Great value in disaster
Thomas Edison's laboratory was virtually destroyed by fire in
December, 1914. Although the damage exceeded two milion
dollars, the buildings were only insured for $238,000 because they
were made of concrete and thought to be fireproof. Much of
Edison's life's work went up in spectacular flames that December
night.
At the height of the fire, Edison's 24-year-old son, Charles, frantically
searched for his father among the smoke and debris. He finally found him,
calmly watching the scene, his red face glowing in the reflection, his white
hair blowing in the wind.
"My heart ached for him," said Charles. "He was 67 - no longer a young man
to start life when everything was going up in flames. When he saw me, he
shouted, 'Charles, where's your mother?' When I told him I didn't know, he
said, 'Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this as long
as she lives.'“
The next morning, Edison looked at the ruins and said, "There is great value
in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”
Three weeks after the fire, Edison managed to deliver his first phonograph.
- From Brian Cavanaugh's The Sower's Seeds
If your house is on fire, warm yourself by it.
- Spanish Proverb
Giá trị vĩ đại của một tai nạn
Tháng 12 năm 1914, phòng thí nghiệm của nhà bác học Thomas Edison bị
