Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 175, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1914 — BIG ELEVATOR TOTALLY DESTROYED BY EIRE [ARTICLE]

BIG ELEVATOR TOTALLY DESTROYED BY EIRE

Babcock & Hopkins’ Plant Destroyed Saturday Night -Building Loss Placed at $40,000, With SIO,OOO Grain Loss.

SECOND FIRE IN 3 YEARS 'A' ... ....... . ’ Mystery Surrounds Fire's Inception —Grain Loss Covered by Insurance But Only About Ono-Third of Building Cost Covered—Many Residences in Rensselaer Were Set on Fire But Heroic Work by Firemen and Volunteers Prevented Other Fires—Firm is Accepting Grain and Loading It by the Portable Elevators—Expect to Rebuild of Concrete. For the second time in a little more than three years the Babcock & Hopkins grain elevator was totally destroyed by fire last Saturday night. The destruction was complete and the elevator and all the machinery, together with from 12,000 to 20,tW bushels ofgrain was destroyed. The fire was flrat discovered at about 9 o’clock. William Walters, with his family, drove along the south side of the elevator and saw indications of a fire. He stopped at Van Wood’s barbershop and, called Mr. Wood’s attention to the fire. Van ran over to the elevator and saw that it was really on fire. He then made an effort to turn in a fire call, but for some reason could not get a reply from the central office. Others were making an effort to turn in the call at about the same time. There seems to have been a loss of from 8 to 10 minutes before the call reached the fire engine room and the light plant, where the signal is sounded. The fire must have made great headway, however, befqre discovered at all, for it was only a few minutes until the flames were rushing all through the main building and when the fire company arrived, only a few moments after the signal had been given, there was nothing to be done to prevent the entire destruction of the building. In fact, most people realized that the problem confronting the fire company was not to save the elevator but to prevent the destruction of other property. Chief Montgomery saw the imminent danger to the Grant-War-ner lumber company’s plant, just west of the elevator and the residences on Vine street, commonly known as smoky row. There was only a slight breeze, but the burning embers were carried long distances and 26 other buildings were set on fire, but there was a general program of watchfulness that resulted in every fire being put out almost at once. The fire company worked with magnificent courage and endurance and to them is due the main credit for the fact that the fire did not do a lot more damage than to destroy the elevator. The elevator office and the garage, which was the property of the elevator owners, both escaped destruction, but the old depot, which was used as a grain house, was burned. To all appearances the fire started in the. dust or chaff room, which was at the southwest corner of the main building and which was used to store the dippings from the grain. Mr. BabcocK, senior member of the firm, wtas at first disposed to accept the theory of spontaneous combustion in this room, but later after a more thorough consideration he is reluctant to believe that it could have started there. Employees of the elevator were in the dust room sevejal times during the day and there was no sign of fire or smoke. The fact that the fire gathered such tremendous headway in so short a space of'time also looks peculiar and while the owners of the elevator are unwilling to believe that any one would have set the building on fire, there is, neverthless, considerable mystery. Fifteen minutes after the fire was discovered the flames had eaten a hoi through a 12-inCh board wall that was covered with sheet iron, and the flames were fanning through the shafts to the roof. The eleaner and sheller pipes furnished a strong draft and fanned jjfee flames everywhere. It was, however, almost 11:30 o’clock when the building fell. In the meantime three cars of grain which stood alongside the elevator were removed to a place of safety. Practically every person in Rensselaer was at the flre, while they oame in large numbere from the surrounding country and from

other towns. The light from the tall building gave a red tinge to the sky that could be seen at Monon, Remington, Mt. Ayr and other places, It was a spectacle to behold and all who witnessed it were impressed with the great loss Which it meant to the community and especially to the owners, who had suffered the loss of their other large elevator April 29th, 1911, or only a little over three years ago, and ;who had also had an elevator at Parr burned a few years ago. Messrs. Babcock & Hopkins were es courageous as could be throughout the fire, although they were ter rfbly affected by the fact that this great loss had come so quickly on top of the other one. They are unable to say definitely yet today, Monday, what their loss is, but Mr. Babcock stated to a reporter for The Republican that the building cost Tight at $40,000 and that the insurance was only about one-third the cost. The grain damage he estimated at SIO,OOO, fully protected by insurance. Part of the graip belonged to farmers, who had stored it. This is all p lotected. Babcock & Hoplkinis began receiv- ' ing grain this Monday morning, haying put into use the portable elevators used three years ago this summer. They realize that custo mers will be placed to some inconvenience, but this can not be helped and pending the settleitrent of insurance and the preparation for rebuilding it is the only method of receiving grain. Asked about rebuilding Mr. Bab-j cock replied, “Yas, we will have to' rebuild, but the next time we will build a concrete elevator.” Babcock & Hopkins control some 75 miles of railroad in the grain business, owning the elevators and buying stations from Monon to the Kankakee river and from MeOoysburg to Dinwiddle, on the Gifford branch. To handle the grain received from these stations requires a central elevator and makes it necessary to rebuild. The requirements of the country also makes a big elevator here much needed. Messrs. Babcock & Hopkins have had a string of calamities ever since they entered the business. Nine years ago the failure of the McCoy bank temporarily put them Out of business, but they arose from it with flying colors, just as we feel certain they will again overcome this second destructive fire. This Monday morning there was still a lot of fire, the flames eating into the piles of grain, and streams of water had almost ,no effect on the fire. The salvage from the 'grain will evidently be small. Chief Montgomery had a half dozen Streams of water playing on the building Saturday night and •in use preventing a spread of the fire. He had 3,500 feet of hose, 1,000 feet 'having been borrowed from the college. • Jim Rhoades, one of the firemen, became overcome while fighting the fire, and w-as taken to his home. He soon revived, however,“and returned to again aid in the fight the firemen were making. Messrs. Babcock & Hopkins built the elevator which was just de- ' stroyed three years ago this summer and fall. It was completed in time to receive the corn crop of 1911. It was splendidly equipped in the way of modern machinery and besides the extensive business done at home and with the adjacent elevators which they own, they shipped in a lot of grain from other points, drying and 'bleaching and clipping the oats. They worked a large force of men, generally having both day and night shifts and the plant was our biggest labor employing industry. The owners can not say definitely what they will do about rebuilding. The insurance must be adjusted and time given to consider the cost of a concrete building. The importance of the business to this community is such that It Is the hope of every man and woman that Messrs. Babcock & Hopkins will be Wlrtlinr bumr a plant, better than ever before, and that they may never again have so direful a calamity to withstand. Our eomtort shoes will overcome that tired feeling and relieve those tired, aching feet. They are made to fit" the “foot. Shoe Store, Opera House Block.