The Cairo bulletin., 1914-06-23
POLICE ALARM
SYSTEM PROVES
GREAT SUCCESS
More Effectual Than Old Way of
Calling by the Tele-
phone.
BOXES RENTED TO
CITY AT SMALL COST
Permits Checking Up On Every
Patrolmen Duling Time on
Duty

When the new rcliCe alarm system
Was Installed last octt Der, many eX-
pressons of doubt as to its effective
ness were b aari some predicted
failure. and declared that the new
systew would not be rs effective as
the o.: merhot ~ which the police
Cal'ed in frCm any telephone which
was most convenient.
The system has now been tested
fc? nine enths and fouLd more
,than adequate The system forms an
shaos' in gcnetrable net, and a crimi-
nal or ether offender, must have
good start in order to eyade th2
clutches of the law, once the signal
lights of the system start flashing
There are Is boxes, ana these are
80 dis tributed that no matter at
What part of the clty policeman II
ituated. he is able to see at least
one of the lights, provided they are
lall flashing. Each box Is on an in
dependent line, and all the termi-
nals are located on a section OF 4
switchboard in the office of the Home
Telephone Co., which owns the sys-
ten. The I'alt' arc then carried
over the wire, direct to police head
quarters over a private line used only
for that purpose.
Any number or all of the boxes
can be lighted at one time, All As
I the boxes can be lighted within
Two minutes. Formerly the rnlica
reported from any telephone which
vas convenient, but now all reports
are made from these boxes.
rha system which was installed
October l cost the telephone COM
many $@00C. The boxes are rented to
the CITY.
1t would cost the city $4,000 to in
stall a fire and pohre system. Tho
maintenance would amount TO the
same as ii is now paying the tnle-
phone company for rent With the
present system, the city is getting
'recisely the same service with the
exception of the fire alarm drcHs.
The eftioac" of the system was
shown a month ago. Every box was
lighted. and within fifteen minutes
every policeman in Cairo had renort.
ed to police headquarters.
Each box has a l10 volt electric
urrent, tho lamps being operated
by RELAYS. There arc two scJs 2f
S"elays. one on the telephone circuit
nd ohe on tie liehting circi.. In
rder to light the box, the operator
rings on the line just as If she were
'ihgin" on a telephone line. Tho
aectrlc relay is pulled up and re-
Gains so until the telephone is an
swered.
report is now made of all the
'alls from all the foxes. THIS gors
o tho police department. where it
s checked up with the police rc.
D0rt.
The lichts on the boxes can be dis
nctly seen at a distance of i
locks, The light of a 1G candle
bower lamp is spread through three
.
fred, magnifying bulls eyes, and the
amps are placed, as a rule. about
two blocks apart. The first is at the
'orner OF the Illinois Central pass
enGer depot, The last is at the sub
way,
There arc few cities of cvnn "a, ,Gnh
population which can beast of such
a system Paducah is one of the
hmallest cities which possess such
an apparatus, it having the police
and Ire system. hut Paducah g
about twice the size of Cairo.
In addition to the difficulty which
criminals find in trying TO escape. il
gives the police department an abso
iu'e check upon its patrolmen.