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14
EDISON PHONOGRAPH MONTHLY, JANUARY, 1915
No. 11 Building, North Fnd. Screw Machine Shop.
Foreground, Remnant of Box Shop and Freight Cars which were awaiting shipment.
WHAT -MR. EDISON DID WHILE THE FIRE RAGED
By An Eye Witness.
WHEN the fire started Mr. Edison was in the Laboratory. As soon as he knew about the fire he went down the main drive and watched and directed the work to some extent. Mrs. Edison joined him there. Mrs. Edison directed the moving of cases, etc., that were in the yard near the fire. Mr. Edison seemed a little anxious about the laboratory, but otherwise was not much disturbed. After standing near the office building for some time he and Mrs. Edison went up to the Laboratory, and later watched the fire from the laboratory door. Then there was a question of dynamiting the little laboratory buildings, and Mr. and Mrs. Edison went across Valley Road and remained there for some time, later going over to the Storage Battery building side of Lakeside Avenue to view the fire from a different angle Mr. Edison seemed quite thoughtful, and was planning how and where to start up again. As it was cold and wet outside someone suggested that they go just inside the door of the Storage Battery building. They were not there long before Mr. Bachman suggested they would see better from the sixth floor. Accordingly, they went up. Mrs. Edison had some coffee and sandwiches sent down from
the house. Mr. Edison appeared perfectly calm, telling stories and discussing future plans. When the coffee came he drank three cups straight, which was the only sign he gave of unusual strain.
When the alcohol tank went up, there was a great burst of flame and smoke, and considerable noise. Mr. and Mrs. Edison went to the window, and for a short while Mr. Edison appeared anxious and watched events carefully. It was more the attitude of "what's the use of planning till I can tell how far this thing is going to go?" than anything else. Some of the ladies present were considerably frightened by the alcohol going up, and insisted that Mr. and Mrs. Edison go down to a safer place than on the sixth floor. Accordingly, they all went down to the first floor, where Mr. Edison again started to tell stories and seemed perfectly natural. After the fire had quieted down somewhat they returned to the top floor. By this time department heads were coming in to report. Mr. Edison gave directions as to this and that, and acted as if he enjoyed the hustling. Plans were made as far as could be done without further investigation of the ruins, and about one o'clock Mr. and Mrs. Edison went home. After going home Mr. Edison spent some time reading.
"This is certainly a good test of my concrete buildings, but I haven't been used to spending so much money on one experiment." — Edison.