The Somerset reporter., 1906-11-29
The Fire Alarm system

Previous to the town meeting held in
April last the Skowhegan Fire Alarm
System consisted of ten boxes or sta
tions, five on the north side and five on
the south side of the river, and one pri-
vate box at the station of the Electric
Light Co. on the Island, all connected
with the special whistle at the X. L.
Mitchell factory. At the meeting just
referred to it was voted to purchase
three additional boxes and an indicator,
80 called, the latter to be installed at
the fire department building go that, an
alarm being rung in from any number
would be registered there. thus advising
the fire department at once from which
box the alarm had been given. The
whistle Itself does this but it had been
found In practice that uncertainty would
sometimes exist az to the number of
blasts sounded by the whistle and it was
thought worth while to have the indi.
Gator to entirely obviate any delay from
this cause. The vote TO purchase and
install the three new boxes and the in
dicator was passed upon the recommen-
dation of the retiring board of corpora
ton assessors, the Village Corporation
terminating its existence at that time
and transferring its properties and
powers, the fire alarm system included.
to the town of Skowhegan.
The boxes and indicator we're receiv.
ed here in October. The indicator was
early put in place at the Fire Depart.
ment building and is serving the pur-
pose for which it was intended, but the
three new boxes, owing in part to some
divergence of opinion between the chief
of the Fire Department and the Select
men as to their mum bering and location,
and more particularly as to the advisibi.
lily of changes in the location of the
boxes already in place, have not as yet
become part of the system. Some of
the new boxes have been put in position
and connected and some of the old boxes
have been moved to new locations. As
the result of these changes all old lists
of numbers have been rendered valueess
and in case of an alarm a property
owner would not be able to tell, from
the number blown, whether the fire was
near his property or not. Not the least
important purpose of the fire alarm
ia to advise citizens of the location of
the fire and the disorganization of the
system and the seemingly unneces-
sary delay in its readjustment is,
to say the least, undesirable. 1t is to be
presumed that the chief of the depart
ment and the foremen of the different
companies may have kept track of the
changes as they have been made, and
would be able, in case of an alarm, TO
tell the location of the box from which
it had been given, but it would not seem
possible that the members of the de
partment, aside from the officers, could
fully understand about it and the aver
age citizen must certainly have been
entirely in the dark with regard to the
location of any fire that might have
occurred In the past few weeks.
At first thought the reason for chang
ing the number of a box in any given
location will not be apparent, and, in
deed, there is considerable objection to
these changes on ground that the public
and the department will have to famil-
iarize themselves with the new numbers.
The reason ia given that, as the system
has grown from three to thirteen boxes,
the original plan of having the lower or
smaller numbers nearest the station, the
usual rule in all cities where like sys-
TENS are in use, has become disarranged
an6 that it ia advisable at this time to
renumber on this system which Is the
best known. The result will be the
cause of little uncertainty at first but
better ultimate results may justify it.
Those in au hority think so or they
would not have ordered the change.
The state of the fire alarm system as
herein commented upon has been known
to the REPORTER for the past five weeks,
but, upon assurance from time to time
that it would be remeded, we have not
thought it necessary to give publicity to
it, At the present time, however, as
the conditions stated above still con
tinue in view of the fact that the in
stallation of the boxes and their renum-
boring should not have consumed moro
than a week, we feel that our citizens
are entitled to know just the, state of af
fairs All must realize the importance
of having and keeping the system in
working order at all times.
His Last Name.
A gentleman once asked a lad what
was his last name.
Johnny" replied the boy.
"Well, what is your full namep
"Johnny Brown, sir"
"Well, how can Johnny be your last
hameY
Because, sir, when | was born my
homa Uac Brown and Johnny wasn't