Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-10
BIG E[|SOUR[In1
DESTROYED BY IRE
ENTIRE BLOCK or ,GRM CON-
CRETE BUILD, : pRgY 10
rr $A
THREE TH' S.No OR MORE
THROWN ST OF EMPLovMgNr
Loss will Approximate $1,000 200 -Gd,s
son experimenting Work Of Clearing
Away Debris Preparatory 70 Rshulld.
ins-Elsvsn Buildings 81 Main esaas
Destroyed.

'SD' OA0hSob Az. ss0OCs AV.~-W0O0
the fire which swept the manufacture
ing plant OF Thomas A. Edison Conn
pany was extinguished TODAY . hur-
ried inventory Of the damage showed
eleven OF the eighteen buildings were
destroyed and that the loss would ap-
proximate 100000.
Seven thousand men are employed
at the plant and half OF these, Il Is e.
timated. will be out Of work tempo
rariIy.
Under the active supervision Of
Thomas A. Edison tho men today be.
gan tearing down the concrete walls
which had to be removed while tn
embers were cooling Immediate stems
to rebuild have been taken.
"Fireproof" Buildings Burned.
An entire block Of modern rein.
forced concrete buildings which were
supposed to be freproof, was burned
out by the flames. The only building
saved In the block was the laboratory
building, containing valuable scientific
machinery under the immediate SUI
pervision OF the inventor, Thomas A
Edison. Especial efforts made TO sayi
this structure were successful.
1t ID estimated about 5000 men anS
women will be temporarily thrown OUT
of work because Of the fire. In all atouA
1000 persons were employed at the
plant. but as the storage battery build
Ing across the street from tho main
plant was saved, with other buildine.
nearby. 1t will bs possible to hAAp
something like half the force emplovad.
Four fremen were injured in fisht-
Ing the blaze and were taken to Z hos-f
pital. but are not thought 20 be sar3.
'ously hurt.
Edison Not Disesssassd.
"AItho am moro than 81 years of
age. III start all over again tornor-
row.. said Mr.. Edison. Il am pretty
well burned out tonight but tomorrow
there VIII be mobilization here and
he debris will be cleared away II It 10
cooled sufficiently and will 60 right to
work to reconstruct the plant"
The inventor expressed himself tins
as he stood watching the flames lick
up building after building of his nam
moth electrical plant. started. Il q
thought probably by an explosion in
the inspection building, one OF the
smaller frame structures. This build-
ing was quickly mass OF flames and
the spread OF the fire to the other
buildings nearby was rapid,
Perilous Task.
The quantities OF chemicals In Soma
or the larger buildings made the work
OIL nShting the fire extremely difficult
as the hremen were constantly in dam
ger OF injury. Explosions of chemicals
occurred frequently. Employees who
were at work In the various depart.
'nents about the plant all escaped
safely. the fire drill bell being sounded
and men and women marched out IN
virtually perfect order.
In all, eleven buildings In the main
| plant went down with the fire. rha
| buildings destroyed included those
| occupied by the new Diamond D,.k
| Company. the one occupied by the XII
netophone Company and the building
which the Bates numbering machine
| occupies together with the Primary
| Edison Battery building. the talking
| machine building and the administra.
tion building.
| Valuable Records Saved.
| AT least one man perished In tho
| liames. This became known today In
the hnding of a charred body in the
RUNS OF the film house, where the ex
pioslon occurred which started the
olaze' Two others were reported miss
ing
| The flames were beaten back from
the workshop Of Mr.. Edison, where
were stored innumerable records and
materials. the results of more than
thirty years of the inventors efforts.
AT the height OF the fire a force
of men removed the most valuable
records to Mr.. Edison's home in
Llewellyn Park. not far away.