The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-04-18


men, who purchased II. All of the books
have been returned to the volunteers
headquarters. An effort will be made
TO have n new library started and the
bookcases that held the books VIII In
the meantime be used for specimens
and curios,
Believe in Physical Culture.
The men OF the department are al
most without exception believers In
physical culture, and they all take great
interest In the work In the gymnasium.
Up TO the present time they have been
handicapped in this regard owing to the
lack OF sufficient and proper gymnasium
apparatus. The Chief is endeavoring to
supply this need and considerable APP
paratus has already been secured for
the gymnasium at No ! station and as
fast as possible the other stations Will
be equipped.
Fire Alarm Office
Chief Vail has ever since he came
into office been hard at work on the
plans for new fire alarm office The
Fire committee OF the CITY Council has
authorized him to make the changes as
suggested by himself, and the work Is
now In the hands Of the Rocky Noun
tain Bell Telephone company. a de-
scriptlon OF the present system will
make II palmer TO the layman who does
not understand the fire alarm system
and shows the great advantage the
method about to be installed by Chief
Vail viii have over that now in use.
Where Located Now.
The fire alarm station is at the pres
ent time located on the ground floor of
Station No. l. 1t has always been the
custom to have the men take their turn
In standing shift in the alarm office. If
1t happened to be driver who was on
shift when an alarm came In he. OF
course, had TO run TO his team as soon
as he had pushed the alarm button, and
then the Chief or his assistant or who
ever was detailed TO the duty would
have to reach the telephone and get the
location of the fire. AT times II has been
almost an lmpossibility to hear over the
phone the location Of the fire on ac-
count or the great din and confusion
being caused by stamping horses and
shouting men.
Under New Deal.
Under the new arrangement there will
be one man on day shift and one on
night shift, whose sole duty Il VIII be
TO receive the alarms. and who VIII not
have TO go out OF the station on any
apparatus. This operator will receive
the location OF the fire before he punches
the alarm button at all and when the
teams are hitchcd he will be all ready
TO announce IL through the megaphone
mus saving In time VIII be gained the
value of which cannot be estimated.
Will Have One Switchboard
This much for the method of receiv-
Ing the alarm. The most Importnnt
change VIII be In moving the alarm Of
fee from the first floor 70 the second
into the room that was formerly the
library. The Rocky Mountain Bell
Telephone company Is now building
switchboard that will contain at one
end the Bell phones. at the other end
the Independent phone and In the CEN
ter the Police department switch board.
The arrangement OF this switchboard
VIII be similar to that In any telephone
central office. and the operator VIII nor
have to move from his seat to receive
and announce the alarm to the nppa-
ratus below.
Will Save Time.
speaking tube Will be connected
with the switch board which viii rnn
to the position occupied by the CAPTAIN
OF either the chemical engine or the
nose wagon. The operator viii an
houhce the location OF the fire to the
captain and he In tum VIII announce
It TO the entire department. This WIN
not only Insure a saving In time but
VIII do away with any possibility of
any mistake being made In the location
OF the fir.
Benefits Police Department,
The Police department VIII also be
greatly benefited by this change Al
the present time there are four teIe-
Phones In the police headquarters. the
beii phone. the Independent, tho
ponce call line connected with eleven
police call boxes in different parts of
the city and the private line connectiSe
with the jail and the patrol wagon
driver.
As It Is Now.
Patrolmen on duty are required RI ra-
port to headquarters every hour. as
near the half hour as possible AT
tmes under the present arrangements
the desk sergeant at the station win
have both the public phones ringing at
once, and at the same time the polIce
call line VIII be ringing and perhaps
he VIII be trying to book a drunk ar
the same time, thus not only working
a hardship on the sergeant. but being
detrimental to the service
Under New Advancement
When the new switchboard "a In
stalled at the frst station the operator
In cnarge VIII receive all the reports
OF policemen and enter them on tho re
port sheet, which VIII be turned over
to the Chief of Police each morning,
In case Of a call for tho patrol wagon
or an officer the operator will ImnedI-
ately connect with the desk sergeant at
police headquarters, and he VIII take
care of the case.
Wires Underground
Another piece of work that Chief Vail
assures The Tribune will be done in tbo
near future is the removing of all the
city wires from the poles I'm the bust
ness district and placing them under
ground All the wires belonging to the
telephone and telegraph companies are
now underground and the cities wires
are the only ones left that require the
high poles TO be left in the middle OF
the streets. AS soon as this Is accom-
plished the high poles on which the
fire alarm wires are strung VIII be re-