Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-30
Action to Gust Lines Taken
After Report by Conn
missioner StrattOn.

Commissioner Matthias Stratton
took decided stand against the con-
| tinuance of the wire connection of
the American District Telegraph sys-
tenn, known as the A. D. T., with the
central alarm station in the City Hall
at meeting of the Fire Board yester-
day afternoon.
Mr.. Stratton explained to the board
that he had made an exhaustive study
of the situation as 1t applied to the
| A. ID. T., and besides satisfying him
self as to the unreliability of the sys-
tenn, its inability to make direct COM
munication with the city's alarm sys-
| tenn for quick transmission of an
alarm of fire, he took exception to
methods employed by agents of the
company in securing contracts. The
\ commissioner was well fortified with
information, and his statements were
SO pointed that his motion to the eff
feet that the A. D. T. remove its wire
from department headquarters was
carried by a unanimous vote of his
colleagues.
It was pointed out that an alarm
from an A. D. T. box in factory,
for instance, would first have to go
to the company's offices, where it Is
picked up and transmitted to fire
| headquarters, to be again picked up
| by the operators in the central sta
| ton, who would be required to consult
a chart to locate the city box to COR
respond before it could be sent out
to the department over the general
transmitter. The operators are almost
| invariably engaged in operating the
! a
come in. Hence confusion ensues, as
the department operators are required
| to give first attention to the system
owned and controlled by the city.
THAT the A. d. T. system is far
| from being in direct communication
with our regular alarm system de-
| spite any representations to the con-
trary is therefore evident" declared
Commissioners Stratton. I'm fact, there
are approximately four relays in the
handling of an alarm from this sys-
tenn, and If this doesn't mean delay
would like to know what 1t does mean
1t is all very nice to have direct com
munication with the Salvage Corps
and have the latter's automobile dash
ing through the streets without warn
ing long before the fire department
receives notice, but is that safety? Is
| 1t fire protection? The only direct
communication with our system is by
means of boxes authorized by the
| commissioners. l submit that where
persons abandon the use of private
fire alarm boxes on their premises and
substitute device not having direct
| communication with our central sta
ton, such persons are blind to their
own interests and are certainly not
keeping in mind the recognized idea
/ OF fire protection or even bene1ting
/ insurance companies
| Shows Resulting False Alarms.
Il have here a list containing about
100 alarms of fire." went on Mr.. STRAIT
ton, and twenty-four are false
alarms for which the A. d. It's sys-
tenn is responsible. / hold from those
facts and other information that the
system is not reliable. On an occa :
sion when street box on our own
| system was temporarily out of COM
mission and failed to work, these A
ID. I. people made a great splurge as
to the unreliability of our system
and put the matter in that light to
| their prospective customers. can
| go deeper into this subject of this
watchman-fire alarm proposition at
this time but will keep some am
munition in reserve
| Superintendent Adam Bosch, of the
| telegraph fire alarm branch OF the
!
tons statement and added: TT would
seem both unjust and nonsensical to
hold us responsible for the operations
of a system over which we have no
control. OF course, the A. d. T. has
no direct communication with our
system"
TT would be ridiculous to even at
tempt to argue that there is anything
like direct communication with our
fire alarm signal plant" remarked
Commissioner T. e. Burke, land the
only wonder is. that evel-headed
business men could be prevailed upon
to believe that there is a direct con-
nection."
Some people can be made to be-
lieve anything" said Commissioner
Frank Lagay.
1T surely seems so.' added Presi-
dent Weber.
A communication from the city