Early fire brigade alarm system. Historical artwork of a fireman testing a 19th-century combined telephonic and telegraphic street fire alarm system. The alarm is designed to be set off manually (by breaking a glass panel), transmitting a Morse code signal to a fire brigade station telling them the location of the fire. There is also a speaker and telephone system to allow verbal communication with the fire brigade. This is a French system, though similar systems were used in other countries as well. Artwork from A Travers l'Electricite (G. Dary, Paris, 1900).