The Code Used on the City Island Fire Bell in the Late 19th Century Used for Fire Alarms

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.
Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

In early 1894, City Island, Pelham Bay Park and the islands in Long Island Sound off the shores of Pelham Bay Park were still part of the Town of Pelham.  It would be, at the time, about a year later before New York City annexed the area, removing City Island, Pelham Bay Park, and nearby islands from the Town of Pelham.

City Island was the most densely-populated area of the Town of Pelham with approximately 1,800 residents living and working principally in wooden structures.  Fire was a very real risk and could be quite devastating.  Consequently, by the early 1890s, a fire district within the Town of Pelham covering City Island was created.  Three volunteer fire-fighting units were created within the district:  the Minneford Engine Company the Minneford Hose Company, and the City Island Hook & Ladder Company.  

I have written a little about the history of these early Pelham fire-fighting units before.  See:

Tue., Dec. 08, 2009:  The Darling Triplets: Three Brothers Among Pelham's Earliest Firefighters.

Thu., Oct. 08, 2009:  Firefighting Units on City Island in Pelham During the Early 1890s. 

Mon., Aug. 31, 2009:  Contest in 1891 To Determine Which Steam Fire Engine Company Could Throw a Stream the Greater Distance.

Fri., Aug. 28, 2009:  Reorganization of the Minneford Engine Company on City Island in February, 1891.   

I also have written about a number of significant 19th century fires fought by City Island volunteer firemen.  See, e.g., Fri., Nov. 20, 2015:  Account of 1894 Fire in One of Pelham's Earliest Newspapers.  

One of the fire districts of the Town of Pelham during the 1890s covered City Island.  On May 21, 1894, the Fire Commissioners for the district met in the City Island office of George E. Reynolds, Secretary of the Commission.  Those who attended, in addition to Reynolds, were William E. Lowndes, Herbert Hegeman, and D. J. Turner (Treasurer of the Commission).  The Fire Commissioners voted to divide City Island into four sub-districts.  They were:

The First  Sub-District:  extending from the northern point of City Island to the center of Ditmar Avenue.

The Second Sub-District:  extending from the center of Ditmar Avenue to the center of Fordham Avenue.

The Third Sub-District:  extending from the center of Fordham Avenue to the center of Scofield Avenue.

The Fourth Sub-District:  extending from the center of Scofield Avenue to the southern point of City Island.

Interestingly, the Commissioners announced that the Trustees of the Local M.F. Church had granted consent to use the church bell as an official fire alarm bell.  The Trustees also had agreed that the church janitor "or any of his assistants" would serve as the official alarm bell ringer.  The Commission further announced an interesting "CODE OF SIGNALS" so that the number and frequency of rings would signal the district within which a fire erupted.  The code was quite simple.  It was described as follows:  "The code of signals for use in all cases of fire are as follows:  -  Five strokes of the bell in rapid succession indicates an alarm, then a short pause, after which the number of strokes given, will indicate in which district the fire is located."  Thus, for example, five strokes - pause - one stroke, would ndicate that a fire was located somewhere in the First Sub-District between the northern point of City Island and the center of Ditmar Avenue.  

Map of Town of Pelham with Inset of City Island, 1868.

Source: Beers, F.W., Atlas of New York and

Vicinity, p. 35 (NY, NY: Beers, Ellis & Soule, 1868).

*          *          *          *          *

Below is a transcription of the brief article from The City Island Drift describing the vote of the City Island Fire Commissioners and the implementation of the fire bell code.  It is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"FIREMEN!
A SYSTEMAT [sic] SERVICE WELL UNDER WAY.
-----

The Fire Commissioners at their meeting on Monday night, May 21, 1894, held in the office of the secretary subdivided Fire District No. 1 into four (4) sub-districts as follows:  - from the northern point of City Island to the center of Ditmar Ave., shall be known as the First Sub-district; from the center of Ditmar Ave., to the center of Fordham Ave., shall be known as the Second Sub-district; from the center of Fordham Ave., to the center of Scofield Ave., shall be known as the Third sub-district; from the center of Scofield Ave., to the southern point of City Island, shall be known as the Fourth sub-district.

The consent of the Trustees of the M. F. Church has been secured for the use of the church bell as an official alarm for the present.

CODE OF SIGNALS. -- The code of signals for use in all cases of fire are as follows: - Five strokes of the bell in rapid succession indicates an alarm, then a short pause, after which the number of strokes given, will indicate in which district the fire is located.

Thus, five strokes - pause - one stroke, indicates that a fire is located somewhere between the north point and Ditmar Ave.

The alarm will be repeated in the same anner, ,and continued to the judgment of the bell-ringer who is the janitor of the church or any of his assistants.

Fire Commissioners   {

Wm E. Lowndes.
Geo. E. Reynolds Secty.
Herbert Hegeman.
D. J. Turner, Treas."

Source:  FIREMEN!  A SYSTEMAT [sic] SERVICE WELL UNDER WAY, The City Island Drift, May 26, 1894, p. 3, cols. 1-2.  

Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.

Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.
Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."