The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-10-17
TEST The FIRE ALARM.
Negligence of Councils That Proved
Somewhat Disastrous in the Fire
of Yesterday-Will Probably Act
Now on The Tribune's Suggestion.

Lack of provision on the part of
councils. negligence is the term that
| expresses 1t. resulted somewhat disas-
trously in the fire of yesterday at Rey-
| nolds' drug store.
When the alarm was turned in from
box u. Main street and Salem avenue,
there was no response from the bell
| in the city hall tower. There was no
| sound except a single strike. The re-
! suit can be arrived at without great
loss OF mental energy The iiremen
didn't know the location of the fire.
and most of them had absolutely no
knowledge of the blaze. All that was
to guide the iiremcn nearby was the
noise of the running hose wagon and
the clang of the bell.
The whole fire alarm system was
paralyzed. The delicate machinery,
which Is affected by the temperature
and various other causes when not i'm
daily use. was blocked by reason of
the hammer or strike on the bell In the
tower becoming stiff of action by
grease and dust cumming the springs.
This condition was brought on by the
system not being kept in daily use. by
the sending in of at least one alarm.
The Tribune pointed this out more than
once ana suggested the prudence and
safety of compensating the one in
charge OF the system. city Electrician
l.. III. Gilleran. for ringing in one alarm
each day. Councils. however. We're in
different to the advice, and, as has
been true too often, realized its mis-
take after the damage was summed up.
The fire alarm system is made up of
the most delicate machinery. this being
necessary to reach the highest etiici-
ency. Naturally it Is easily affected.
Change of temperature aud insects
crawling into the street boxes and nes-
Ting among the hair-lilie springs. these
are some of the little things that might
paralyHe the system, if not discovered.
Now. the only way to locate such
causes is by the sounding of an alarm
daily. Any defect could then not con-
tinue longer than Il day. In the large
cities there is Il daily test made. even
though there be Il fire once or oftener
during q day: in Scranton it is sent
in through the telephone exchange.
But, here, in tarbondalc. where fire.
Quently Il whole month elapSes between
fires absolutely nothing is done to as
sure the working conditions of Il Sys-
TEN, which is unsurpa ssed in the coun-
ty
The lesson to be gained from yestcr-
days experience is clearly before the
councils. and the safety of property
and the entire community bchoOves
these bodies to make such provision
for testing the fire alarm system as
Will keep ii not only in good working
order but up to the highest state of
efficiency. This can only be done by
Il daily test. preferably from Il different
box each day. This was the practice
that was followed for a year after the
Gamewoll company installed the sys-
TEN in Carbondalc. This was a pro-
vision made by the company itself
which requested that it be continued
ii the city would preserve the good
order of the system. AS stated before.
however. councils show an Indifferent
spirit and paid no heed to the Sug-
gestion. In the meantime. The Trib-
unc renewed these suggestions. and
while several councilmen expressed the
opinion that The Tribunc's suggestion
was an excellent one and should be
acted upon. none of them took the first
step in that direction.
Had the fire of yesterday occurred in
the middle of the night. when it could
not be so readily discovered, and the
iremen would be removed from the
vicinity. there might be a fearful reali-
%ation of the councils lack of provision
for the daily test of the system.
1t is hoped that at the next meeting
of select council. Monday night, the
necessary steps will be taken to pro-
vide for City Electrician Gilleran send
ing in an alarm from Il different box
each day.