The Washington times., 1902-01-11
POLICE PHONES
DEFECTIVE.
Major Sylvester Complains
Of the Signal System.
CONTROVERSY WITH MR.. ALLEN.
Electrical Engineer Declares He Is
Doing His Best to Keep the Ap-
pnrntus in Order on n Deficient
Appropriation-DnnE in the I'm
reliable Conditions.

The preIIminaries in movement that it
is hoped will eventually provide suit
able and, reliable telephone and signal
system for the Police and Fire Depart
ments were undertaken yesterday. Major
Richard Sylvester. of the Police Depart
ment. officially brought the matter to the
attention Of the District Commissioners
in "a communication to Commissioner
Ross. a Ss.-
The head of the Police Department has
long been cognizant Of the dangers which
lurk in the present unreliable condition
Of the telephone and signaling apparatus
of his department and has made several
Intellectual efforts to rectify the trouble.
Heretofore his communications have been
made to Walter C. Allen, the Electrical
Engineer. Failure to receive proper at
tention fromethat source mas induced him
to bring the matter directly to the at
tention Of the Commissioners.
"A Practical Illustration.
The present movement originated in
the occurrence of last Sunday, when, fol-
lowing the explosion of a boiler in the
residence of Mr. gBeaIe r. Howard. 141o
Sixteenth Street northwest. it was found
that both the IRE alarm and police wires
were out of order and that it was impos-
sible to communicate with either depart
ment through the usual channels.
At least four or five minutes were lost
in finding private phone, during which
time the house was threatened by a
fire. which had started in the cellar, and
William FOCUS. the colored butler, pin
Toned beneath bricks and metal. was sub
jected to a continuous scaldng, which
rendered impossible the proper treatment |
of a fracture OF the skull, from which !
he died the following day.
similar delay is likely to occur at |
any time in any part. of the city, under /.
present conditions, and in certain sec
tions, under similar conditions, would |
mean the sacrificing of innumerable lives,
to say nothing of the property value.
A Complaint Filed.
Basing his action upon the three re-
ports submitted by the Iieutenants of the |
above precincts, Major Sylvester. on No |
vember %, forwarded the reports to the |
Electrical Department with the request |
that the boxes referred to be given i'm
mediate attention. Upon the papers ap- |
pear an endorsement signed by Mr.. Al |,
len.
The tone of the endorsement was not |
pleasing to the Chief of Police, who read |
in it slap for having ventured to take |
official notice of the poor service fur |
nished by he Electrical Department.
Having called the matter to the atten- !
ton of the responsible parties. but with |
out effect, Major Sylvester was loath |
to take any further action unless forced |
to do SO. The occurrences Of the past
week. however. have induced him to take |
action, and instead of again calling the |
attention of the Electrical Engineer to |
the condition of affairs he forwarded the |
communication directly to Commissioner |
Ross, by whom 1t was in turn referred tc |
Macfarland, who has imme- |
diate supervision of the Electrical De- |
partment.
A Review of Conditions.
In his communication of yesterday Major !
Sylvester referred briefly to the condition
of the telephone and signal systems and |
then called attention to the report that /
had been made to him by Mr.. Allen on
the 25th OF November that the working OF /
the wires was interfered with by the /
grounded wires of the railroad companies. |
When seen yesterday afternoon Com
missioner Ross seemed thoroughly alive |
to the situation. and it is likely that the
matter will be considered by the board
after report has been secured from Mr..
Allen.
Mr. Allen, the Electrical Engineer. yes
terday described in detail the working of
both the FIRE alarm and the police patrol
systems.
There is a special service OF police pa
troll boxes at each precinct. The patrol
boxes are not connected with the general
District telephone service. but run into
he 20 xnha fhRr |
There are now ten such minor systems
in the District aggregating 1sS boxes.
The Boxes Scattered.
These boxes are scattered over the city
and District from Chesapeake Junction
to the District line above Georgetown, and
from Congress Heights and Good Hope to
Tenleytown. Some of the circuits of these
boxes are twenty-five miles long, and Mr..
Allen said that it required a great deal
of care TO keep them always in working
order.
With reference to the police patrol
boxes, Mr.. Allen affirns that some of them
are very old. having been in use for ten
years or more. He said that some OF
them were worn cut and would be con- |
demned, if it were possible to replace
them.
Attention was called to the appropria-
ton made By Congress for the mainte- |
nance OF the telephone and telegraph SER
vice of the District. Mr.. Allen declares
that it was impossible to buy a single new
patrol box with this appropriation, and so
far he said Congress had not seen fit to
appropriate any money to replace the |
boxes.
No Trouble With New Boxes.
Mr.. Allen said that there is no trouble |
with the boxes which have been installed
within the past few years. and out in
the Tenth precinct. where the apparatus
is new. there is no trouble. but in George
town and In the Third precinct. where |
some of the boxes are practically beyond
repair, there is Il good deal of trouble
Mr.. Allen thought that. taking all things |
into consideration. he was doing all that
should be expected Of him in keeping the
apparatus of the District in shape on S12.-
300 year. If the police patrol is de-
fectiye in any particular he thought il
was not his fault, but that of Congress in |
not providing the money needed to buy
new boxes.
Stops the Cough
and Works OF the Cold.
Laxative Bromo-Q Quinine Tablets n cold In |
one day. No cure, no pay. Prlce 25 cents. ]