BERKNER ELEVATOR DESTROYED BY FIRE
Second Conflagration Wiped Out Plant of
Ed. F. Berkner at
Sleepy Eye.
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EMPLOYEE MADE STRONG FIGHT TO SAVE BUILDING
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Fire Discovered in
Cupola. Flames Got Under Iron Clading and Impossible to Extinguish.
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The elevator owned by Ed. F. Berkner of Sleepy Eye was destroyed by fire Tuesday evening. The building was erected following the burning of the old plant several years ago. It was a model and is said to have been one of the most modern and convenient elevators in this part of the state.
Considerable Grain.
It is said that about 6,000 bushels of grain, consisting of wheat, corn,oats, and a small quantity of barley, rye and flax, were on hand at the time of the fire and are a loss. The loss on building and grain will be in excess of $50,000, it is said. There was some insurance.
The feed mill, which is located near the elevator, together with the flour and feed storage room, were saved by the valiant work of the firemen.
The fire started in a one of the cupolas of the elevator, and it is likely that the cause of the blaze was a hot box or a spark from a motor, which is situated in the cupola, and is used to furnish power to elevate grain. The blaze also might have been caused by spontaneous combustion. The cause is unknown. The blaze was discovered in the cupola about 10 o’clock and Emil Sommerfeld, an employee of the plant, at once went to the cupola and attempted to extinguish the flames by the aid of a fire extinguisher, but was not successful. The flames became so hot that he was driven to leave his perilous task. The fire department was on the scene in a few minutes, but did not succeed in getting control of the fire, until the building was doomed. The building was an ironclad one and the flames were difficult to fight by reason of this construction.
Mr. Berkner was out of the city at the time of the fire, but was reached by a message and returned to Sleepy Eye Wednesday afternoon.
Brown County Journal,
January 16, 1925
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