The herald., 1898-01-20
SIGNAL BOXES
Electrician Reports on the
Police System
AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST
A COMPLETE EQUIPMENT FOR
FORTY BOXES FOR $4,000
AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST
The Fire Commissioners Hold a Short
Meeting-Rebate of Taxes Asked.
Street Work Inspection

City Electrician Ira ]. Francis has
completed and placed in the hands of
Chief of Fire Department Moore his re-
port as to the plans, specifications and
estimates of cost of a complete police
alarm signal system. This matter was
referred to the electrician several weeks
ago, but until the fate of the bond prop
osition at the polls was known it was not
considered necessary for him to report.
He presents to the police and fire COM
missioners, to whom the report will later
be submitted, detailed statement of
Just what will be required and the cost
of such an alarm system.
The first part of the report deals with
the advantages of such system and
among those mentioned are the preserv-
alton of discipline and increase of efH-
cheney of the force individually and as
body, the availability at all times both
to patrolmen and the general public of
system which will call to their as
sistance the police of the city, and an
absolutely impartial and indelible rec
ord of the whereabouts of policemen at
stated intervals with no chance for ar
gument as to when occurrences take
place.
In the preparation of the report he
has, with the assistance of the police
themselves, studied their needs in diff
ferent sections of the city so as to evolve
a plan by which a system might be in
stituted which would fully meet the re-
quirements of all sections without in
terfering with the present fire alarm sys-
tenn. He points out the necessity for
first class system and the uselessness of
attempting to use poor material. To
that end the use of an aerial line of hard
drawn copper wire heavily insulated so
as to secure freedom from interferences
with other circuits and other kindred
troubles is recommended. A complete
police telephone system is embodied in
the plans. Forty street boxes are con-
sidered necessary to properly provide all
sections of the city with means of
easily and instantly communicating
with the police department in any
emergency, and these boxes would be
put up in such manner as to render an
increase in their number possible and
easy at any future time.
The city would be divided into four
street and north of First; east of Spring
and south of First, west Of Spring and
north of Seventh and west of Spring
and south of Seventh. In the police
station would be placed the operating
table with all needed registers and other
instruments, together with stable out
fit for the patrol wagons. The batteries
would be placed in the city hall and
would be cared for by and be under the
supervision of the electrician and his
assistants as are the batteries of the
fire alarm system.
Two estimates of cost are made. The
first is on a basis Of a forty-box system.
1t includes $4,000 for overhead and line
equipment, $500 for a central Office out
fit in working order, $3.50 for the bat
terry and $4,000 for the forty boxes at $3.50
each, a total cost of $13,250. If but rs
boxes were used the difference would be
just the difference in the cost of the
boxes and reduction of $4,000 In the
cost of the line work, making total of
$4,000.
A joint meeting of the police and fire
commissions will be called within few
days to consider the report.