Knoxville Fire Department

Knoxville City Directory

1885

KNOXVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

(under the control of the city since March, 1882)

Chief - H. SCHENK

Assistant - D.A. SMITH

Steamer J.C. Luttrell, No.1 -- State, northwest corner of Reservoir. Regular meetings first Monday in every month. Jacob KESSLER, engineer.

Alex. Allison, No. 2 - State, northwest corner of Reservoir. Regular meetings the first Monday in every month. David NEWMAN, engineer.

Hook and Ladder Company No. 3 (colored) - State, northwest corner of Reservoir. Regular meetings the first Monday in every month. Wm. LUTTRELL, foreman.

Fire Alarm Telegraph

(Location of Boxes in different Wards)

BOX:	LOCATION:	BOX:	LOCATION:
13	Corner of Prince and Clinch	35	Corner of Morgan and Hardee
14	Corner of Clinch and Henley	41	Corner of Fifth ave and Morgan
15	Corner of High and Cumberland	42	Corner of Fifth ave and Broad
16	Corner of Prince and Main	45	Corner of Gay and Depot, at RR bridge
17	On Crozier, at foot of Hill	51	Corner of McGhee and Atkin
23	Corner of Crozier and Church	52	Corner of Asylum and Clark
24	Corner of Cumberland and Patton	53	Corner of Asylum and Broad
31	Corner of Temperance and Clinch	54	Corner of Vine and Prince
32	Mabry, junction of Cowan and Sneed	61	Corner of State and Union.

The keys are left at the nearest houses to the boxes, and one with each of the police and with prominent citizens whose business requires them to be up at night.

To send in an alarm, it should be sent from the nearest box to the fire. Parties sending in the alarm will take the key, open the box and pull the lever down until it strikes the clock; let it go and shut the door. Pulling the lever down will send in the alarm from that box three times.

The different signals are understood as follows: Box No. 13 strikes one (which signifies 10), and after a pause it strikes three and repeats this three times. Box 31 strikes three, and after a pause, strikes one, which means 31. Each box sends its alarm three time when the lever is pulled down. The outer door key, after unlocking the box, will remain in box until the Chief of the Fire Department releases it with his release key, which he does as soon as convenient after the fire, and returns the key to the owner as per number on the key.

[ Early history - Knoxville Fire Dept (1900) ]

[ Knoxville City Government - 1885 ]

[ Norwood's Knoxville City Directory (1885) ]

[ Return to Knox County, TNGenWeb ]