The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-02-17
EHRE ALARM SYSTEM
THAT SPELLS REVOLUTION

WoAS UAc III Aue dldIu meLQOQS. 1t is
40 tan experiment, but a complete
and operating success. The fact thar
o. G. Reid. the Rock Island Rail-
road magnate, is in control of the
aew plan evidences its stability.
The new system is styled the All,
alarm. Its basis consists of a small
nollow wire of copper alloy. one
eighth of an inch in diameter, and
containing a tiny insulated wire.
The hollow wire acts as con-
auctor for the air whose expansion
causes fire alarm to sound. The
siny wire i, known AS the trouble
wire. If Tor any reason the hollow
wire is cut or broken, the result Is
chat an electric cirucuit is also brok-
gu. which causes the little wire to
send a 'trouble alarm" to headouar-
sers of the alarm company. Fire
headquarters hears nothing, unless
there happens to be real fire at the
time the wire breaks, or is cut.
Loops of this inconspicuous hol-
tow wire are strung around the cell
ing or carefully concealed behind
the moulding Of the rooms, houses
end buildings to be protected. the
loops ending in detector, which
consists principally of a disc, con-
aaining a delicate diaphragm.
If a fire starts in the room the air
On the hollow wire tube expands I'M
der the influence of the heat and
operates sensitive diaphragm in
che detector, causing it to close an
electrical circuit which sets in OPP
grafton all the marvellous fire ma
ctinery.
All the older systems are held
largely defective, due to the use of
what is known as a thermostat,
placed at intervals on the ceiling.
Vhese are constantly exposed to the
effects of the air and the electrical
contacts become oxidized, or clogged
with dust, and when needed fail to
operate at all, or only after a raging
dire is in full blast.
Briefly, the new system scores its
main success in the principle that the
pest way to solve the great fire haz-
ard problem of the day is to deal
with incipient fires instead of with
eonflagrations.
The new system gives an almost
instantaneous alarm. If a pair or
curtains catch fire, or even a news
paper, an effective alarm is given
within ten to forty seconds. More
over, another alarm is rung on a
COX outside of the building, which
slso indicates the exact location of
che fire. Thence the alarm goes on
and directly into the fire headquar-
aers, where the exact location is
elso announced.
From beginning to end the system
"a altogether automatic. This elm
eUatiOn of the human element also
eliminates the danger of error
1t might well be imagined that so
sensitive mechanism would be also
affected by ordinary changes of tenn
oerature, as for instance, from steam
neat or a cooking stove. But the
fetector is influenced, not merely by
the presence of heat, but rather by
the sudden rise of heat within a
dxed period of time.
For instance, the thermostats now
commonly used to give fire alarms
are only affected by extreme de-
srees of heat, say $50 deg. F. The
aew system would work just the
came if fire started in a room the
temperature Of which was zero. An
encipient' fire is accompanied by a
certain rapid rise in temperature,
which the national board of under
writer's puts at only four degrees
ger minute. The new system works
only on this rapid rise principle
1t is also fool and mistchief-proof.
IL the hollow wires are injured. ac-
c1dentally or otherwise, the fact is
Immediately indicated, not at Fire
Headquarters, but at the office of
the company. No false alarms are
possible.
Because of its instantaneous alarm
and complete efficiency it is claimed
that the new system will practically
DO away with the horrors of incen-
diarism, so common in the tenement
districts of large cities.
The system in it's entirety is the
product of the minds of staff of
engineering specialists in this field.
The patents, over two hundred in
ell, are owned by the International
electric Protection company, at us
Broadway, New York. The presi-
dent of the company is Robert Wal
ter, also president of the holding
company of the Rock Island system.
D. G. Reid, long prominent in