Material Type

Artifact

Date

1883

Materials

CAST IRON

No. Pieces

2

Height

61.0

Diameter

24.8

Description

DETACHABLE CLAPPER. PAINTED BLACK. CONSERVATION REPORT ON FILE.

Subjects

WATER TRANSPORTATION-ACCESSORY

Historical Association

TRANSPORTATION

SAFETY SERVICES

History

THE BELL FROM THE "ALBERTA" STEAM BOAT USED ON THE BOAT IN 1883 TO JULY 16TH, 1886. THE BELL WAS USED IN LETHBRIDGE AS A FIRE ALARM AND CURFEW AND IT LATER REPOSED IN GALT PARK. REFERENCE: "BOATS AND BARGES ON THE BELLY", A. JOHNSTON, "WHEN THE WEST WAS YOUNG" J.D. HIGINBOTHAM. ***UPDATE JUNE 2012*** THIS ARTIFACT WAS HIGHLIGHTED AS PART OF THE EXHIBIT “SOUND THE ALARM” IN 2012. EXCERPTS FROM THE EXHIBIT’S PANEL AND LABEL COPY ARE BELOW. SEE ALSO GALT ARCHIVAL IMAGE P19760236040 TO VISUALLY REFERENCE THE BELL’S FIRE DEPARTMENT USE BETWEEN 1886 AND 1891. ALERTING EMERGENCY PERSONNEL TO A FIRE IS A CRITICAL PART OF A FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM. IN THE LATE 1880S, A BELL FROM A FORMER RIVER BOAT STEAMER WAS RUNG TO ALERT LETHBRIDGE’S FIRE BRIGADE TO TOWN FIRES. THIS BELL WAS MOUNTED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGINBOTHAM DRUG STORE AT THE CORNER OF 5TH ST. & 2ND AVE. SOUTH. IT WAS IN USE UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW FIRE HALL IN 1892. A LARGER, HIGHER BELL IN A NEW BRICK FIRE HALL IMPROVED THE TOWN’S FIRE RESPONSE IN 1892. BELLS, HOWEVER, PROVED ULTIMATELY INEFFECTIVE TO ALERT ALL FIREFIGHTERS TO A FIRE. MANY VOLUNTEER BRIGADE MEMBERS WHOSE HOMES WERE LOCATED A DISTANCE FROM THE FIRE HALL WERE NOT AWAKENED BY CLANGING BELLS WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT AT NIGHT. LETHBRIDGE’S POOR FIRE PROTECTION WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY CITY COUNCIL IN 1907. AN IMMEDIATE REMEDY WAS THE FUNDING OF A FIRE BOX ALARM SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM INCLUDED 18 FIRE BOXES, MOUNTED ON CITY LIGHT POLES, AND 14 TAP BELLS, LOCATED IN FIREMEN’S HOMES. A TRIGGERED BOX ALARM SENT A MESSAGE TO AN OPERATOR AT THE NO. 1 HALL WHO RELAYED THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE BY TELEGRAPH WIRE TO VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTERS’ HOMES. THE BOX ALARM SYSTEM REMAINED IN USE IN LETHBRIDGE UNTIL 1973. DURING THE BOXES EXISTENCE, MOST EMERGENCY CALLS TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE MADE BY PHONE. DESPITE THIS AND MALICIOUS USE OF THE BOXES, AUTHORITIES CONTINUED TO ENCOURAGE THEIR USE BECAUSE THEY PINPOINTED THE LOCATION OF A FIRE AND ELICITED AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE BY FIRE FIGHTERS.

Catalogue Number

P19652004000

Acquisition Date

1965-09

Collection

Museum

Less detail