The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-06-11

Hot Box Starts Fire Which Is the
Biggest That Has Taken Place in
This Vicinity for Seven Years and
All Property In Vicinity Is Jeop-
ardized.

The most spectacular fire that has
been witnessed by the people of Ham,
nOnd since the G. H. Hammond com
Dany was partially destroyed by fire
I'm 1901, burned the grain elevator of
the Superior Mailing company to the
ground and entaiIed a loss of 100000
for the building and 100000 for the
grain which was stored therein.
The fire started as a result of a hot
box on the wheel which carries the
bOisting belt and quickly spread to the
entire top of the building. The old
elevator was as dry as finder and was
constructed, in the manner of many of
the old elevators, of wood covered with
corrugated iron sheeting.
Strong Wind Adds to Danger.
A strong wind was blowing from the
north and although the West Ham
mond and Hammond fire departments
responded to the alarm and were final
~ assisted by departments from Hege-
wisch and South Chicago, the avail
able water was insufficient to make the
lighting of the fire worth while and the
efforts of the department were con-
6ned to saving the surrounding prop
erty.
The elevator of the Superior Mailing
company was located in West Ham
mond at what is known as Calumet
park, almost directly east of this city
on P1ummer avenue. 1t occupied
small triangle of land at the. junction
of the Michigan Central, Indiana Har-
Dor and Chicago Junction tracks. To
the north of the elevator is the Thuet
Brothers cattle sheds and east of it
is the plant of the Western Grain
Products company. Both of these
properties We're menaced by the flames
Started in Roof of Building.
The fire started in the roof of the
building and quickly enveloped the
entire structure. The shafts in the eIe-
vator. through which access is gained
to the top, soon became air fues and
the roar Of the air through the build
ing could be heard for blocks away.
1t was not long before the tall steel
chimney over the engine room be-
came loosened and was carried with
crash over the tracks and yards. of the !
Michigan Central railroad. This han
pened not fifteen minutes after the 5:45
Michigan from Chicago went whizzing
past without stopping and blistered |
one whole side in going through the
heat
After the roof of the building had
had been entirely consumed by the
flames thes ides began to burn. and |
flames the sides began to burn. and |
duced in heighth until this morning |
1t is nothing but a bed of ashes and
smoldering Goals
Makes Grand Sight.
The destruction of the building was
a magnificent sight. AS the sides of
the building caught fire the pieces of
corrugated iron were ripped off by the
wind and went sailing over the tracks.
The wind was so strong and the heat
was so great that repeatedly there
were formed on the south side of the
building miniature whirlwinds of great /
velocity. Every once in a while these +
whtrlwtnds would start and a funnel
shaped cloud of black smoke would
pick up the debris, including the hun
dreds OF sheets of iron, and carry them 4
high in the sky.
The roof fell in and a great burst of .
Atahe shot INTO the sky to a height of I
hundred feet or more. Every now I
and then the fire seemed to consume !
some chemical and the flames would !
become colored yellow or blue.
Cars Set on Fire.
On the sidetracks and in the Micbi- 9
gan Central yards, which are lust south :
of the elevator, there were hundreds =
of cars. The fire brands which We're
carried from the burning building 7
lighted on top of these cars and soon
a score of them were on fire. I
The switch engine in the yards work. !
ed industriously to get the cars out of
range of the flames. but although II
pulled train load after train load ont !
OF the path of the flames, many of them
were carried but a little distance down =,
the tracks and were consumed by the '
CONTINUED on naxe eN