1952-01-11-sr-p3-centennial-mills-elevator-loss

January 11, 1952 Spokesman-Review Page 3:

ELEVATOR LOSS SET AT $120,000

REARDAN, Wash., Jan. 10.—Centennial Flouring Mills company’s elevator and warehouse in northwest Reardan were destroyed by a wind-swept fire Wednesday.

The grain, buildings and equipment are valued at $120,000, J. W. Holt, grain dealer for the company, said.

The blaze, which already had destroyed four boxcars on the Northern Pacific’s siding near the elevator, was discovered at 9:45 p. m.

An eyewitness, Frank Nonnemacher of Reardan, told The Spokesman-Review there “wasn’t a chance” of saving the wooden elevator, although it did look as if fire fighters might be able to protect the company’s office structure.

He said firemen of two Reardan volunteer companies, aided by crews from Davenport and Edwall, were battling the stubborn fire in near-blizzard conditions.

Snowplows had to move ahead of the fire equipment in some instances to clear a path for them. Cause of the blaze was not determined. It was brought under control more than an hour later.

Nonnemacher reported the water supply was running low. He said a power failure early in the morning had reduced the water level in the city’s new tank to below normal by the time the fire was discovered.

Most of the town's 420 residents braved the cold to witness the fire.