Ferrier Lumber Yard Fire April 1923

From the Flora Hoosier Democrat, Saturday, April 28, 1923, Flora, Indiana an article tiled :

LUMBER YARD AT Culver RUINED BY WIND-DRIVEN FIRE

The buildings of the J. O. Ferrier & Son Lumber Company, of Culver were laid in ashes and three residences were partly destroyed by fire which swept that town Saturday morning with a loss that is estimiated all the way from $75,000 to $100,000.

The fire burned over an area of three acres and for a time threatened to desrtroy the entire east-end section of the city.

So fierce were the flames that assisitance was sent to Knox, Plymouth and Logansport to help save the city, and the fire was brought under control about 11 o'clock Saturday morning.

The lumber company, also known as the Culver Lumber Company, is owned by J. O. Ferrier and his son Clark, both former residents of Flora, and well known here, the former's wife being a sister of Mrs. A. W. Eikenberry, residing on East Columbia street.

The buildings were located in the heart of the city, alongside the Pennsylvania tracks. There are nearly two score of homes in the immediate vicinity of the fire, while a number of business houses are also located but a short distance away.

The blaze broke out at 4 o'clock in the morning in one of the outbuildings of the company.

A stiff wind fanned the flames. With such amazing rapidity did the flames spread that by six o'clock the entire yard was transformed literally into a roaring furnace.

It was impossible for the one fire truck of Culver and its voluntary firefighting force to stem the fire and long distance telephone calls for assistance were dispatched to the nearhy towns of Knox and Plymouth. But even this augmented force was unable to cope with the situation and at 8:50 o'clock Logansport was called for aid and responded, being glad of the chance to return a favor. Culver and its citizens rendered aid at the time of the 1913 flood and again at the drowning of the three children there in March.

The combined equipment of Culver , Plymouth and Knox were inadequate to combat a fire of such gigantic proportions. None of the trucks of the three tomis were equipped with pumping devices to raise water from Lake Maxinkuckee.

It was necessary to rely upon the town's water system, consisting of driven wells which proved insufficient.

Thirty minutes after the call had reached Logansport for help a special train transported chemical trucks to Culver and two flat cars and one coach containing every fireman that it was possible to muster also steamed out of the Vandalia yards. The distance was covered in less than one hour.

At 10:25 o'clock the Logansport engines situated on the cars which conveyed them flooded the flames with thousands of gallons of water drawn from the lake.

The exact origin of the fire is said to be a mystery.

The flames had made extensive headway before they were discovered and, of course, quickly spread to adjacent buildings and mammoth piles of lumber.

Every citizen of Culver rushed to the scene and rendered assistance.

As the flames spread to the offices and garage of the company Clark Ferrier, son of the elder Ferrier, rushed into the burning garage and at the cost of personal injury managed to remove his touring car that had been parked in the building. The top of the car was burned away and in driving the machine from the burning building young Ferrier suffered severe burns about the hands and arms.

A Studebaker machine located in the garage was also removed but a Ford truck was destroyed before it could be taken out.

The flames leaped from one mass of lumher to another and soon spread toward the east, where homes were ignited. Some damage was done to the Morris hotel when it caught on fire.

On Apil 21, 1923 the luimber yard burned and it was rebuilt

From the Linton Daily Citizen, Saturday, April 21, 1923, Linton, Indiana

ENTIRE OF Culver IS THREATENED By FIRE
Lumber Yard in Heart of Town
Burned This Morning — Loss
Estimated at $100,000.

Culver , Ind., April 21.—The entire town of Culver was threatened with destruction by flames this morning when the Culver lumber yard, in the heart,of the town, was destroyed with loss estimated at $100,000.

Fire companies from Knox, Plymouth and Logansport responded to the alarm and pumped water from Lake Maxinkuckee onto the flames.

Two volunteer fire fighters were reported, injured.

Three houses near the lumber yard were damaged considerably