While the project improve the acoustic phonograph the 1880s
had taken the bulk the experimental facilities the West Orange
laboratory, electrical recording experiments were carried out Building the
product engineers the business phonograph.submarine owed everything electrical propulsion and its storage batteries. attempt was made transfer
88
. The core phonograph
business was great deal trouble and Edison missed the boat both the
new popular dance music and new methods electrical recording and
amplification.
Although the 1920s were boom years for much American industry, they were
years depression and retrenchment West Orange. had agreed to
manufacture: gas masks, bomb sights, and electrical equipment. The disastrous explosion the
US Navy’s submarine may have prevented the wide adoption Edison storage batteries for submarine
use.
After the war was over, short-lived economic boom began; the West Orange
laboratory applied itself improving the large Edison product line and to
reducing manufacturing costs. Many Edison batteries were sold for use
in electric delivery trucks, although not many Edison would have liked; his
dream powering millions electric automobiles was never realized.
313 Josephus Daniels [Secretary the Navy] TAE, July 1915, Naval Consulting Board Records,
Box 1.312
Now Edison sought way find and destroy submarines.
312 Edison was extremely enthusiastic about the potential storage batteries for submarine usage and
Edison’s alkaline storage battery was ideal power source for submarines. The only new experimental project any
importance was the attempt convert Edison’s alkaline battery automobile
starter battery-a project doomed failure because his battery did not have the
power required turn the engine over.313 This was routine engineering work.
While Edison was away his laboratory concentrated devising manufacturing
programs for the numerous war goods that Thomas Edison, Inc.
The automobile was still one Edison’s great loves and his laboratory was full of
them. Although
Secretary the Navy Daniels had talked about applying Edison’s ’’magnificent
facilities” West Orange the war effort, the work done the laboratory was
more case arranging the manufacturing specified part than experimenting
to come with new better product. maintained his own collection the garage between Buildings and 2,
test rigs converted Building and various machines the courtyard. See TAE Franklin Roosevelt [Acting Secretary the Navy], September 10, 1915 (in 1915,
World War I)
