Original Item: Only One Available. Gas Warfare, now banned by International Treaty, was first introduced in WWI on the Western Front, and the results were devastating. Soon everyone was issued with a gas mask and was required to carry one at all times. Various types of "gas alarms", from simple wooden rattles to mechanical sirens were employed to help warn the soldiers that it was time to put the mask on.

This Vintage WWI (circa 1916) siren works perfectly, and is an EXTREMELY LOUD noisemaker! It features a wooden crank handle and is in good condition.

The company was founded as Stewart & Clark Company in 1905 by John K. Stewart. Their speedometers were used in the Ford Model T. In 1912 John Stewart joined with Edgar Bassick to make vehicle instruments and horns. Bassick owned Alemite Co. and Stewart had bought the Warner Instrument Company; thus the name was changed to the Stewart-Warner Corporation. The company started in Chicago and built a manufacturing plant on Diversey Parkway. The building kept expanding and finally covered one million square feet (93,000 m²) and six floors. At its peak S-W employed 6000 people at the Diversey complex. They also made radios and refrigerators, among other products, and produced the ubiquitous "zerk" grease fitting, named after its inventor, associated with the company. In the last years of the company's Chicago factory, it owned a number of aging six-spindle Brown & Sharpe and New Britain screw machines.

We all remember the old Hollywood Movies showing pre-WWI Automobiles that used the most awful horns that grated everyone's ears. Well this is it! Even the film studios in Hollywood used these to indicate some disaster or other. Fortunately someone invented the post WWI "hooter," and these dreadful devices were gratefully retired. Measures about 11 inches long and stands 8 ½ inches tall, and is without its base.

The back plate is nicely marked:

10765
SERIAL NO
8269
MODEL 149A
MADE FOR
CHEMICAL WARFARE SERVICE US ARMY
BY
STEWART WARNER SPEEDOMETER CORP
CHICAGO USA

Authentic, well marked and still working, the Zeppelins are coming! Still in great working condition after more than 100 years, with just some deformation to the "horn" portion. Ready to display or frighten your cows! Makes a perfect and unique addition to any Great War collection.