River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-06-08
Weekend Storms Destructive

tied this locality for over a year
were experienced here Friday and
Saturday nights of last week. The
rain Friday night washed out con-
siderable grain and put the country
roads in bad shape. The Kinnic-
kinnic overhowed its banks and
several culvert bridges were carried
away. During Fridays storm a
large new barn on the John Triebus
farm in the town of Troy was struck
by lightning and totally destroyed
by fire. One horse was killed.
The loss was covered by insurance
of Sips.
The storm returned with renewed
vigor Saturday night and was &C.
companied by a terrific electrical
bombardment. Crash after crash
of deafening thunder announced
the descent of a tightening bolt In
the near vicinity, and when the fire
alarm sounded at about 1915 Sun
day morning it was call that most
everyone who had been kept awake
by the storm had expected. There
was no need for guide to the fire,
for the flames had spread beyond
control before the alarm had been
turned in and while the bell was
ringing the entire structure of the
Wisconsin Elevator was one solid
mass of flames. The fire apparatus
was hurried to the scene, one of the
hose carts and eight firemen making
a record run with the aid of an
auto from the Ramer garage, and
the attention of the department was
centered In saving the adjoining
property. The elevator and all of
its contents, including between five
and six thousand bushels of grain
oats, succotash. barley end rye
ten tons of feed, two motors, one OF
them TO- and the other G. 7H-horse
power, two tanning mills and the
usual assortment of tools, etc., was
nothing more than charred mass
of embers an hour later. The build
ing was insured for $4,000 and the
grain loss was covered by blanket
policy. The elevator was built five
years ago by the Wisconsin Elevat-
or Col. Kinsey of Baldwin and
Harry North of Hudson-and has
been run under the management of
r. w. Reynolds of this city, with
William A. Hawkins as assistant.
1t is stated that the owners expect
to rebuild the elevator in the near
future. The storm, which had
abated while the fire was at it's
height, returned about two o'clock
and several bolts of lightning struck
near the 6remen as they were reel
ing up the hose, one bolt knocking
several of the men and two of the
horses down but not seriously in
juring any of them.
The city suffered the loss of
couple of transformers which were
burned on poles near the elevator
and also couple of meters which
were in the elevator. The city's
loss will amount to little over
5000. The lights were turned out
all over town soon after the fire was
noticed and without the aid of the
almost constant flashes of lightning
the spectators at the fire would
have had a hard time finding their
respective homes. Electrician Buck
and his crew put in a strenuous
night repairing the lines and had
the system in working order before
dawn.
Jimmy Peterson capped the event
full night off with little comedy
stunt about five o'clock In the morn
ing. He had slept peacefully
through the storm and, after every
one else had gone home, he awoke
and saw the glare of the embers
from the nearly extinguished elevat-
or FIRE. Sure that he had discover
ed a dangerous blaze he rushed
down to the livery barn and an
nounced TO the night man the start
ling fact that there was fire in the
vicinity of the elevator. The livery
man told Jim to go back to bed, but
Jim wouldn't harken; he went over
to the fire hall and began tolling
the bell for all in sight. Someone
finally led him away and explained
that the fire was already past histo-
nv. The second alarm, however,
brought out quite a number of
people.
While the people were watching
the FIRE here the residents of the
John Hanley farm in the town of
Kinnickinnic were fighting fire
which finally destroyed their barn.
A horse and calf were burned to
6aofh II, thjc blaze The harm was