Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-19

minutes. having responded to 1897 regular
| and 800 local alarms. =
Boxes ZIG, 10th and N; ,243. 14th and Cor
| coran; 437 9th and E southwest, and 3d.
| LIST and E southeast were pulled most fire.
| quently, each being sounded eight times
| during the year.
Auxiliary System.
Soon after the placing Of the outside por-
| ton of the fire alarm system under this
department an investigation was made of
the system of the instantaneous Fire Alarm
Company. 1t was found that several boxes
had as many as ten different houses con-
nected to them several of the premises be-
ing four squares away from the box. In
other instances there were boxes nearer
to the house than the one to which it was
connected. Trouble had also been expert
enced in having false alarms turned in.
which could be traced to no other source
than to the auxiliary system. After care
full consideration of the question the Com
missioners decided that the manner in
which this auxiliary system was conducted
was highly Objectionable and detrimental
to the interests Of the fire department.
They therefore decided to permit the COM
pany to continue to use the boxes of the
District fire alarm for its auxiliary system
until June 30, 1899. at which time all of It's
connections were to be removed. This order
was given in time to allow the company to
have Congress grant it authority to install
a central office system of their own. No
Il
following session of Congress. and rather
than embarrass the COMPANY by forcing
many of their subscribers to be without
service the Commissioners extended the
time for the removal of the connections
until not later than the next session of Con-
gress, at which time it is hoped all the
auxiliary attachments will be removed en-
t1reiy from the system. Direct communica-
ton by telephone is maintained between
the office of the company and fire alarm
headquarters, by means of which local
alarms may be received.
Reference to EIectrolysfs.
Speaking Of electrolysis, Mr.. Allen says:
The situation in regard to this impor-
tant subject has not been materially
changed during the year. To further pro-
tect their underground lead-covered cables
the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company have run bare copper wire
from their offices to the negative bus bar
in the power station of the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Company, and have carefully
bonded all their cable to it.
THE crossing of the Great Falls railroad
at Foxhall road became so bad due to
the entire absence of bonds or return
ground wire on the line, that the potential
ran as high as $50 volts between rails and
ground, causing many horses to be fright
ened when stepping the rails. The com
pany remedied this to a great extent by
carefully bonding the rails on each side
of the crossing. They have also put in
ground plates at several of the little
streams along the line, which has been of
slight service in improving the return.
The underground cable system of the
Potomac Electric Power Company has
been removed from the grounded machines,
except that portion used to supply power
to the trolley roads west of Rock creek ana
in Virginia"
After reviewing the electrical installa-
tions made by the local street railroads
during the past fiscal year Mr.. Allen con-
cludes his report with an explanation of
his estimates of expenses for the fiscal
year ending June 3d. 1901, heretofore pub
liShed in The Star