50 Years Ago Six fire Departments battle Lovewell fire

In May of 1974, firemen from six Kansas and Nebraska fire departments battled a Saturday evening blaze at the Scoular-Bishop Grain Company in Lovewell but were unable to save the wooden elevator house.

It was approximately 5:30 that afternoon when a passerby reported smoke and fire coming from the top of the elevator. By 7:30 p.m., most of the old-style, wooden structure had been consumed.

The Formoso Fire Department was the first on the scene and prevented the fire from spreading to adjoining buildings and the firm's office. A gasoline pump near the office and the office building both caught fire but the firemen were able to extinguish the flames before the fire caused much damage.

Ten fire trucks and firemen from Superior, Mankato, Courtland, Republic and Webber soon joined the Formoso department and contained the fire to the wooden structure. A lack of water prevented them from extinguishing the fire. Water tankers were used to haul water from the Courtland irrigation canal above Lovewell Lake to replenish the pumper supplies.

At the height of the fire, hot cinders were being carried south and east from the fire and Lovewell residents washed their homes with water to keep the fire from spreading. Lovewell doesn't have a village water system but is served by a rural water district.

A. E. Cantrell, manager of the elevator for more than 25 years before his retirement Jan. 1, stated he had always feared lightning would set it afire but no evidence of storm damage was found Saturday morning when the elevator crew cleaned the building. However, as the flames consumed the elevator Saturday evening, he wondered if the windstorm Friday might have someway damaged the electrical system.

Richard Howe, manager of the elevator, said it contained about 7,000 bushels of corn and 4,000 bushels of milo. One of the two large steel storage tanks on the north side of the elevator was empty and the other one contained approximately 2,000 bushels of corn. The small bins on the south contained both wheat and milo. Firemen washed the metal storage bins with water to keep the fire from spreading.

As the fire continued to burn Wednesday, salvage operations were underway by a special elevator fire crew from the Morrison Grain Company in Salina.

The grain in the southeast steel bin was damaged by the heat and steps were taken Tuesday to move it. Attempts to salvage the grain in the north storage tank failed after the tank was opened. The grain in that tank had been smoldering since Saturday. The Webber and Formoso fire trucks had been used to pump water onto the smoldering grain left from the elevator house but the soaking had failed to stop the fire. Howe said even though the grain was soaked each day, sparks would fly each evening after the water pumping stopped.

A dragline was scheduled Wednesday to begin loading the still burning rubble and grain into trucks to be hauled away and buried. The fire caused many anxious moments and several farmers were keeping watch on the elevator. The Howes, who lived in Webber, were staying in their camper at the elevator site.

When the first broke out, there was fear the electrical lines would topple but crews from the Jewell-Mitchell REA district arrived and disconnected the power.

As volunteers helped Howe carry records from the office early Saturday evening, the gasoline pump caught fire forcing the men to evacuate the office for fear it would explode.

A shift in the wind endangered the lumber yard to the west and twice the Formoso Fire Department returned to the scene. The Webber fire truck remained at the scene for several days and the Formoso Department stood by while the dragline attempted to clear the rubble.

Howe reported most of the grain in the elevator was being stored for area farmers. It was fully covered by insurance.

As electrical power was being restored to the elevator site Monday, an employee of the Jewell-Mitchell REA fell from a pole onto a railroad rail driven into the ground as a right of way marker. Both the Superior and Mankato ambulances were called and he was taken to the Jewell County Hospital.

The employee, Kenneth Truby, was listed in good condition Wednesday.

The elevator pit was used to catch the water used to soak the smoldering grain so that it could be used to resupply the fire engines. The pit water plus water from the rural water system reduced the need to haul water.

The elevator house and grain tanks were insured but the Scoular-Bishop firm chose not to rebuild.

The exact date for the construction of the elevator wasn't known but Cantrell indicated that Scoular-Bishop Company has been in business in Lovevell since 1896 and records found when the new office was constructed indicated the wooden building was probably built in 1906. The elevator neck was raised in 1934.

Firemen remained on the scene Sunday to make sure the fire in the smoldering remains didn't spread.

While there were no serious injuries, several firemen report receiving minor burns and a sprained ankle.