Logansport, IN Johnson Bakery Company Fire, Jul 1921

Entire Second Floor Burns Sunday Evening

Origin of Flames Are Undetermined-Loss Is “Covered”

Will Be Able To Supply Customers

Causing an estimated damage of $40,000, one of the largest fires ever known in the history of Logansport broke out at the Johnson Bakery Company’s plant, No. 1 Eel River Avenue, from an unknown source, at 6 o’clock Sunday evening completely demolished the second story, and doing considerable damage to the floor.

Well under way before the alarm was sent in, the fir which apparently started in the mixing room in the center of the second floor “as at its height upon arrival of the city fire department, and it was only after two hours of strenuous fighting that the flames were finally put under control at 8 o’clock. It took several house more work, however, before the fire was completely extinguished.

The crew on duty at Engine House No. 5 first saw the smoke, turning out in full force at the fire before a general alarm had been turned in, according to Fire Chief Livingston who stated that it was the biggest conflagration, outside of the Barnett Hotel fire a year ago in February.

Damage to the building alone was estimated at $20,000 by George W. Strecker, owner, who stated that losses were amply covered by insurance. The entire second floor was burned out and the roof completely destroyed.

Equipment valued at $20,000 was also burned or ruined by the water used in fighting the fire according to Roy Johnson, president of the company. The stock and fixtures were also fully covered by insurance.

Mr. Johnson said he believed he would be able to use the ovens with a little repair, and much of the other apparatus. However, he said, the mixer and grinder were totally ruined and would need to be replaced.

He could not determine yesterday whether some of the other machines would be fit for use with repairs or not.

Four carloads of flour amounting to 1,200 barrels in the reserve stock in the store room were drenched with water and part of it scorched.

Despite the enormous extent of damage done, however, workmen were busy clearing away the ruins all day yesterday and service will be resumed the same as usual this morning through the means of the Johnson Bakery on Broadway owned by the same company and the James Fisher bakery on East Linden Avenue.

No Suspension of Service.

The bakery will be running full capacity once more in three days time according to Mr. Johnson who left for Chicago this morning to buy new equipment which he will bring back overland on trucks. A full force of carpenters will go to work this morning and it is expected that a new roof and second floor will be finished with the building as good as new inside of two weeks.

Responding generously in the hour of need a number of bakeries in smaller towns throughout the county offered their services to Mr. Johnson by telegram. Among these was the Frankfort City bakery.

The cause for the fire has not yet been discovered according to Mr. Johnson who emphatically denied the rumor that it started from an overheated oven.

The packers and wrappers were here up until 6 o’clock when Manager E.F. Caldwell, himself, was one of the last to leave. The ovens are built in and made of brick with good 4-foot walls so it couldn’t have possible started there. The spontaneous combustion solution does not hold good either for all the windows were wide open.

Despite the fact that the fire had a good headway before the alarm was turned in it must have started in the short time between 6 o’clock and a quarter after.”

Firemen Commended.

Mr. Johnson said that fortunately nearly all the day’s baking intended for out-of-town trade had been sent to the express office, and other lots of bread had been taken away from the bakery. About 1,000 loaves were in the shipping room when the fire started but much of this was saved.

As a result the company was able to serve its customers the same as usual, and with the Fisher bakery, supplementing the ovens in the roadway plant there will be no loss in service.

The work of the firemen was especially commended by Mr. Johnson. He said he was surprised that the fighters were able to save as much of the building as they did. With the thermometer standing in the nineties all day, the heat from the raging flames made the work of the firemen most difficult. However, risking danger of being overheated and from suffocating, they climbed through windows and surrounded by smoke, poured on streams of water until the last embers had been extinguished.

Fire Chief Livingston said he was at the Northside when the blaze broke out and got to the building just before the fire trucks arrived. He said at that time flames were spurting high in the air near the center of the building and at the east end. At that time he said the Revere factory appeared to be in danger, while it looked like hard work would be necessary to prevent it from spreading to the Knitting works plant.

The pressure from the water works was augmented on one hose by one of the city’s pampers, while three other streams played on the building.

Coming at the time of the day when it did, thousands of people were attracted to the scene.

About two years ago a fire occurred in the same building but the damage was not nearly so great.

Logansport Morning Press, Logansport, IN 5 Jul 1921
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!