New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-03
THE WATCHMAN INDISPENSABLE.

Authorities however they may differ on other
matters pertaining to fire safeguards. unit
this one point, that the watchman's services can
not be dispensed with. for they afford the best of
all fire protection.
Most mercantile structures are deserted at night,
and therefore. in them the hired Waterman is a
cessity his periodic visits all parts of them
bic him TO discover dangerous conditions to prevent
the breaking out Of fire, in most cases. to put it
out in its incpiency, should it occur to set in
motion the artificial of summoning timely
assistance from outside, should it get beyond his
control, But the Waterman. being only human.
himself needs watcher, that he may not falter in
his dreary and monotonous task; and to that end
the watchmans clock was invented.
]. s. Morse, the pioneer, in this country, of the
electrical watchman's clock says
The prototype of the watchman's clock was
watch shaped pocket device ntroduced here in the
early hftles-which was carried around with nm by
the watchman. who made his record by winding
at each station visited AS these keys were readily
duplicated, a dishonest Waterman could go to the
could not be disputed
In 1882 the electrical watchman's clock was in
trodUced This. which is placed in the office. has
a recording dial, and is electrically connected with
without discovery. and it, secures the continuous
presence of the watchman in the building This
system, which is operated by an electric battery.
has been greatly improved by the Introduction OF
The National Board of Fire Insurance Under
reaches its maximum IN three years, to establish
the magnetic system the full discount Immediately.
ELECTRICAL WATCHNIAN'S CLOCK.
This is in general use, having almost entirely
superseded its prototype the pocket watch. The
downfall Of the latter was foreshadowed when in
1892. the American Watchmans Time Detector
Company-No 234 Broadway. and factory, in this
city-was organized The many other systems use
various notifications OF the apparatus and methods
then introduced which, with the improvements
since devised, may be briefly described thus: The
recording dal-paper-has upon its face as many
circles as there are stations to be visited these
circles carrying the numbers of the stations, in
rotation. beginning at the outer edge of the dial
The circles are crossed by ecui-distant lines ra-
dating from centre of dial to periphery, and di-
viding the twelve hours into Intervals OF ten min
When watchrnen visit these stations-eectri-
caly connected by insulated wires with detector
lin office, the dial Of which revolves time, by
clock movement-rhey operate each in turn. and
its correspondent needle, piercing the dial. makes
an inexpungable and indisputable record OF thelr
The value of this system is strikingly shown by
the fact-vouched for by the company--that It has
never had fire where its clocks were in use, eX-
cept from outside.
This company is said 70 have supplied quite one
fourth Of the electrical watchman's clocks IN use
to-day. Such hotels the Waldorf; railroads as
Street Exchange commercial edifceS. as the Stock
Exchange; banking houses, as Brown Bros. great
department stores Wananaker's; public IN
stitutions as Mount Sinai Hospital. and theatres,
| as fair examples of the important con-
Germs which its system.