The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-29

sible terms While the apparatus Is
very expensive and seems to one I'M
familiar with its workings, intricacte
the system is very simple. II is run
on the same general principal as the
telephone. The signal boxes are placed
at certain intervals about the city and
they are connected by private system
of wires with the general receiving Of
fee i'm the police station.
Inside the signal box is a telephone
and above is a disc with an Indicator by
which communication with the central
office is secured. on this disc are
points which call for fast wagon
slow wagon, telephone, ambulance and
three points by which reports are in
dicated. There are two sets of keys TO
each box. About ten citizens keys are
distributed to reliable people in the
neighborhood of each box. The idea is
that In case of fight or disturbance
and there is no policeman within call
the citizen can summon the patrol Nag-
on This is done by inserting the KEY IN
the special key hole and turning in the
alarm. These public calls by citizens
keys can summon only wagon and not
open the box. Only the keys of police
men can secure entrance TO the interior
and not until the box is opened can the
citizen secure his key as IL becomes
locked as soon as he turns i'm the alarm
The reason for this is TO prevent the
department from being imposed upon
by bogus calls. Each key is numbered
and as a record of the holders is kept
II viii Doe easy for the department to
know every time who turned In such "a
call for the wagon.
The police officers when they omen the
box. can set the indicator at the parti-
cular point and this turns i'm the alarm
to the central receiving station If a
| SLOW wagon be desired i'm case of an
ordinary prisoner the Indicator will be
set To that call and the notice be re-
ceived accordingly i'm the central office.
If he desires TO telephone the office he
sets the indicator on the proper mark
and he is connected with the central
operator The three indicators for re-
ports are numbered L. 2 and 3. The
High Sheriff will determine what each
is to signify The first my be an or
binary report of the officer on the beat
and the others can serve as riot reports
or something of a similar character.
BY the central receiving station
through which all the reports come, the
department police is notified The re-
ceiving station is connected with an in
dicator in the stable and when a call is
received the operator connects with
this Indicator which strikes a gong Civ
ing the number of the box and at the
same time the figures appear on the top
/ of the case so that there can be no mis-
taking the location A small bell also
rings so as to indicate whether the call
is for a quick or a slow wagon or an
ambulance. The time when the alarm
| is received at the central station is re-
gistered on the ribbon on which the re-
B port is received.
/ In addition to this, the High Sheriff
| will be able to telephone to any of the
! boxes or to all at once and a complete
4 connection can also be made between
all the boxes. If the present plans are
carried out there will be about "a boxes
throughout the city requiring about &c
miles of wiring. one material advan-
| tage of the system is that the officers
will have to make regular reports of
their presence on their beats and en-
able their superiors to be in closer
( touch with them. The members of the
/ house committee seemed to be very
| faVorably impressed with the system