2 j 6 
THE TELEGRAPH\ 
only 1*77, at Amsterdam it is 2*79, and at Frankfort 5 ; while 
at London it reaches 10 per cent, in spite of the prompt and 
powerful means applied by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. 
The city of Hamburg has two head stations, at which are 
placed the central fire brigade and the central police force. 
These are connected by seven lines stretching out towards the 
suburbs, and each line is connected with a certain number of 
fire and police stations by automatic apparatus, by which the 
fire stations are immediately informed of the locality of the fire. 
And, besides this, telegraphic messages can be sent from one 
station to another, so that proper arrangements for help may be 
made; 
A fire is first signalled to the central station, where the 
measures required are arranged for, and from which they are 
directed. 
The telegraphic apparatus is very simple. The alarms or 
current interrjiptors are placed in boxes covered by a pane of 
glass, fixed at the corners of the principal street, and at the 
railway stations. By these alarms certain signals are repeatedly 
made at the central station on a Morse receiver, the signals 
having been arranged on a disc, that is set in motion by pulling 
the handle. This handle is reached by breaking the glass or 
opening the box when a fire occurs. 
At Hamburg there are forty-seven stations with the Morse 
apparatus, and fifty automatic alarms. Every station, except 
the central one, has its Morse instrument out of the circuit, 
but in the circuit is a very loud electric bell. A signal sent 
from one of the Morse stations is registered at the central 
station on a Morse instrument provided with an automatic 
detent. The central station then transmits the alarm to all 
the fire stations in the district, or if necessary, by means of a 
special commutator, to all the stations of the seven districts. 
The plan adopted at Amsterdam is that called the circular 
system. The city is divided into three great circles, each 
having its office in communication with the central station. 
There are fire-brigades and police-stations in every great 
circle; and these are so connected that the police-stations are in 
one half and the fire-brigades in the other half of the circles. 
By this arrangement the two sets of stations can be divided, 
and each can communicate with its own central office. 
