The Bell Effect Revisits the 1975 New York Telephone Company Fire

[@jameskbattlesr.9761]

I was one of the first Western Electric installers on site as the smoke and flames were still happening. We starting bringing in any and all equipment needed for the Installation part of this Monstrous job. We worked there ripping out the old #1 Xbar and Panel offices, to make ready for the new. The floors, which were quite thick were also buckled and warped and had to be removed and refurbished by the Tel. Co. Construction Crews. We also assembled the new 300 vertical main frame with materials from all over the country. Our crew ran the first cables from the main frame to the cable vaults in the basement through the many designated slots . 4000 workers indeed made this a "Miracle on Second Avenue", weeks of hard and and hazardous labor made this happen.

[@Patrick_B687-3]

That’s awesome James. How old were you then?

[@DirtyDingles]

I started my career in second avenue, when Bell Tell was called Nynex , in 96. There’s a plaque on the wall , in the lobby of the CO , commemorating the workers who worked the fire , Who went above and beyond their Duties. A young Splicer myself , I always thought , what a great way to define a career . I watch this now retired after 26 years with the Company , proud to of a splicer just like them. I’m humbled to have had such a great career with the Company, doing what I loved.

[@fredferrara4964]

As the job steward for Western Electric based at 2nd ave, I was one of the first to see the total damage which looked like a war zone.

[@Patrick_B687-3]

Loved this but you should have left his comments uncut. I wanted to hear more about his experience in the Bronx. Not cool at all.

[@Redcrown48]

I worked this fire for about 6 straight weeks after we were allowed in the Vault. It was allot of hurry up and wait and chaos. I was surprised that anything got done, but it did. There were food carts going around with jelly donuts and ham sandwiches. and black burned up plastic sheath was every where. especially when you blew your nose. If you needed a wiffiee or a 76 set they were available outside from the many trailer trucks. I've talked with FDNY FF's about this fire and everybody had died from that initial attack with this fire. I even talked to a guy who said they started this with a breakdown set whiie shooting a trouble from oustside, probably baloney.

[@TheDeskChicken]

I worked for the foreman that supposedly was the one on the 630 set that lit the fire. Even 20 years later it was a hush hush thing. Meanwhile we had guys causing fires here and there doing the same thing. Nothing major luckily but still....

[@kh3612]

Awesome interview with Tommy Steed! I'm sure he was a well-respected VP as he woked his way up thru the ranks; unlike today's "college-boy execs" that know NOTHING about the industry! Incredible team effort especially considering all records were on paper back then, so the Clerical and Engineering forces would also have made huge contributions to the restoration. The "old Ma Bell" (pre-divestiture) certainly was a force to be reckoned with!

[@azmrblack]

16:29 The fire video from the ATT Archives states it was rebuilt as a #5 Crossbar, not ESS1? Or I must be mixing something up...

[@truenorth3740]

Drank soo much beer had great time , made big OT plus travel pay

[@joe740i3]

the most honest comment ever

[@VinylToVideo]

Sounds like a union job in the 70s in a nutshell. Very few jobs like this around still, but they're out there. I won't name them lol

[@hornet6969]

@15:45 What it a Tandem C.O. ? BTW, Today we'd be f@#$ed ! No single (civilian) entity could handle something like this.

[@Wa3ypx]

Have you ever went back to visit the manhole?

[@truenorth3740]

Planned fire without fire touchstone service wouldn’t happened till 5 years later