FIRE PREVENTION IN WELLINGTON. SOME VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1899, Page 6

FIRE PREVENTION IN WELLINGTON. SOME VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS.

The Superintendent of Electric Lines in New Zealand (Mr. J. K. Logan) has forwarded to the Wellington City Council a copy of a letter which Mr. O. A. Junck, of the Electrical and Engineering Branch df the General Post Office, Melbourne, has addressed to the Premier of New Zealand. Mr. Junck's attention has apparently been caught by the circumstances of the disastrous fire at the Royal Oak Hotel. After enlarging upon the importance of obtaining the earliest possible intelligence of the outbreak of fire, he proceeds :—: — Although there are many types of fire alarms^ there are indeed very few good reliable ones. Most of the known systems, such as the open circuit, Stuart's Glasgow " Siemens," London and Berlin, Bright's "London," and other single line systems have all proved weak and consequently unreliable at some point of their respective system. The American fire authorities and their . electricians have, during the past few years, experimented largely, with the gratifying result of having obtained what is considered the most perfect system in use. It is known as the "circuit system," The system is unquestionably .el'abie and economical. It has, in the following modified foi*m, been adopted in Melbourne by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and the Post and Telegraph Department. The wires or circuits are so arranged that any number of alarm points can be fixed ir series on a single line. Each alarm point or station is equipped with an automatic fire telegraph telephone apparatus. >i:iy apparatus on any line when operated upon by breaking the glass and pressing the I utton, is set in motion, and records its a ,xact position on an indicator-dial at the headstation. Telephones are fixed at every second or third point of each circuit, and are intended for the use of the fireman lor calling for further assistance, appliance, etc,, also for their daily testing purposes. The police are also furnished with keys of the street alarm boxes, which have proved to be invaluable agents in cases ot bi.iglaries, accidents, etc. This popular convenience is highly appreciated by the local police. In Chicago, the police sent no less than 5,395,693 messages, reports, «jtc, over their system during the year 1897. This modified American system has prov}ed so highly satisfactory in Melbourne that the Metropolitan Fire Board, who already possess 73 circuits, having 185 fire alarms and 107 fire alarms and telephones, are further extending the system in different directions. The Post and Telegraph Department and the Fire Board- work hand in hand in extending the fire alarms, with the result that a most efficient service now prevails in the city — in fact, it may be compared for simplicity and efficiency with the Melbourne tram system. Should the proper authorities charged with controlling the fire brigades of your chief cities decide upon introducing fire alarms, it ought certainly to be their duty to instal the most efficient system. The modified form of the American circuit system, as used here, is unquestionably the best in Australasia. It would admirably suit such places as Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin. It would or could to a large extent be made self-supporting if houses of amusement, coffee palaces, hotels, warehouses and manufactories, etc. were looped into the circuits. In Melbourne both the Postal Department and the Fire Board obtain a fair amount of revemie from fire alarms fixed j in private establishments, by charging £2 per point per annum. The Department has at present over a dozen orders for fire alarms for factories, breweries, etc. All the instruments used in connection with our fire alarm system are manufactured in Melbourne, and are supplied at a moderate price. For some years I have been closely identified with the fire alarm question, and as a member of the electrical and engineering staff of the Victorian Post and Telegraph

Department, I havt* had exceptional facilities for furthering and improving lin* alarms. I haA'o supervised the installing of fire alarms at Government House, tiovernment offices, railway stations, several drillsheds, warehouses, factories, etc., and am uoav engaged in fixing alarms at tho Rxhibitiou Buildings and Government Printing Office and other places. I have quite recently arranged ti complote plan of about 40 points for the hcav Fire Station at Bendigo. This installation will consist of six circuits, totalling about 24 miles of wire, Avith combined fire alarm and telephone switchboard, indicator-dial relays, electric bells, etc., etc., and Avhidt is to be completed by March, 1899, and from which the Postal Department will receive about £130 per annum in rental. Under the circuit system the country Fire Board •will- effect a considerable saving in Bendigo, as tho 40 fire alarms Avill be arranged on six Avires or circuits, Avhereas under nearly every other system each of the 40 points Avould require a separate Avire varying from a quarter to four miles. I have also been closely identified Avith the fire alarm question in Ballarat, where 1 remodelled and improved the fire alarms in 1891, in compliance. Avith a request of Captain W. H. Hennah, Chief of the Ballarat Fire Brigades, but iioav of Wellington, and, I believe, connected with the Government service. I haA'e quite recently received a mass of information from the Fire Departments of several American cities. The report of the Chicago Fire Department for 1897 slioavs that there are 86 officers connected with the electricity department, that they have 1248 fire alarms and 3564 miles of Avire for the service, and over Avhich there Avere transmitted 6599 alarms for the year. In New York there are 2470 points from Avhich alarms can be sent. The grand total number of messages that were sent over the system amoiinted to over 10,704. Other cities of less importance show a corresponding degree of importance. In placing this information before you, sir, I am not actuated by motives of trade, but my object is purely to disseminate information re a subject that ought to be better known and appreciated, and if in the near future I can assist the cause by any explanation, plans, diagrams, etc., 1. shall be most happy to do so. — I am, etc., O. A. Junck.