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LukeH
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To clear up Denver Sirens, Pearse Sirens, Sterling Sirens, related confusion.

Fri Jun 25, 2021 4:27 am

I have been noticing a lot of misinformation, mostly due to confusion regarding Denver Sirens, and "Pearse Co" sirens, aswell as the early Sterling sirens that resemble Denver Sirens. So I am making one last post in an effort to try to clear up most of this confusion.


PEARSE SIRENS


The siren at Mt Baldy Fire Dept is a Pearse Siren, produced by the Julius Pearse Fire Dept Supply Company of Denver Colorado. Pictured below.

Pearse Siren:
(Photo Credit: Facebook user Aaron Allevato)


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Below is a snippet from a newspaper discussing a Pearse siren's installation. Dated ​1915. Not much else is known about these sirens yet.



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DENVER SIRENS




Denver Sirens were patented by William A Box, in 1915, (though it is believed production had started as early as 1912) and produced by his company Dillon Box Iron Works, also in Denver Colorado. Mr Box, who was already partnered with Hendrie and Bolthoff Manufacturing and Supply Company to sell mining equipment, used the company to market the siren.

The siren was avaliable in 4 sizes, a small, single double sided head 12 port siren, called the "Type A", a single, double sided head, called the "Duplex Siren", a ship siren using a Duplex Siren head, and the "Quadruplex Siren" , which as its name suggests, featured two double sided heads mounted on one side of the motor. Both larger early and late models are 20 port, early models use a rotor with 20 veigns associated with the ports.. Late models use a rotor with 5 fins associated with the ports.. Pictured below.



Type A: Though for some reason, this appears to be a 10/10 port siren, conflicting with the 12/12 port article claim.
(Photo Credit Fire Engineering magazine)


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Duplex Siren:
(Photo Credit: screen cap of video by Adam Smith)


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Quadruplex Siren:
(Photo Credit: Facebook User Carson Stacks)



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STERLING SIREN FIRE ALARM


Sometime in 1918, Interstate Machine Products, Rochester New York began producing a Quadruplex and Duplex siren of their own. The only difference being, the Quadruplex model had a head on both sides of the motor. Dubbed the "Sterling Siren Fire Alarm",
both the Quadruplex and Duplex sirens produced by Interstate Machine Products now bore a large metal grill affixed to either side of the head, and this grille was used to support the bearings, rotor and shaft, making the head a self contained unit.

It is not know quite how Interstate Machine products came to produce the sirens, however Mr William Box was a business man as much as he was a gambler, heavy drinker and back door dealer, so it could have came about in any number of combinations, though the design was quickly trashed in favor of the lighter, louder more compact M series sold along side it. Pictured below are the sirens.

The Duplex model is surprisingly common, well, as common as a 100+ yearold siren can be.
(Photo Credit Fire Engineering Magazine)


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Only one Quadruplex model has been confirmed to have existed but sadly was scrapped durring a building renovation. This siren was written to have been heard clearly over 5 miles away.
(Photo Credit Fire Engineering Magazine)


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Aside from some possible dealing or trading between Interstate Machine Products and Dillon Box Ironworks that has yet to be uncovered, there is NO relation between Julius Pearse Fire Dept Supply Company, or Dillon Box Ironworks or Interstate Machine Products for that matter.

I hope this clears up some confusion. Feel free to ask questions, I have spent way to much of my life researching these ancient dinosaurs not to be of assistance where possible.
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Denver Siren Expert
Michigan

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