Newport's Fire Alarm Was a Church Bell—Until It Moved
When the Congregational church bell left its old belfry, Newport lost the only way to sound a fire alarm. A telephone company offered a $100 fix.
The Congregational church bell has been moved from the old belfry on Mrs. Scott's property to the tower of the new church. This bell has for some time been used as a fire bell, and its removal to the church tower, where it can no longer be used as a fire alarm, leaves the town without any means of giving an alarm.
Manager Anderson of the Newport Telephone Co. laid a proposition before the council several weeks ago offering them the use of the lines of the local exchange for an alarm system. The telephone company is now giving a twenty-four hour service and it is proposed to install an electric gong, which the operator can start by simply pressing a button upon receiving a telephone call notifying her of a fire.
It seems to be the best suggestion that has been made along that line, and now that the town has lost its fire bell speedy action should be taken by the council to provide this or some other system. Mr. Anderson estimates the cost of equipping to carry out his suggestion at about $100.
All the lines of the Newport Telephone Company have now been transferred to the new exchange and the switchboard at Adam's Pharmacy has been taken out. Beginning today a 24 hour service has been installed with three operators each serving on an eight hour shift. Operators are Misses Coryelle, McCune and Knabe.
“Its removal to the church tower, where it can no longer be used as a fire alarm, leaves the town without any means of giving an alarm.”
Newport's fire alarm was once a church bell. When it moved, the town had to improvise—today we treat emergency communications as core infrastructure, but the same question remains: who pays for public safety, and how fast can the council act?
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