The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-04-23

cern to all property owners, and every
voter who will look into the subject VIII
discover that with reference to this par
ticular matter this village has fallen be-
hind the other large places in Vermont.
The gravity battery system has become
Anticipated for the reason that 1t cannot
be depended upon, and any system that
cannot be depended upon is an unsafe
system The gravity battery is liable to
weaken at any time, even when given the
most careful attention, and when that
happens the alarm is liable to strike
wrong and the department is liable to be
from the location of the fire, which has
happened here in Bratteboro. In fact,
the whole system may be put out OF COM
mission, as was done in January of this
year although few people knew about it,
There are several things which may
bring about weakening of the gravity
battery; among them the weather con-
ditions and impurities in the zines, cop
pers and vitriol although the materials are
it is sometimes impossible to detect the
weakening of the battery with the test
ing instruments. On the occasion in Jan
uary, above referred to, the galvanometer
| at the steamer house, which registers the
strength of the battery, indicated that
the strength was up to the required point,
| when it was really far below. Under
such circumstances it is easy to see that
the fire alarm superintendent is in much
the same position as man driving a
horse without reins or running steam
engine without knowing what the pres
sure is. These are some OF the reasons
why the gravity battery is being discard
ed all over the country.
In his report to the bailiffs, which will |
be printed in the annual financial exhibit |
of the village for distribution tomorrow,
Superintendent Brockington says: owe
have had experience with lightning storms
the system out of commission for about
two days and nights As it is, if the line
breaks in any part of the village the
whole system is out If it were cut into
three circuits and the line should break
we would still have the other two cir
cults in service by means of switches"
That shows, in nutshell, the advantage
of storage battery system. In order to
cut the present line into three circuits
storage battery system must be installed.
The cost would be but about $1,000, which
would include testing instruments which
would enable the superintendent to locate
any kind of trouble. Mr. Brockington
further says in his report: 81 would rec
ommend that sum not to exceed $1,000
be appropriated to change the present
one-circuit system into three circuits by
the installation of storage batteries, with
the three circuit board fully equipped
with all testing instruments, switches,
meters, resistance coils and lightning ar
resters."
Mr.. Brockington, as the members of the
FIRE department and all others who are in
position to know will affirm, has devot-
ID much time and efficient work toward
putting the fire alarm system in proper
condition, and it is now in as perfect con-
lition as it can be with the gravity bat
cries, the wires being good for Is years
# commission at any time.
The cost of storage battery system
you'd be divided substantially as follows:
$40 for the batteries and three circuit
witchboard fully equipped; $l25 for
rotor generator; $500 for line construc-
ion, including both materials and labor.
n this is included the cost of about 5000
eet of special rubber insulated wire and
half mile of covered iron wire. All the
verhead fire alarm wires in and near the
usness section of Main street would be
,ken down and placed underground in
uct reserved for municipal purposes in
lie conduit laid by the New England Tel
phone 4 Telegraph company few years
20.
As to the cost of maintenance Mr.. :
rockington. says in his report: The u
esent cost of maintenance, outside of II
ouble | cannot find with what l have to te
st with, is about $500 year. With the u
orage battery system the expense would :,
about S35 year. except that new %
ates would have to be furnished which SIP
ould cost about $50 every five years" ia
he cost of charging the storage batteries Tn
ould not be as much as it now costs for
1p1,f 10 La
ries in the basement of the steamer
,use.
Bellows Falls, Barre, Burlington, Mont
,lier, ST. Adams, Claremont, Keene and
reenfield have adopted the storage bat
ry system, and the fact that it is urged
+ Bratteboro by the superintendent, Su
e board of bailiffs and the chief en-
neer, as shown in their reports, is good
ason why the voters should take favor '
ne action upon the article In the war tn,
Mt. bla
More than year ago an expert exam ma
ed the Brattleboro fire alarm system ses
d reported to the baliffs One part of mi
5 report was as follows: "The old grav- pei
style which you have at present is I'M sifi
liable in a great many ways. For in the
lnce, you never know what the strength
the battery is upon the line, and it is an,
BILE to open at any time, leaving the Pre-
soehl cohhpletely OUT vi COMMISSION, ana mil
you know from experience this is bad ma
uation, as the fire alarm is one of the tina
,st important features connected with anc
Y village, town or city and should be the
in the best possible manner due
d be ready at all times in case of emer the
ncy, and storage battery is a great the
al better and more reliable than the sys- Civ
n you now have installed" wis
me
unt
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