Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-08-10
FIRED BY ELECTRICITY.
A Switchboard that cost $25, 900 De.
strOyed in Less Than Ten Minutes.
From the New York Sun, July 80

From the New York Sun, July 80.
There was an electric flash in the
great operating room on the seventh
story of the Western Union Telegraph
company's building at Broadway and
Dey street, at about o'clock last even
ing, and the hundred operators, looking
toward the switchboard, saw dazzling
light fame leap up into the air Every
one was paralyzed for a moment, and
then several men ran for the fire appa-
ratus. In a few minutes streams from
three or four hose were turned upon the
switchboard and the woodwork connect
ed with it, and in less than ten minutes,
the flames were entirely extinguished
For long time no one could tell what
was the cause of the fire. Mr.. T. G..
Kennedy, the chief operator, after a
long investigation, gave this opinion:
| think, he said that the blaze was
the result OF two wires, one from pos
tive and the other from negative bat
terry. coming in contact. The wires
might have come together by pure
chance, or they might have been blown
against each other by the breeze that
came in through the windows. 1t can't
be known, but it is certain that they
came against each other, and then only
one result could follow. There would
be fame that would sweep over the
entire switchboard, and it would de-
strOy all the apparatus in the vicinity"
The switchboard is probably one of
the largest in the world. 1t occupies a
space in the seventh story of about
twenty-five feet by ten, and is about ten
feet in height. In the front are a null
titude Of little windows that are girded
with many copper bound frames, each
one OF which represents railing that
divides one partition from another
These strips are full of little holes, in
which pegs are placed. On the face of
each Of the little windows is number
that represents town in the country
If a telegram is sent from Baltimore to
New York, for instance, all that an op-
orator is obliged to do is to pull out
peg from one hole in the case and put it
in another, and he receives the dispatch
at his desk. 1t is wonderful" said one
in the office "You just pull out your
plug and put it III the place from which
you expect dispatch, and it comes,
that's all.
One of the men said: This accident
only occasions us extra trouble to get
our dispatches through from the neigh
boring cities. We had to send men to
get them, and then we are obliged to use
more men to distribute the more impor-
tant ones. Under switch in dark,
half-lightcd room several men were
talking together. Over their heads
were several hundred broken wires
One workman said: This the greatest
accident that ever occurred to the com
pany. Just look up here. See these
wires all torn to pieces. Not a wire
left. That's what this fire left u.s.
There are 533 wires coming up from the
floor, and for each wire two, and some
times four, wires 60 to the desks There
are about 5000 instruments and desk
wires that come into this Office In this
building there are 125 tons of battery
power.
Streams of water, cast by the hose of
the company. flowed in showers down
the elevator, but as all the floors are Of
tile little damage was done. Around
the switchboard the water stood in pud-
dies, and pieces of broken glass were
scattered for many yards. The employees
OF the operating room were greatly eX
cited for time and ran hither and
thither aimlessly. After the fire had
been extinguished, all the men ate a
lunch in an upper story. The damage
to the switchboard is estimated at $40,
600 to $4,000 During the fire the
street was crowded with people, and for
few minutes the police and firemen
controlled Broadway.