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EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY, JANUARY, 1915
Looking South. Buildings Nos. 11 and 13 with remains of Punch Press Dept. in foreground. Total Loss.
About 9 o'clock, while the fire raged at its height and the entire plant seemed doomed, an explosion occurred that sent the spectators far and near running in every direction to safety. It resembled the escape of steam from some rent in a boiler, and continued for at least three or four minutes. Added to the lurid buildings this terrific noise, together with shooting flames, gave a most unearthly sensation and seemed like the finale to some huge pyrotechnic display.
One incident that elicited Mr. Edison's surprise was the operation of a motion picture camera perched on the top of his Laboratory during the height of the fire. "See that," he exclaimed to nearby friends, and then laughed with delight. These pictures have since been shown in some photoplay houses and were remarkably successful films.
Unfortunately soon after the fire started all the lights went out, since the wires from the powerhouse were cut. This greatly hampered any work in the buildings. It is now determined that in the reconstructed buildings there will be an auxiliary lighting system with Edison Storage Batteries, so that in any emergency light may be obtained when needed.
The fire was witnessed by a vast throng of sightseers, probably ten to fifteen thousand people. Starting at 5.30 P. M., it reached its height at 10 P. M., and at that time its progress was checked, or at least confined to the buildings already on fire. Yet at 7 A. M. the next morning the firemen were still at work,
SOME ANSWERS WHICH MR. EDISON
MADE TO TELEGRAMS AND
LETTERS RECEIVED
THE DAY AFTER
THE FIRE
T
HERE'S lots of ginger in the old man yet."
"Am sure it would please you greatly (President Wilson) to watch the people here and to see what American hustling will accomplish in a short period of time."
"One would think, to see so many men at work, that he was witnessing the operations of the German army in Louvain."
"I am so full of Cayenne pepper that everybody sneezes when they come near me."
"I wonder if Teddy wouldn't enjoy seeing this hustle."
"It's a bad fire, but just watch and see how quickly I can start the plant again."
"It's like the old days to have something real to buck up against."
"I've been through lots of things like this. It prevents a man from being afflicted with ennui."
"We will be on our feet again in record time."
From time to time Mr. Edison received such encouraging reports of the salvage work that in one case he remarked, "I am getting so many good reports that pretty soon somebody will tell me I haven't had any fire."