The talking machine world (Jan-Dec 1914)

THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD. 27 Big Fire Will Cause Only Short Delay in Operation of Edison Plant. Work of Rebuilding Factories in Orange Started on Morning Following ConflagrationThomas A. Edison Meets Disaster Courageously— An Optimistic Letter to the Trade — Record Molds and Much Machinery Saved -Final Estimates of Actual Monetary Loss. West Orange citizens gathered to the extent of 12,000 near the scene of the fire, all desirous of helping the firemen. Sympathy for the famous inventor was universal in the great crowd which gathered. Hundreds of telegrams and letters from friends and business acquaintances reached Mr. Edison after the fire. They came from all over the country, and contained expressions of regret at his loss. Naturally Edison representatives in every section of the country are deeply interested in the future plans of the Edison corporation; but, they can rest assured that no time will be lost in creating a newer and greater enterprise, and that every possible means will be used to facilitate the rehabilitation of the manufacturing enterprise. Encouraging Letter to Dealers. On Thursday morning, the day after the fire, the following optimistic and encouraging letter, signed by C. H. Wilson, vice-president and general manager of Thos. A. Edison, Inc., was sent to the trade Orange, N. J., December 10, 1914. Mr. Edward Lyman Bill, Talking Machine World, New York City. Dear Sir: — We thank you Very much for your telegram expressing sympathy. Workmen and engineers are already busy clearing away the debris and planning repair work. It is the consensus of opinion that we shall be manufacturing phonographs and records in a surprisingly short space of time. Yours very truly, C. H. Wilson, Vice-President and Gen. Manager. The destruction of a large portion of the great Edison plant at West Orange, N. J., by fire, on the night of December 9, was a distinct shock to the entire country, for not only talking machine representatives, but the entire world were interested in the great inventor and his creations, and will sympathize with him and his associates in the destruction of the great Edison plant. While it is not definitely known just how the fire started, it is supposed that an explosion in the the fire. There was also a small outside insurance. The great inventor, with his wife and several friends, stood near a window on the fourth floor of the building across the street and saw the work of years wiped out by the flames. His first concern was for his laboratory, where scientific machinery of great value was installed and which contained all the Edison patents and records of all his works. Firemen kept more than a dozen streams of water playing on this building, while film room, a one-story frame building, was the direct cause. At least an explosion was heard in that building before the flames were first seen. The celluloid films burned with a rapidity and fierceness that sent tongues of flame through the windows of the cabinet works, a five-story, concrete building adjoining. In a short time that building was wrecked and the flames had spread to half a dozen other buildings. The moving picture building in which all of the Edison photo plays were constructed and which contained films, cameras and motion picture apparatus of great value, was destroyed, not a single thing being saved of all its contents. The storage building of the chemical works practically blew to pieces when the fire came in contact with the hundreds of pounds of chemicals stored there. The other buildings destroyed included the plants of the Bates Numbering Machine Co., the Edison Diamond Disc Phonograph Works, the Edison Phonograph Cylinder Works, the Edison Primary Battery Works and the Blue Amberol Phonograph Works and the Administration building. The monetary loss is very large. It is said that Mr. Edison will have to stand a loss of between $3,000,000 and $4,000,000. He carried his own insurance, a so-called blanket policy, whereby out of the yearly profits of the plant he has been putting away a certain percentage for fire risk. He explained that he has through that policy about View of the Ruins of the Edison Plant Taken the Morning After others carried out all of its contents and stored them in the storage battery building across Lakeside avenue. Both these buildings were saved in their entirety. The great inventor bore his loss bravely, his voice was cheerful and he smiled when reporters questioned him on the night of the fire. "I'm pretty well burned out just now, boys," he said, "but I'll start all over to-morrow. There'll be some rapid mobilizing here when this debris cools off and is cleared away. I'll go right to work to build the plant over again. It is just a temporary setback ; don't forget that. "If anyone had told me yesterday that this block could be destroyed by fire," he exclaimed, "I would have considered that man crazy. But I'll wager that the new plant I'll build will be proof against everything but an earthquake." Of the. 3,700 employes who worked in the buildings that were destroyed, as many .as possible will get work in the reconstruction. "While the film-producing plant was wiped out entirely," said C. H. Maxwell, second vice-president of the Edison Corporation, "we still have a wooden auxiliary film building a short distance from the site of the fire. "The phonograph works were destroyed entirely, and there will be a temporary stop to this branch of the Edison business. This business should be resumed in a very short time. Casts of records on which the voices of famous singers are recorded the Fire. and should serve to set at rest any fears entertained by jobbers and dealers regarding the ability to secure future supplies of machines and records. The letter reads: "To Edison Disc Dealers — We find that the fire is not as bad as first supposed. Most all our machinery is intact and will only have to be cleaned up. We are moving it into the storage battery buildings, which are nearly as large as those burned and just completed; also we are starting outside shops manufacturing the disc phonograph motors. "As to records, we are not badly crippled and believe we shall be able to ship a monthly list January 1, and be in good shape thereafter. "All orders on file are hereby cancelled. Do not ship to Orange any records, repair work or any material until you are advised we are ready to receive it. "Shipments of advance supplemental lists of disc records, either on hand or en route, may be placed on sale immediately. "Assuring you that we shall work day and night to put things into shape again, we are. "Yours very truly, "Thos. A. Edison. Inc." Some men climb the ladder of success. Others hold it. It's largely a matter of initiative — or the lack of it. $2,000,000 to offset in part the damage caused by were saved, however." No harvest of success was ever reaped from a sowing of wild oats.