# Sirens--who/where/when/why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirens-who-where-when-why/176596>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 21, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirens-who-where-when-why/176596 "2003-05-21T17:25:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirens-who-where-when-why/176596/1 "2003-05-21T17:25:10Z")

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[list=1]  
[li]Who–invented the fire/police siren?[/li][li]Where–was it first used?[/li][li]Hi **Opal**![/li][li]When–was it first used?[/li][li]Why–sirens, & not bells or other noisemakers?[/li][li]Does– **Opal** _sound_ like a siren? Greek or air raid? If the latter, what is her connection to Selene Dion? And, what about Naomi?[/li][/list=1]

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirens-who-where-when-why/176596/2 "2003-05-21T18:44:37Z")

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Googling around a bit, the siren was apparently invented by a German guy named Louis Seebeck (1805-1849). That’s all I can find for the moment.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirens-who-where-when-why/176596/3 "2003-05-21T20:00:29Z")

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Thanks to **pravnik’s** tip, I found [this page](http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/Acoustics/Siren/siren.htm) on early sirens. Seems to have initially been “a device for determining the absolute frequency of a sound”, according to that page. A. Seebeck is listed as one of the designers.

I’d say, as a WAG, that sirens developed into being a warning signal with [lighthouses](http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1792.htm).

> [@](#):
>
> In 1867, the first primitive steam-powered fog siren was installed at the lighthouse on Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Sandy Hook reaches out almost halfway across New York Bay toward Brooklyn, and it poses a serious threat to shipping in and out of New York City.

Why sirens and not bells? Bells were used for 19th century fire-fighting wagons, but sirens carry sound better and at greater ranges, I guess.