The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-03
CITY FACES FIRE PERIL.
Alarm system Crippled IN All
Doreugh- Except Manhattan.

New York city faced Yesterday and will
face for several days what Is potentially
the greatest IRE peril for twenty-five
years, The IRE alarm system was dead
throughout the Borough OF Richmond
and snow and sleet had so afflicted the
system In Brooklyn and Queens that those
boroughs were practically without alarm
protection In The Bronx only 20 per
cent. or the system was reported as
rot responding. and in Manhattan con-
ditions with regard TO the alarm system
were nearly normal
Fortunately. as Fire Commissioner
Adamson pointed out the predicted cold
map did not come with the storm, and
during the day the number OF fires In
the greater city was less than normal.
No one about Fire Headquarters cared
to guess what might have happened had
the department had to cope with serious
blases. With the streets clogged with
snow. making early warning more than
ever necessary. the failure OF the alarm
system would have been much more seri-
Gus than II was.
chief kenlon and Commissioner Adam
con were In conference when the reports
OF the alarm system came in These
showed that Richmond was entirely on
uho Ore alarm map; that in Brooklyn 80
per cent Of the system was not work
Ing. that Queens was scarcely better OF
2 per cent OF Its service in The Bronx
ef5lciency had been cut down 20 per cent.
Dtg Problems for New Chief.
rhese reports came from Putnam A
Hates. the new chief Of the nre alarm
telegraph system. who took charge for the
INST time yesterday. II was a tough Job
for q new man to tackle. but Bates never
batted an eye. lie set TO work with the
vnatRYfall m hand and only after he
had Manhattan back on a 100 per cent.
basis. The Bronx situation well In hand
and all the available force Mt work In
brooklyn and Queens did he stop 10 say
q few things about the lack OF merit In
an antiQuated. overhead wire service for
q IRE department.
Commissioner Adamson alarmed by tho
conditions In Brooklyn Queens and The
Bronx, stopped all leave of absence in
the department. and learning that II might
be several days hefore conditions IN pars
OF tho city are Oormal sent out a squad
of nromen TO patrol az human flre alarms.
There were between $50 and 700 men In
the pstrolling squads 400 Of them having
the Job Of watching over Brooklyn. They
patrolled by company dtstricts much as
the polioe cover precinct pnsts
The plan Of going back to the methods
Of the New Amsterdam watch worked well
especially in Tho Bronx. whsre the Are
men on patrol duty Uncovered and put
out three nres without having to call fns
help.
Although Richmond borouGh was en-
tirely without an alarm system conditions
there were mt 90 bad beoavse Of lack OF
building congestion and the fact that under
normal conditions 80 par cent. of the
alarms 20 over the New York Telephone
C0npany'e wires. ......
Telephsae Wires FIJI Gaps.
In tact the Fire Dspartnsnt relied on
the telephone wires 70 all the gaps deft by
The patrollinG hpensn and Corhmiasionas
Adanaon awaited aasxiossly ths report q
Vkre condtttons dson tbs company. Whsl
= eane y wasn't ary. 40 rsaagwins
Wh1je thD company go ~ eenA1t1oaa
wGeS "1AlP fr tkuD Waa1hs = aA6ol
that N Bsnnkiyn l.Seo 49, - AsWN
that oueeGe AnA 5oot hoeU16o ~ -
$50. NiSkmoud 600 "a rho DUunB on00l
saa hmes. MenhAAtans Win ~ 49,,
Grasnd systsm. had no1 suffered IN
tsl6ehons 'ooppany hopsd = AAsp $500
GAreico BY 3husudAy. .is-s 81 &. ~ X tss D
,cesmtsstonsr Aaanssna ~ 80 ~
sa- = tAs ~ A'gas = !. = =