Page 137 - Demo

135I had just graduated from Purdue a few weeks earlier, and was living temporarily at my parents%u2019 house in Lafayette prior to attending graduate school at Ball State. I don%u2019t recall why my sister Mari, her boyfriend George, and I were up so late that night%u2014probably watching an old movie on TV. Anyway, we began hearing sirens just after midnight and decided to go outside and investigate. The wails of emergency vehicles were coming from all parts of the city, but as we began driving, we soon realized they were all headed towards downtown. Following their lead, we noticed the sky up ahead glowing a reddish-orange.Nearing the roaring blaze, we gaped at flames completely engulfing the old wooden grain elevator. It had stood for decades near the railroad tracks running along the Wabash River, and it would soon be gone forever. A crowd had already gathered by the time we arrived, and more curious spectators continued showing up for over an hour. Together, we all stood in awe before the hellish, all-consuming conflagration. The fire was an impressive spectacle%u2014made especially so by the black of the night sky. The radiant energy released by the stories-high flames, even from some distance away, almost burned my arms and face. Within a short time, the ferocity of the blaze caused the main structure to collapse. Yet, it continued burning for the remainder of the night, with tired firemen still dealing with sporadic hot spots when dawn broke.The next day, the newspaper carried all the facts and figures. It seems the elevator had been empty for a month, and was for sale when the fire broke out. In all, the fire department responded with seven units, having a combined crew of 22 firemen on the scene. No one was seriously injured, with only one fireman requiring treatment for cuts on his hand. The owner reported the elevator had been insured for $56,000.Despite reading all this in the evening paper, I eventually forgot the impressive, impersonal, statistics. In fact, I can only relate them here because I found a copy of the original newspaper article at Lafayette%u2019s 5 Points Firehouse Museum. But, it%u2019s not the facts that are memorable%u2014it%u2019s the sight, feel, and sound of that immense nighttime blaze. No doubt, hundreds of other Hoosiers have witnessed similar fires over the years, in their own hometowns. An experience never to be forgotten%u2014a local grain elevator going up in flames.Topeka, LaGrange Co. (654.09)