An American Fire Safety Immigrant in the Heart of Britain's Establishment

[Messyshaw]

I found this old US Fire Telegraph Station in a wall at Eton College today while having a walk in the area.

I can't find a lot online about how it works, or what date is was made. But from the worn casting, its from Gamewell and Co from New York

God knows how it found its way into one of the most British of establishments ?!!!!!

Anyone know anything about this and when/how it got there??

 

[Dyson]

They still use the gamewell things on the MOD bases run by USAF in the UK, or did last time i visited.

[Hmckay91]

Although, not sure how it ended up at Eton the links below provide some historical context and hints at how they work and are still in service today.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_alarm_call_box)

https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2014/10/07/for-fire-alarms-boston-still-relies-on-the-telegraph

Not that it helps much but this reference dates the device after 1879. 

http://firehallmuseum.org/about-us-2/about-us/the-fire-alarm-telegraph-system/

http://www.dcaptain.com/gamewell-policeandfire.html

These Fire Alarm boxes are also the source of the "Box Alarm" and give me a 2nd Alarm (3rd Alarm, etc.) parlance of the North East USA fire service.  What constituted an alarm was a basic pre-determined attendance for the box coverage area recorded on a "Run card" at the communications centre.

http://www.dfdlegacy.com/detroit-firemen-get-300-alarms-time/

I was lucky enough to get a gamewell fire alarm box (similar to pic below) when they were decommissioned from the nearby air force base for a bottle of spirits.  It is in the middle of being restored.  It still has the inner workings and still taps out 1-6-8.  

[Messyshaw]

Many thanks Hmckay, interesting stuff

[Kinmel]

This is the list of Gamewell boxes in the U.K.

The following list of existing installations affords proof of an established reputation:-

 

Location	No. of Alarm Boxes	Location	No. of Alarm Boxes
Wood Green 30	30	Epsom	10
Manchester Ship Canal (now with Manchester)	25	St. Annes	8
Bradford	77	Hampton Court Palace	64
Blackpool	22	Radcliffe	13
Eton and Eton College	7	Wimbledon	23
Edmonton	33	Salford	36
Stretford (now with Manchester)	9	Wanstead	4
Willesden	60	Bromley	18
Wealdstone	7	Cardiff	83
Windsor Castle	35	Croydon	75
Merton and Morden	20	Erith	19
Harrow	7	Southend	33
Bristol	58	Purley	22
Whitley Bay	14	Portsmouth	33
Manchester (total 266 boxes)	266	Ealing	12
		Mitcham	19

More than I was expecting......  http://www.britishtelephones.com/atm/atmfire.htm