The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-21
MUOI DE- n DILL,
General Demand For Fire
Alarm Bell.
People Reluctant to Have 1t
Abandoned.
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Give Good Reasons For COntinu-
ance of Custom.
A Great Advantage to the Fire
Fighters.

/ ire department TO 90 away with II VIII
be taking risks that the property own
ers of the city do not wish to run.
When asked about the fire bell, May
or Drew said: 'It may be necessary to
retain the bell. Perhaps it can be loca-
ted at some other station than at head
quarters
to have the bell. 1t is a good thing"
| Councilman Weber said: st want to
see the fire bell continued in use as it has
| BEEN l introduced a resolution at the
| last meeting of the council to have the
| city engineer find out what it will cost
TO put up the bell at the new building.
We should certainly have the bell The
only objection have heard to it is about
1T ringing when there is a meeting in the
auditorium The chief says that can be
avoided by not having the bell ring dur
ing the meetings which will be but a
short time
Councilman CLANCY said: 1.-THE fire bell
certainly ought to ring just as it has for
years. L see no good reason for dis
pensing with it,
Sergeant Donovan of the police force,
said; The chief of police has issued or
ders for a policeman to respond to every
alarm in the business part of town day
or night and in the residence part of
town during the night. They are notified
OF fire by the fire bell, Everybody
wants it. l know that everyone in my
neighbor-hood does
L. A. Stebbins said: ct think the fire
bell a good thing for the people. We all
want to know where the fires are.''
Judge Arthur McCabe said: Il think
the Dell ought to be rung. I see no rea-
son for stopping it. It frequently enables
US to breath more freely
M. Heery said: How can We tell
where the fires are without the bell. /
am sure everybody wants it,
A. b. Quinton said: I'VE could never
get along without the fire bell I always
he oil
hood and then find out if it is my house"
L. b. Jennings said: II see no reason
Tor disseminating it. All other cities as
have Them
T. d: Humphreys said: 1--WE want the
nre bell in our neighborhood
John I. CLANCY said: Il think about
everybody in our part of town wants the
John E. Lord said: 1.-THE people of
my part of town are unanimous for the
llre neli: 1t would be a mistake to do
II. A, Heath said: 1--WE would be lost
without the fire beII''
Bennett r. Wheeler said: s'I certain
~ thlnk we ought to have the fire bell"
The representatives of the Kansas
City fire department at Paris have car
RED on the honors against the world.
The Kansas City department must be a
good one Kansas City is several times
larger than Topeka and has a fire bell
In the last twenty-four hours there
have been four examples of the value
of the bell to the good services of the
department When the alarm for the
fre was turned in from box l25 at
Eighth and Chestnut streets Yesterday
afternoon Chief Wilmarth was several
blocks north of the department he's a.
quarters ana mad 1t not been for the
hre bell sounding the alarm he would
nave known nothing about the fire
When the alarm was turned in from
Dox 80 last evening member of the
hose "a NV f-OV1 he l..
absent from the station on department
business. He heard the alarm and went
Immediately to the fire. When the
alarm was turned in from box SO this
headquarters was at the blacksmith
shop, two blocks from the department
headquarters, with no way of knowing
OF the fire had it not been for the fire
belI- AS 1t was the driver rode to the
headquarters, hitched onto his engine
and arrived at the fire with very little
delay. One of the members of the hose
company from headquarters was spend
ing his day off at home. He heard the
fire bell and was the first at the fire
and aided the first hose company that
arrived.
There have been instances by the
score that show the value of the bell
to good service. If the companies are
at a. fire and another fire breaks out |
they know Immediately by hearing the |
fire bell just where the fire is and the |
chief knows what to do. If it were not |
for the fire bell there would be no !
means of sending the alarm to the fire. |
men at work on the first fire This has |
happened many times and occurred |
last on Sunday night.
Another reason for the fire bell is |
that If fire starts in a certain part |
of town and some one sends in the |
alarm from the box in the neighbor- !
hood the person knows Immediately |
when the fire bell rings out the alarm |
that the proper number has been re
ceived and that the companies are on |
their way to the fire. If the bell does |
not ring the person sending in the |
alarm knows that something is wrong |
and either pulls the box again or tele- |
phones the alarm. Or if the person send |
ing in an alarm hears the fire bell ring |
another box number he knows that an |
other alarm has been received and |
sends in his alarm again.