The REGISTER. Newsletter of The Union Historical Fire Society

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The REGISTER JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013 Issue 145 Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. www.unionhistoricalfiresociety.

1 The REGISTER JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2013 Issue 145 Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. Newsletter of The Union Historical Fire Society Warmest wishes for a happy Holiday Season and a happy and prosperous New Year NEXT MEETING OF THE UNION HISTORICAL FIRE SOCIETY WILL BE HELD AT: Norris Hose Company, Norristown, PA Sunday, January 13th, 2013, 10:00 a.m. The next regular meeting of the Union Historical Fire Society will take place at Norris Hose Company, located at 621 Dekalb Street, Norristown, PA Directions: Take I-476 to exit #18 Norristown, merge onto E. Ridge Pike (which turns into E. Main St.) for 2 1/2 miles. Turn right onto Dekalb Street and travel 0.3 miles and the firehouse is located on left side at E. Chestnut Street. Important Notice: President Joe Landy has gotten permission from CVS Pharmacy to use their parking lot for parking for our meeting. Members wishing to park their vehicle in the lot must have a parking If you need additional directions, please phone: Please join us for refreshments prior to the meeting, followed by the bimonthly regular meeting. After our meeting, there will be lunch. Members are welcome to bring along a guest, and newcomers are welcome. For GPS use: 621 Dekalb Street, Norristown, PA Norris Hose Company

Gamewell Fire Alarm Boxes In the early days of firefighting, the volunteer firefighter was alerted by the church bells by day and the Town Watch by night.

night. Between 1837 and 1842, Samuel Morse invented and perfected the telegraph and the shorthand known as Morse code. In 1852, Dr.

Channing saw this system installed in Boston in 1852, employing 39 boxes. In 1854, Channing and Farmer applied for and received a patent for the Electromagnetic Fire Alarm Telegraph for Cities.

2 Gamewell Fire Alarm Boxes In the early days of firefighting, the volunteer firefighter was alerted by the church bells by day and the Town Watch by night. Later, most towns began using the tower bells of their firehouses to alert the firefighters, and larger cities began placing watchmen in these towers to search for smoke during the day and flames at night. Between 1837 and 1842, Samuel Morse invented and perfected the telegraph and the shorthand known as Morse code. In 1852, Dr. William Channing and Moses Farmer developed the first fire alarm system using the telegraph wires to pinpoint the location of the fire and to communicate the fire alarm based on the Morse code. Channing saw this system installed in Boston in 1852, employing 39 boxes. In 1854, Channing and Farmer applied for and received a patent for the Electromagnetic Fire Alarm Telegraph for Cities. A year later, John Nelson Gamewell, a South Carolina telegraph agent and postmaster, attended a lecture on the Fire Alarm Telegraph given by Dr. Channing at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Gamewell purchased the rights to market the Fire Alarm Telegraph in the South and Southwest United States in The Channing system was soon installed in other cities: Philadelphia installed the system in 1855, St. Louis in 1858, and New Orleans, Baltimore, and New York in In 1859, Gamewell purchased the total rights to the Channing and Farmer Fire Alarm Telegraph. After the Civil War ended, the U.S. Government seized the Fire Alarm Telegraph patents and auctioned them off in John Kennard of Boston purchased the Fire Alarm Telegraph patents in 1867 and returned them to John Gamewell. Kennard and Gamewell formed a partnership, establishing Kennard and Company in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts to manufacture the fire alarm systems. In 1879, John Gamewell formed the Gamewell Fire Alarm Telegraph Company and registered the fist holding several lightning bolts as the trademark for the company. By 1886, Gamewell systems were installed in 250 cities across the United States and Canada. By 1890, this number had doubled to 500 cities. Gamewell opened a new factory that same year in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts. As of 1910, Gamewell held a 95% market share. The first red boxes on the corner were of the turn handle type; with this type of box, the user turned a crank, rotating a notched wheel, which opened and closed the telegraphic circuit. This crude arrangement was replaced by a spring-driven clockwork mechanism that drove the notched code wheel when activated by a pull lever. Unfortunately, if the person sounding the alarm panicked and pulled the lever more than once, an inaccurate alarm would result. Because of this problem, instructions were placed on the boxes: Pull handle down once, then let go. These instructions remain today. To more effectively handle the problem of interference, a non-interfering pull mechanism was developed. Known as the Gardiner non-interference patent, this device was designed to disable other boxes on the circuit when one box was activated, preventing other boxes from blocking or jumbling the transmission. In 1889, the Ruddick mechanism was introduced to prevent alarms from a second or a succeeding box from being lost. Known as the Ruddick successive box movement, this device would idle the succeeding alarms for a couple of rounds until the first alarm was transmitted. The succeeding alarm would then transmit. 5

3 Gamewell Fire Alarm Boxes continue from page 5 Because overhead and underground wiring was so undependable, C.E. Beach developed a method to allow boxes to continue to transmit despite breaks in a single wire by automatically transmitting over the remaining wire and a ground through the earth. He was granted a patent in 1902 for this device. This device gave rise to the three-fold box, which featured: non-interfering pull, quick-succession non-interference, and automatic grounding. The next development was the Cole Keyguard Box. These alarm boxes were locked and the keys were given to policemen, responsible citizens, or kept on the side of the box. This box was followed by the T880 Half Glass box, carrying the instructions: Break glass, Pull handle down once, Let go. In 1922, the Quick Action door replaced this style. Gamewell-FCI s History 1852 In Boston, MA, Dr. William Channing and Moses Farmer United States and in to Canada panel Westwood, MA Edition approval. 6

Help is Needed The East Whiteland Volunteer Fire Association is looking for their old 1954 Autocar with Harvick body.

Robert Linke was a member of the Union Historical Fire Society. We currently are looking for the location of our old truck; we have a couple members interested in buying it back.

4 Help is Needed The East Whiteland Volunteer Fire Association is looking for their old 1954 Autocar with Harvick body. The truck was last painted from red to yellow when it was sold to Atglen Fire Company in Chester County. The truck was then sold to the late Robert Linke, in Richland Township, Bucks County. Robert Linke was a member of the Union Historical Fire Society. We currently are looking for the location of our old truck; we have a couple members interested in buying it back. If you know the whereabouts of the truck or know w h o w e c a n c o n t a c t, p l e a s e c o n t a c t : Tom Obert-Thorn at: Limited Edition Tee Shirt The Union Historical Fire Society is selling the to Union Historical Fire Society, Tee Shirt Accepting Advertising The Union Historical Fire Society is accepting advertising for the bimonthly newsletter. The ad will be circulated to our membership, which numbers at over 300 in numerous states and Canada. The ad will also be added to our website edition, which averages 400 hits per week. The advertising rates are as follows: Business card ad size 3 1/2" x 2", $25 per issue, $125 annually, Quarter page ad size 3 5/8" x 4 3/4", $60 per issue. If you are interested in placing an ad, please contact the editor: or by phone at:

5 Union Historical Fire Society Delaware Valley Chapter S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. The Union Historical Fire Society website The REGISTER Newsletter editor 2013 Officers President... Joe Landy Vice President... Robert Zulinski Corresponding Secretary... Chris Straub Membership Secretary... Mike Kush Treasurer... Craig Glass, Jr. Sergeant at Arms... Mike Parks Director... John Lambing, Jr. Director... Mel Shapiro Director... Ken Snyder Director... Kelley Straub Up Coming Events February 13-16, 2013 (Wed - Sat) Jacksonville, Florida National SPAAMFAA 2013 Winter Conference. Hosted by the Florida Antique Bucket Brigade (FABB). Host hotel will be the Holiday Inn, Baymeadows Rd, just off I-95. Tours are set up for the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base and St. Augustine as well as local tour of Jacksonville FD, Musuem and EOC Center. Seminars will be provided on Thursday and Friday with the muster and flea market held on hotel grounds on Saturday, February 16th. For additional information contact: Chairman Bob Romig via at BobRFire17@aol.com April 20-21, 2013 (Sat - Sun) - Allentown, Pennsylvania Union Historical Fire Society Annual Spring Melt Fire Memorabilia Auction and Flea Market. Agri-Plex at Allentown Fairgrounds, 302 N. 17th Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Auction Saturday, preview at 7:00 a.m., show starts at 9:00 a.m., Flea Market Sunday starts at 9:00 a.m. Phone: Map to Agri-Plex at Allentown Fairgroundsl. For additional information visit: or secretary@unionhistoricalfiresociety.com July 31- August 3, 2013 (Wed - Sat) Pennsauken, New Jerswy National SPAAMFAA 2013 Summer Conference. Hosted by the Cradle of Liberty Antique Fire Association (CLAFA). Host hotel will be the Cherry Hill Holiday Inn, 2175 Marlton Pike West, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002, Phone: (856) Tentative tours are set up for KME Fire Apparatus Manufacturing Plant; Schuylkill County Fire Museum; Longwood Gardens; Chadsford Winery; Brandywine River Museum; Philadelphia Fire Department & Historic Philadelphia. On Saturday a muster and flea market being held at Cooper River Park. For additional information visit the website for updates: Union Historical Fire Society Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P. A. A. M.F. A. A. P. O. Box #596 Havertown, PA The REGISTER Newsletter Dated Material

The REGISTER. Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. Muster Update. JULY / AUGUST 2012 Issue 142

The REGISTER. Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. Muster Update. JULY / AUGUST 2012 Issue 142 The REGISTER JULY / AUGUST 2012 Issue 142 Delaware Valley Chapter of S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. www.unionhistoricalfiresociety.com Newsletter of The Union Historical Fire Society Muster Update The Union Historical