288 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLi) 



i be m<\ 1. 1915. 



canizers are required for manufacturing purposes. The com- 

 pany's complete building plans include a three-story brick 

 I <■ building and a reclaiming plant not yet completed 



The company manufactures soles and heels for the shoe 

 trade and claims to produce more rubber soles than any other 

 concern in America. In addition to this important branch of 

 the business, which occupies a most complete vulcanizing 

 press room 60 x 200 feet, the concern makes automobile ai 

 cessories. sporting goods, asbestos and rubber packing, as 

 bestos brake linings, horseshoe pails. "Soft Spot" heel 

 cushions and all sorts of mechanical and molded goods ex- 

 cept belting, hose and tires. Two years ago a hard molded 

 insulating department was formed to make Essex-Condensite, 

 used as an insulating material by makers of electrical ap- 

 pliances and automobiles, in ignition systems and for the c< Ber- 

 ing of automobile steering wheels. 



The Essex company operates its own pattern, carpenter and 

 machine simps and employs 400 hands. 



The officers are C. II. Oakley, president and general man- 

 ager: \Y. I'". I'.ainbridge. vice-president and New England 

 sales manager; ( >wen Moon, Jr.. treasurer; A. E. Moon, sec- 

 retarj and assistant treasurer. 



* * * 



The Ajax-Grieb Rubber Co is working 24 hours a day, with 

 three relays . if operatives, in an effort to take care of the 

 rapidly increasing demand for Ajax tires. Louis P. Destribats, 

 general manager of the factory, stated to The India Rubber 

 World correspondent that even witli the great output made pos- 

 sible by this factory arrangement the company will be taxed 

 to take rare of its trade. 



* * * 



John S. l',i oiighton. of the United & Globe Rubber Cos., 

 who rr, <ntl\ returned from an extended trip throughout the 

 South and West, reports that the outlook for spring business 

 is gratifying, particularly in the western market. 



* * * 



The Lambertville Rubber Co. has resumed operations after 

 having been shut down for three weeks for stock taking and 

 repairs. This concern's line of rubber boots and shoes finds 

 a steadily increasing demand throughout the country. 



* * * 



The Luzerne Rubber Co. has moved into its newly com- 

 pleted building, which affords accommodations for its office 

 department, shipping and inspection rooms. The plant 

 throughout has been practically doubled in capacity and new 

 and up-to-date machinery has been installed. The old steam 

 system of motive power has been replaced by electricity, with 

 individual motors attached to machines. 



* * * 



Fire, which did damage to the amount of $1,500,000. 

 wiped out the insulated wire department of the John A. 

 Roebling's Sons Co. at Trenton January 18. The blaze 

 started in a mysterious manner in the shipping department 

 about 7 o'clock in the evening while several hundred men 

 were employed in various parts of the plant. 



Owing to the fact that some materials were being manu- 

 factured supposedly for use in the French army the rumor 

 d ground that a German spy had caused the fire. F. W. 

 Roeblirig, secretary-treasurer of the company, said he gave no 

 credence to the report. 



The lire destroyed not only the huge plant in which 

 insulated wire business of the company was conducted 

 but also a long row of residences, and came alarmingly near 

 spreading through the plant of the Home Rubber I 



The lire brigade of the Home Rubber Co. remained on 

 duty all night and several incipient blazes along the windows 

 and roof of the plant were put out. An automobile chemical 

 engine was stationed alongside of the Home plant and the 

 flame- swepl 3d close that it was necessary to drag it away 



with the aid of a locomotive, which serves to illu--Tr.it. 

 dangerous position of the company's property, 



About 1.000 operatives were thrown out of employment by 

 the destruction of the Rocbling plant and many of these 

 suffered the further affliction of losing their homes. In addi- 

 tion to tin total loss of many thousands of dollars' worth of 



Interkr View' of Insulated Wire Department. 



special machinery, large quantities of finished product were con- 

 sumed by the flames. 



The Roebling wire department was a model in fireproof 

 construction. It had practically a complete inner lining of 

 clinched metal protecting walls and ceilings. The elevator 

 shafts were absolutely "fire proof." Self-closing doors, a 

 supposedly adequate sprinkler system, a well organized shop 

 tire department equipped with chemical carts, hose, extin- 

 guishers and other apparatus of the latest design, had ren- 

 dered the plant theoretically immune from the very element 

 by which it was destroyed. 



There was only about $300,000 insurance on the building 

 and machinery of the Roebling company. F. W. Roebling 

 said after the lire that the company would rebuild at once. 

 Xo large building will replace the burned one but a number 



Exterior View of Insulated Wire Department. 



oi smaller structures will be erected so that the disaster 

 cannot be so complete should fire again visit the plant. The 

 mayor of Elizabeth. New Jersey, and the president of the 

 Board of Trade of that city visited' Trenton after the fire and 

 tried, without success, to induce the Roeblings to locate 

 their insulated wire department in that place. 



