Boston Fire Department Alarm System begins operation.

[4/28] Created by William Francis Channing and Moses Farmer, it is operated from the cupola of Johnson Hall on Court Street. The first electric fire alarm system in the world, it is patented on May 19, 1857. The system consists of 40 miles of wire, 45 signal boxes, and 16 alarm bells. The first alarm comes in from Box 1212 on Causeway Street at about noon. Police officers and members of the Night Watch are given keys to the locked boxes to enable them to turn in alarms. Part of the system is still in use today. Fire alarm headquarters moves to the cupola of Old City Hall on December 26, 1865, to Bristol Street on May 20, 1895, and to its current headquarters in the Fenway in 1925.* There are 1,259 street boxes and 1,440 auxiliary or boxes in public buildings in operation today, and, according to the Fire Department officials, 75% of the calls from the street boxes are false alarms and less than one a day is a real call.