The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-08-13

IVA, pi SDolDu ~ N4-4CI oLdlL9NIN4--'i
William N. Steuart, Of the division Of
manufactures in the Bureau of the
Census. which will be issued early in
August 1t belongs to the series
treating of the third census of the
electrical industries of the United
States for the year 1907, and it states
that, for sending fire alarms and pc,
lice patrol signals, there were in that
year in the United States 1857 sys.
TENS, using 70,S12 miles of single wire
with 62,5O4 signaling stations. or box
es, giving 12O,719 fire alarms.
Of these 1857 systems, As were used
Interchangeable for fire alarms and
police patrol purposes, 931 for fire
alarms solely, and IFS for police sig
mailing only. It is observed that most
cities, whether large or small realize
the importance of quick communica-
ton with the fire department in case
of fire, and the equipment reported
was found to range from the simplest
form in small villages to the most elab-
crate systems in the larger cities.
Electric Fire Alarm Systems.
Electric fire alarm systems were
in use in 1907 in all but two kansas
City and st. Joheph. Mo- of the IS
cities with a population of over 100 .
600 in 1900; in all but one (Kansas
| City, Kans) of the 40 cities with
population of from $4,000 to 100000:
in all but three Quincy. H., and
Chester and Williamsport, Pa of the
/ 50 cities with between $4,000 and So
600 inhabitants: and in all but SO Of
the 2S1 cities with from 10000 to 2G,-
! 600 inhabitants. among them being
Fort Smith and Pine Bluff, Ark; Man
chester, Conn; Cairo, H.; jefferson
Vile Ind: Nuscatine. Iowa: Atchisol.
Galona, Leavenworth, and Lawrence,
Kans.; Alpena and Ann Arhor. Mich.
/ Natchez. Miss. Hannibal and Soda'ia
Mo-: Melville, y. J.: Dunlirk " Y:
Loraiu, Ohio: Beaver Falls. Butler
Columbia and Mt. Carmel. Pa; Grams
ton and Warwick. RI; Creanvilre and
Spartanburg. s. c.; Denis0n. Laredo
and Sherman, Tex; and Alexandria.
Va.
Five cities-Belleville and Calee-
ILL.,; Ashtabula, Ohio; Guthrie, Okla,
and Austin. Tex.-depended upon the
telephone as a means of reporting
fires. One system covers Bay City and
West Bay City, Mich. Kollomo, Ind.
was reported as then installing an III
to-date fire alarm system.
Thus 9O.5 per cent. of the cities
with a population of at least 10000
in 1900 were equipped with electric
fire alarm systems.
The systems devoted entirely to cleo
trio fire alarm signaling had 95,397
miles of single wire 40.S97 boxes o.
signaling stations, and 2,149 special
Itelerhones. During 1907 such sys-
tens reported 9G.516 fire alarms. The
lines used INTERCHANGEABLE for The two
purposes had q S97 miles of single
wire and received 24.2O9 fire alarms.
The mileage reported for police pa
troll signaling systems alone was 49,
ISIS. and the number of signaling ste.
lions was S.G94 The reports for 1907
show Al .9G1 $50 police calls. Of which
29.946.757 were telephone calls. OF
the IS cities with a population of 100
600 or over in 1900, So reported cleo
trio police patrol systems in 1907,
while So of the 40 cities with from
50 900 to 100000 inhabitants had such
systems.
A large proportion of the under
ground wire employed for fire alarm
and police signaling in the different
cities was reported for few cities the
distribution of such mileage for the
eight leading cities being as follows;
Philadelphia. 1921; Washington, 2.
C.. 1901: New York, ., $50; Chicago,
9O4: Boston. 1874; Cleveland, 1850;
Detroit. 1.1O5. and Milwaukee, 1907
Governmental TeIegraphs and Tele-
phones.
In detailing the telegraphic and tel
crhone operations Of the weather bu
rcau the bulletin states that during
the year 1907 it operated 1897 miles NJ
telegraph and telephone lines, includ-
ing about niuety-six miles of subma-
rine cable. At the end of the fiscal
wear 1907 the telegraph was being used
to supply $3.50 places with daily fore
casts 734 places with special warn
ings. and 5,99S places with emergency
warnings. all at the expense OF the
government. Through the service OF
governmental telegraphs, railroad
telegraphs, telephones, railroad trains
and mails, daily forecasts were being