will, but for the present
it will be placed in but four of the houses.
engine companies and I and truck COM
panies A and c.
AS explained heretofore in The Star, the
device consists of telegraph instrument
by means of which an alarm is first struck
on small bell attached to 1t, and then
on the big gong in the house il 1t is an
alarm from box situated in the district
to which the company regularly responds.
Four of these instruments were received
by Superintendent Miles of the District
telegraph and fire alarm Office today They
were designed by him and are models of
simplicity. Commissioner Wight was
much pleased with them, as was Chief
Ell gineer Paris, when they were shown 20
them today. They are about ten by four
or five inches, surmounted by small gong,
and to them is attached a small telegraph
key or switch.
Method Of Sounding Alarms
AS explained by Mr.. Miles, they will be
so arranged that when an alarm comes
in from headquarters, one round of the
box from which the alarm is struck will
first be sounded on the small gong. If
the box sounded be one in the district COW
cred by the company in whose house the
instrument is located, the Waterman will
move the key, which will instantly cause
the alarm to be struck on the big gong one
or which Is placed in every house That
movement of the key or switch will at the
same instant release the horses from their
stalls, as Is now done when an alarm Is
rung on the big gongs.
1t is admitted, of course, that one round
of the box will be lost-that rung before
the mer are aroused from their sleep-for
the system is to be used only from 10 pm.
TO am, but it is confidently believed that
the short delay, one of but a few seconds
will be more then recovered in the rapidity
with which the men will respond when
they hear the big gong during those hours.
The Main Object.
The main object of the invention is, of
course, humane enc. to prevent the men
from being aroused from their slumbers
when not required to respond to the box
rung. Outside of the hours mentioned the
present system Of sounding alarms will
prevail, but during the time the new one
is in operation, when the men should be
allowed to rest undSturbed unless wanted,
there will be. Commissioner Wight ex-
piained today. no outside Waterman, the
man on duty being required to sit beside or
SO close to the instrument as to catch at
OF ce the alarms which may be sounded.
Commissioner Wight is very confident
that the new scheme will prove to be an
excellent one in every way, for he feels
that houses in which the four instruments
are to be placed. suggested by Chief Paris,
are presided over by intelligent and capable
fcremen, who will see that the system is
given such trial as will either demon
strate its value or prove it to De imprac-
ticable. The members of the departm ent
generally believe that it is a good device
and a system which will remove many of
the hardships which they have been here
tofore necessarily required to suffer.