Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-12-10
|NVENTOa's Workshop SAVED
Il Am 67 Years of Age" He
Says. as He Watches Flames.
''but I'll Start All Over Again
Tomorrow So, 100000 In
Surance.

West Orange, y. j., Dec, 9-IHire de-
stroycd virtually the entire main plant
of tho Edison company here tonight
causing damage estimated at nearly
$Io",Ol1 Insurance is expected to re-
duce the loss to Approximately s5ooo,0o".
An entire square block of modern re-
inforced concrete buildings supposed to
be Lrcproof was burned out Tho only
building saved in thc block WAS the
laboratory. containing valuable scientific
machinery under the Immediate super
intendenco Of tho inventor, Thomas y.
Edison.
II is estimated thai about 3eo' men
and women will he temporarily thrown
out Of work. In all about 700 persons
were employed. The storage battery
building across the street from the main
plant was saved. with other nearby
buildings.
Four flremen were injured but are not
thought to be seriously hurt
EDISON WILL REBUILD.
Although am more than 81 years
of age. IN start all over again to-mor-
row" said Mr.. Edison. II am pretty
well burned out tonight but tomorrow
the debris will be cleared away II 1t IS
cooled sufficiently and I will go right
to work to reconstruct the plant"
The inventor watched the flames lick
up building after building of his nam
moth electrical plant. The fire started
it is thought probable, by an explosion
in the inspection building, one of the
smaller frame structures.
/ The spread to other structures near by
was rapid Quantities of chemicals made
the work of lighting extremely difficult
as the tiremen We're constantly in dan
ger. Explosions occurred frequently
Employees at work in the various depart
mcnts all escaped safely. tho fire drill
being we'll sounded and men and womer
marching ont in virtually perfect order
ELEVEN BUILDINGS BURN.
IN all eleven buildings in tho n2air
plant We're destroyed. including those oc
cup!ed hS' the New Diamond Disc com
lpany, the one occupied by the Kineto
phone company and the building whici
housed the Bates numbering machines
together with tho Primary Edison rat
terry building, the talking machine build
Ing and the administration building.
The fire departments from Orange. Eas
and South Orange. H'oomheld. Montclai
and some companies from Newark re
spondcd hut the nremcn We're badi!
Handicapped by lack of sufficient pres
sure Additional water later was Sc
cured by connection with the Eas
Orange mains. but by this time TN
whole block was doomed to destruction
The electric light wires Of the town wen
out OF commission when the power .hous
at the Edison plant was destroyed, plung
ing the place into darkness.
INVENTOR DIRECTS FIGHT
Mr. Edison was not at the plan
when the hrc broke out hut soon ap
peared and assumed personal charge
He was especially anxious regardin
the laboratory building and when h
found that it probably would be i'm
possible to save the greater part of tn
rest of the plant. he had the effort
of the fire fighters centered upon tn
laboratory, In the meantime such O
the valuable scientific apparatu:
drawings. models and other treasure
possessions of the inventor in thos
building as could be readily secure
were carried to "A place of safety.
After the fire it was Mr. Edison hin
self who made the estimate of the los
entailed
The burned buildings, he commented
were supposed to be among the fines
examples of modern tireproof construC
ton, and pictures of them as such ha
; been exhibited all over the country. The
, were all included in one large block III
J storage battery building, large cor
crete structure standing across the sire,
from the burned area. seemed in dangt
; several times, but the liremen manage
to keep the flames away from It.