Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-12-16
EDISON PLANT is DESTROYED.
Fire at West Grunge, N. j., Results
in $1,000, 900 Damage.

West Orange, N. j., Dec. 9.--Fire
destroyed virtually the entire main
plant of the Edison Company here to-
night, causing damage estimated at
nearly $7,OO0,OO0 with insurance
that it is expected will reduce the
loss to approximately $5,0OC,000.
An entire square block of modern
reinforced concrete buildings which
were supposed to be fireproof was
burned out by the flames. The only
building saved in the block was the
laboratory building, containing valu-
able scientific machinery under i'm
mediate superintendent Of the in
ventor, Thos. A. Edison. Especial
efforts made to save this structure
were successful.
1t is estimated that 5000 men and
women will be temporarily thrown
out Of work because of the fire. In
all about 1000 persons were em-
ployed at the plant, but as the stor-
age battery building across the street
from the main plant was saved, with
other buildings nearby, it will be
possible to keep something more than
half the force employed.
Four fremen were injured fighting
the blaze and were taken to a hos
| pital.
Although I am more than 67
years Of age, III start all over again
tomorrow" said Mr.. Edison. "T
am pretty well burned out tonight,
but tomorrow there will be mo-
bilization here and the debris will
be cleared away If it Is cooled suffi-
GENTLY, and will go right to work to
reconstruct the plant"
The inventor expressed himself
thus as he stood watching the flames
lick up building after building OF
his mammoth plant, started,
it is thought probable, by an explo-
sion in the inspection building, one
Of the smaller frame structures. This
building was quickly mass Of
flames and the fire spread rapidly to
some Of the buildings made the fire.
fighting extremely difficult Explos-
ions occurred frequently. All en-
ployees at work in various BUILDING
escaped.
In all eleven buildings in the main
plant were destroyed. The buildings
destroyed included those occupied by
the New Diamond Disc Company, the
one occupied by the Kinetophoue
Company and the building which
housed the Bates numbering ma
chimes, together with the Edison pri-
mary battery building, the talking
machine building and the admins
tration building.
Fire departments from Orange,
East and South Orange, Bloomfield,
Montclair and Newark responded to
a call for help, but were badly handi-
capped by lack Of sufficient pressure
Electric light wires of the town
went out of commission when the
power house at the Edison plant
into darkness. From the blazing
electrical plant itself, however, there
shot up towering flames which illu-
minated the country for miles
around
Mr.. Edison was not at the plant
when the fire started, but he soon
appeared and assumed personal
charge Of directing the forces COM
! batting the flames. He was especially
: anxious regarding the laboratory
building, and when he found that it
probably would be impossible to save
: the greater part of the rest of the
plant he had the efforts Of the fire.
= fighters centerod upon this structure.
In the meantime much of the valua-
3 bic scientific apparatus, drawings,
l models and other treasured posses
, sions of the inventor in this building
= as could be readily moved were car
ried to place OF safety.