Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-04
fire ALARM.
System to Be Changed
to Three Circuits.
viii Be Much Better Than In
Its Present Form.
Plans Completed, and Work Will
Commence at Once.

IL VIII be remembered that at the
last regular meeting of the City Coun-
eli, III" mayor and chief engineer of
the fire department we're authorized
to negotiate With the GamcWell Fire
Alarm Telegraph 90. with 4 Wow to
securing an Improvement III the city-~
present system of fire alarm.
The system now consists D. about
Is miles Of Wire ana all on un- circuit.
50 that il 4 break occurs til" entire
system il thrown out The di-advan-
tag" ot tho Siagle-circuit system can
be easily seen in the trouhl" that is
thus CauSct; aud in tho tim. mat is
required in order that the break NAV
be located and rrnairch as sometimes
tn" entire system: hH$ Ia be gene over
before the Source OF the trrubl. can DO
found.
II WAS with a view of rbvialing thi.;
trouble thar the matter was taken M
by Tie Council and placed in the
bands Of tho two officials mentioned
above. and the decision reached is tina.
OF dividing the fire alarm system intr
three circuits. IWo of which will he On
the west side Of the river and one on
the east side,
in connection with tha ;tbnvr plan an
agent 81 the GunlcWrlI Go. visi.,I Atl-
c'IStI and looked over the present
system III order to sec what was nene5-
sary 70 be done il, order - change
over the system to one OF three cir
cults and also to furnish an estimate
as 10 what the work would cosi.
A reply has been received which
81. l,.,t -, ~.
board, which is a single circuit board,
the company viii make It Il tnrec-clr-
cult board, it being understood that
the city bring tWD loops from I;lo west
side OF the river TO City hall, leaving
two circuits Oh the west side of the
river and one on the east siur
Changing til" buarl over t. Lake il
all right in rvery particular, Will
ncceSst:tte two charging switches, 4.
milli-aInm"ter. ground tests, three sets
Of testing switches, three line rheo-
stats, three anmetcr switches. re
pe&ter SW itchcs. ~ cells new battery
including jar. fixing over the battery
rack. taking out the old racks, clean
ing and repainting them. and in fact
putting the system in first Glass con-
dition to operate on thrce circuits.
The company offers to make q new
battery complete and have the board
arranged 10 take care Of three circuits
ana also arranged 50 that any one OF
the circuits can be cut out, leaving the
others III circuit. also to clean up the
back Of the board. re-Wirc what is
necessary, and take off all the loose
wires that arc now hanging On the
wall. and il short to leave the system
in frSt-class working condition, for
$40.
Speaking # the matter last evening
Mayor PlaiStcd said that the work on
changing over the system would be
commenced at once. That the change
will be advantageous there is no doubt,
not Only from an economical stand
point but otherwise. W hon in the past
tho circuit has been broken from one
cause or another it has sometimes TAX
en- two or thr"" days to locate tn"
break and make the necessary repairs
whereas had the System been divided
into circuits. tho break would have
been much more easily located. and in
addition TO that, if one circuit were
disabled tn" others would still have
been in working order.