Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 17, Number 1, DeMotte, Jasper County, 22 November 1946 — COMBUSTION IS BELIEVED FIRE CAUSE [ARTICLE]

COMBUSTION IS BELIEVED FIRE CAUSE

Elevator Is CompleteDestroyed In Spectacular Early Morning Blaze; Follows Fire Of 1944 « r - Fire, the cause of which has not been determined but which is believed to have been caused by an explosion resulting from combustion of hot corn, early Tuesday morning destroyed the Enos elevator creating a loss estimated at $75,000 after insurance deduction. # The flames were discovered by Mr. Bennett, operator of a grocery store opposite the elevator. The entire roof was afire when Mr. Bennett made the discovery. The Morocco fire department responded, but due to lack of water facilities, could do little toward stemming the blaze. Housed in the elevator were 25, 000 bushels of corn, 5,500 bushels of beans, a car of buckwheat and 100 tons of feed and a large arnount of building material. The-elevator was owned by Walter Atkinson and John Colburn of Morocco. Harry Brunton, manager of the elevator, had a thrid wording interest. Mr. Brunton said he had been at the elevator uijtil about midnight and apparently everything was all right when he left. A millworker said he passed the building and there was no evidence of fire, but when he again passed the elevator ten minutes later the roof was afire. The elevator was practically new, having been built three years ago following a fire which destroyed its predecessor in January, 1944. The elevator just destroyed occupied the same site as the one which was burned in 1944. The owners have no plans relative to rebuilding.