Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-10
Great Inventor Says, Though
81 Years DID, He viii Begin
All Over Again Without De-
lay of a Day,
S7,000,000 WORTH OF
PROPERTY CONSUMED
About Three Thousand En-
ployeS Are Thrown Out of
Work Until Buildings Can
Be Reconstructed,

destroyed virtually the entire main
plant of the Edison company here
tonight, causing damage estimated az
nearly $1,000.000 with insurance that
Il Is expected will reduce the loss TO
approximately $4,000, 900.
An entire square block OF modern
reinforced concrete buildings which
were supposed TO be fireproof were
burned out by the flames The only
building saved In the block was the
laboratory containing valuable scien-
tific machinery under the immediate
supeflntendence of the inventor,
Thomas A. Edison. Especial efforts
TO save this structure were successful.
5000 Out Of Employment.
1t is estimated that about 1900 men
and women viii be temporarily
throwR out of work because of the
fire. In all about 1000 persons were
employed at the plant. but as the
storage battery building across the
street from the main plant was saved
with other buildings nearby il viii be
possible to keep something more than
half the force employed.
Four fircmcn were injured in fight
ing the blaze and were taken to a
ito"pitni uht hit h't th'hhht w 'N ~
riously hurt.
Edison Not Discouraged.
Although am more than G1 years
of age, I'll start all over again to-
morrow said Mr.. Edison. Il am
pretty we'll burned out tonight hut to-
morrow there will be mobilization
here and the debris will be cleared
away If II is cooled sufficiently and
will go right to work 10 reconstruct
the plant
The inventor expressed himself
thus as he stood watching the flames
lick up building after building of his
mammoth electrical plant. started, II
is thought, probably by an explosion
in the inspection building, one of the
smaller structures. This building was
quickly mass of flames and the
spread of the fire TO other structures
nearby was rapid.
Fighting Most Difficult.
The quantities OF chemicals in some
of the larger buildings made the work
OF, fighting the fire extremely difficult
as the firemen were constantly in dan
ger of injury Explosions occurred
Employees who were at
work In the various departments
about the plant all escaped safely, the
fire drill bell being sounded and men
and women marching out In virtually
perfect order
In all. eleven buildings in the main
plant went down with the fire. The
buil <ngs destroyed included those oc-
eupled by the New Diamond Disc
the one occupied by the XII
company and the building
which housed the Bates Numbering
machines together with the primary
Edison battery building, the talking
machine building and the admnistra-
Iion buildings.
Inventor Directs Work.
Mr.. Edison was not at the plant
when the fire broke out but he was
quickly notified and soon appeared.
He assumed personal charge Of direct
ing the forces combating the flames
which were sweeping away the build
ngs that represented the work OF
years of his brain in their design,
equipment and the products they sent
lut. He was especially anxious re-
yarding the laboratory building and
when he found that II probably would
be impossible to save the greater part
IF the rest of the plant, he had the eff
sorts of the fire fighters centered !
upon the laboratory structure. In the
meantime such of the valuable scien-
life apparatus. drawings, models and
)ther treasured possessions of the in
gentor in this building as could be
readily moved. were carried to a place |
If safety.
Only S2,000,000 Insurance.
After the fire il WAS Mr.. Edison 4
himself who made the estimate OF the
oss entailed The buildings them |
selves and the large amount of valua-
Dle stock and delicate machinery that |
hey contained would make the dam !
lge about S7,000.000, he said. while !
here was $2000.000 insurance on the |
Dlant
The burned buildings, the inventor /
aid, were supposed to be the finest !
Example OF modern fireproof con- 7
,trnction and pictures OF them as
.uch had been exhibited all over the |
The structures destroyed were all
included in one large block. The |
aorage battery building, a large con
.rete structure. standing across the
treet from the burned area, seemed
II danger several times but the fire
nen managed to keep the flames
lway from it.