The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-20
New Fire Alarm Boxes Installed
on Kansas Avenue.
Break the Glass, Turn Key,
Open Door and Pull Hook.
BEST IN CITY HISTORY
Fire Alarm System i'm Topeka
Was Never Better.
Santa Fe Service Has Been Di-
vided Between Two Stations.

| When you smell burning pine, see
smoke issuing from places that were
not built for it. and when you see red
| flames in any other place than d stove
or an enclosed light, don't yell fire -
J lose your head and throw away your
| hat.
| Just look up the street until you see
a little red box attached to a pole and
| make a dash for it. When you arrive
| on the spot stick your fist through the
glass, turn the key, open the door, pull
| the hook-and sit down and watch the
results.
The results will be any number of fire
companies. racing. painting horses.
changing whanging gongs and big
steaming. frothing, fire engines-just
| like the moving pictures. AS far as the
| rest of the story is concerned-leaye
that to the newspaper reporters who
are supposed to be on the job whether
they have on their ''Every-night- OTTO
Gallon your girl clothes whether
they are looking in the furniture win
dow with their "would-be" and will
have t-once."
In other words Chief G. o. Wilmarth
| a number of Kansas avenue corners
modern up-to-date fire alarm boxes.
They are of the "break-the-glass" va
riety and do not require a key as the
old style boxes now in use in the ouc-
lying districts in the city.
Chief Wilmarth has always kept To-
peka in a good fire protection condition
with SO fire alarm boxes all over the
city. However, all of these boxes have
been of the hunt-the-key style. From
five to fifteen keys, all numbered and
recorded, were kept in houses and
stores nearest the fire alarm boxes and
an alarm could be sent in by calling for
the key. After you had once turned
the key and pulled the hook the results
were just as quick and efficient but 1t
took a little longer to hunt the key.
Chief Wilmarth has stationed three
of these new boxes on three of the i'm
portant corners on Kansas aVenue-one
at Eighth and Kansas avenues just
across the sidewalk from the State
Journal building. Another at Sixth
and Kansas avenue and the other down
near the wholesale district-Crane and
Kansas avenue. These boxes are all OF
the new style break-the-glass type. 1t
is but question of time until more Of
these boxes are stationed over the city.
Other New Alarm Boxes.
With these new boxes Chief Will
marth has installed eleven others in
different sections of the city making
in all 81 alarm boxes on the Game
well system in this city. This gives
the fire department the best alarm
service in the history of Topeka. Be
sides the boxes, there are the Western
Union alarms, the telephone alarms,
the private building alarms, the Santa
Fe boxes and others. There is very
little excuse for not turning in a quick
alarm at the discovery of fire with
such a system covering the entire Sys-
tenn
The city really does not need the
break glass alarm boxes in the
residence portions at this time. 1t
has been found by other cities that
these alarms were the cause of many
false calls. Small boys, and vandals
find great fun in watching the fire
companies respond, and with the key
system now in effect it is a hard mat
ter to play joke on the f1remen with
out being found out.
The fire department has a system of
tracing down the cause of every alarm
from fire alarm boxes. When a per-
son secures key the number of the
key and the name of the person is
kept on the records in the lock and
cannot be released until the officer in
charge of the companies responding
releases it with his trap key" This
gives him the chance to get the num-
Der of the KEY and trace the alarm.
Chief Wilmarth has also divided the
work between the new station near
the Santa Fe shops-station No. sand
station No. 8. Hereafter No. will
respond to all Santa Fe box alarms
from the boi1ershop, the machine
shop, the new power house, the black
smith shop, the coach planning MILL
the paint shop. the coach shop, the
plating shop the coach planning mill,
the handcar shop, the storehouse, the
pumphouse, the brass foundry, the
water service, the Branner street lum-
Der yard, the freight planning mill,
and the freight car shops.
Companies from station No. will
respond to still box alarms from the
pattern shop, the round house, the
freight depot, the passenger depot,
the Sixth street round house, the Sixth
street lumber yard, and unclaimed
freight house.
This gives the fire department
complete blanket fire franchise over
to- 1,A 11rcf 81,
It has been in the history of Topeka.
But don't forget to break the glass