City of Seattle Records

Jesse Cochrane chairman W V Rinehart G H Heilbron J F Pratt Office of the Board of Public Works Seattle, Washington Nov 25, 1890 x-392 Mr W B Armstrong mgr Sunset Telephone & Telegraph Co Seattle Wash Dear Sir:- Complaint had been made that the Telephone Service for the Fire Department of this city is defective. It is requested that this services be put in first-class condition. By order of the Board. Very Respectfully J F Pratt sec Respectfully referred to Gen Supt Lawrence A J Clark mgr

Sunset Telephone & Telegraph Office of the General Superintendent Oregon & Washington Portland, Oregon Nov 28, 1890 Mr. A J Clark Seattle Washington Dear Sir: R A please see Board of Public Works, and if there is any cause for trouble repair it, and give them good service, but under no circumstances, will we become part of the Fire Alarm system or held responsible for reporting fires. Will do the best we can; we do not claim to be perfect and owing to outside disturbance we cannot take the responsiblilty. You know that when a fire occurs, a person will often rush to the nearest telephone and simply say "Fire" you cannot get location of fire or any intelligent reply, then again they will keep ringing the bell and can get nothing and oftentimes send the Department astray. In this city, Portland, each EngineHouse had a telephone and they pay regular rates for them, but no person or subscriber is allowed to connect with them, not even the Chief. In case of fire (when report ed by telephone]] the subscriber calls central office. Central Office gets location of fire and all particulars. Then the opertor calle the Chief of Fire Department and gives him the case, or Assistant Chief etc. Then we rarly have any trouble. Fire telephones are not used for any purpose but fire. I think at Seattle, you connect the person calling to thestationand of course have trouble. If the City has a competent electrician, he should be able to be independent of telephones, except inexceptional cases, as nine-