The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-30
IT Is OLD.
Police Department
Signal System
ATHINGOF The PAST.
0i'' 4F~eds An Up-to-Date
And Modern Equipments.

oiilclals and members of the police
/ department are looking forward to tbe
Tune when new signal svsten, for
police headquarters shall coma .--.er
the considerable. or ule city fathers
The old visual system, which has
been in service at the Waldo street
station house for the past dozen years,
is thing of the past in every sense of
the word and fully half of the boxes
are practically useless so far as hold
ing conversation between the boxes
and the central station is concerned.
The red globes, thrown up from the
Office to signal for men when they are
( on their beats, are decidedly cratic as
well. The amount of difficulty expert
enced nearly every day in the year
makes it impossible for the city cleo
tricians to make necessary repairs each
day in connection with their other
duties.
In some cases the globes will not go
up and in other cases they will not
stay down. 1t is possible to hear the
man at the box in some cases when
ne cannot hear the man in the central
STATION, While on a majority of the
lines there is such buzzing that the
inevitable way out Of the dilemma is
FOR the officer to seek the nearest pub
Die or private telephone.
Valuable time is lost in this way, es-
peclally in the outlying districts.
where, if the system was in practical
condition, far better results could be
obtained. In emergency cases where
quick work is necessary this fact NAV
be readily appreciated.
Aside from the worn-out condition of
the apparatus, the system is decidedly
out of date; in fact, the firm that origi-
nally engaged in its manufacture is no
longer in business. House officer Thorn
as Hurley, who has more to do with
the system perhaps than any other
member of the police department, has
become so used to the system, so it is
claimed by his brother officers, that he
could hear something over the lines if
cord was substituted in place of the
wires; however, this does not change
the opinion of those who have observed
the working Of the system, which is
that its days of usefulness are over.
In his report for 1897 Chief of Police
j. M. brennan has this to say regard
ing the signal system, which is prac-
tlcally embodied again in his report
for 1898, yet unpublished:
Our visual signal system is all but
useless; it needs constant care and re-
pairs; it is not at all reliable, and it is
SO hampered by induction that commu-
nication cannot be made between the
office and many of the boxes. recon-
mend that some competent and disin-
terested expert examine the condition
OF the system and report on the COST
of thorough overhauling and repairs
and its practicability for further use
in the department or it's abandonment
for something better and more mod
ern.'
Thus far the chiefs recommendation
to the mayor and city government.
that some expert be appointed to
look into the matter, has not been act
ed on, although it is evident that some
action must be taken in the matter
during the coming year, if the efficiency
of the police department from this
standpoint is to be kept up.
In other large cities the visual system
has been nabandoned, the prevailing
system being the Gamewell or munich
pal system. There is no visual at
tachment connected with this system,
the plan being to have each officer
send in signal from his particular
box at stated intervals, much as q
Waterman winds his clock in MAXI 1,
rounds.
Inc signal registers at police head
quarters on tape, and in case anything
is wanted, the officer is called and
communicates with headquarters, byl
means of telephone placed in the signal
boxes
About week ago another complica-
ton made its appearance in connection
with the system, which, although not
affecting the system materially, still is
another indication that the apparatus
is gradually going to pieces.
The hand generator which is used in
ringing back when the officers call In
from outside went on a strike. and
aside from performing its function in a
decidedly unsatisfactory manner, gives
forth a sound when the handle is
turned that compares favorably with
the music of buzz saw when partic-
ularly knotty piece Of wood is encoun-
tered