The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-30
FIRED BY An ELECTRIC SPARK.
A switch-Boar that Cost se5, 900 Destroyed
In Les Than Fen MInutcs

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 Dcy street. at about six o'clock
last evening. and the hundred operators. look
ing toward the switchboard. saw dazzling
light flame leap w into tho air Every one was
paralyzcd for moment and then several mon
ran for the fire apparatus. In a few minutes
streams from three or four hose wcrc turned
upon tho switchboard and the burning
woodwork connected with It. and in
less than ten minutes the flames wero
entirely Asxtnguishcd. In tho mean timc.
an alarm had been sent out to the Fire Depart
mcnt. and several engines and hose carriages
quickly arrived in front Of the building. They
wcrc. however utterly unavailable. as their
hose would not reach to the story where the fire
was. Tho nromen. however. rushed up stairs
and broke in the windows near the switch board,
Their efforts were uncallcd for. as the fre had
been subdued by the efficient apparatus Of the
company.
For a long timo no ono could tell what was the
cause of the fire. Mr.. T. G. Kennedy. the chief
operator. after long investigation. gave this
opinion: Il Think" he said. e. that the blaze
was the result Of two wires. ono from positive
and another from n negative battery. 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 q flame that would sweep over the on
tire switch board, and It would destroy all tho
apparatus In the vicinity"
Mr.. Kennedy. in describing the famc. said:
was standing near by the board and saw
| lrlght hinz", and il u moment everything on
! ,he switch-hossi was in flame The ire spread
| upwar,, anl charrei the oeiling and walls II
then burst oui through the windows and black
cnri the outside walls. We soon put II out
with our apparatus. and We did hot heed
any help from the fire department They
smashed in the window and broke the glass Of
the switch boards. ThcrcA are between 400 and
500 wires that connect with the switch board.
The flames spread with such rapidity that II
was lnposs bic To stop them at once hy ori-
and beneath the swlt'h-hoard We turned
three hose streams ON the fire in second or
two, and soon brought i undrr control, but ~
erythng around the switch was h0dly
charred. But tie maguiilrent swift h
hhoa,d was o3mrlsitey rainvd: Tbs aeci;
outside communication. Operators have been
sent To- Harlem. Jersey city. Manha'ianvlllc
Hohokcn. and the. Eric dopots. 10 receive ani
send on teegraphir M ssas's. Consequently
the actual delay tl business viii be- only tril.ug
inside from tn" inconN,nirnr' of transferring
the work in th" NV York oili ,' viii MT b., OF
long standing. ~ W. viii have cNrrythin. re-
lNlf'l iN an 'urlN lNNf tomorrow morn =.
In" " res that were bIokgn were about 300 IA
number ani they reached 10 every point Of our
long room"
The swiich-boa is. probably. ono Of the
largest in the world. Itofoupics 4 space in tho
seventh story Of about TWENTY-FIVE feet 10y ten
and - about tn icet in h"ght. In the front are
multitude OF little windows that are girlrd
with many copper-bounl frames each one Of
which represents "A railing that divides one
full of little holes. in which pegs are placed
ON the face of each Of the littlr windows is a
INHF
II a telegram Is sent from Baltimore 10 New
York. for Instance, all that an operator IL
Obliged 10 do Is To pull out 4 peg from one hol.
IN the case and put II N another and he re- 'rvo-
the despatch ut his desk. " II l. wonderful "
snid one man in the Office. -" You jus' pull ont
your plug and Put it in tho place from which
aii'"" 'N'''' u'' ''''" anu III 1t comes 'n"' ;
0no Of the mon said: This accident only %.
casions us extra trouble To- got our q, slatchcs
through from the nciEhhorins c.tirs. We had
tp send m IN 10 get them. and then W. ura
H,.lifri io use m"rr men 10 distribute the more
impurunt ones. nd"r the switch In dark.
itli-iiEhi"i room several M % were tuiklug to-
gethrr. over their j ads were several hum
drri hrukt n wires. one workman said: " This
is the greatest accident that co., occurred
to the company. just look M here. See these
wires torn all io per,s,r Not wire left. That's
ingup rom the iloor and for each wirn two
Mud sometimes Tour wirs 40 to the desks.
lnrrr Rrr Hnoui 5'Hn ln,irum,nt and dcSN
Wr'S ilil com" mn" ms oiii'". In this build
ing there nre l2i tons of battery power
Sirrnli- ui water. 'ae' l> il" hose If the COM
pnny. flowed iu showers down ihr elevator
shaft. hut aa all the floors arr" ut tile. itc dam
~" WAS done. Around Va" W.i'n-n1arl 'ho
water stood m pud.il,s. ull p.e',s of broken
lI'y."s ui the ul'rai H. ru.!n NrI, greatly rN-
o,il lgr iiWr' a., en- ri lap h'i,'rr ani ihihsr
a,..l. all ia" mon nte "a lunch IN. an upver story.
I'm" dumag" - th" swift 'h-npard is estimated at
s2nooo or s25.olo During tee fire tlc street
Vas rrowd'd with p"nplr. and ior 4 { ewminutes
ur police ana ilrrm"n controlled Broadway.