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Number 42Thursday, September 2, 1954TUCKER RICE DRYER DESTROYED BY FIREwere able to return home at about 2 a.m. A shift of Katy Firemen remained at the scene until 6 a.m. when another group came to stand by throughout Thursday, or until the site was somewhat cooler. The burned rice smouldered for several days.Raymond Barker, part owner and manager of the dryer, said that at about 10 p.m. the day’s run had been completed and everything had been shut off.Fourteen thousand eight hundred barrels of rice were in this largest single drying unit of the Katy Division of the American Rice Growers Co-op. Assn., at the time of the fire.Fred Hoyt and Mrs. Tucker had ovr half of this amount or some 6,600 barrels in the dryer. Others who lost rice are the Peck Brothers, with 4,000 barrels, Roland Busch’s 2,700 barrels, Walter Roesner’s 6 to 800 barrels and Jimmie Johnson’s 700 barrels.Mr. Barker says that this rice is covered by insurance at the support price which amounts to about $175,000. Mr. Hoyt figures his loss at some $60,400.Although the driers of the area are running almost to capacity, they will dry whatever portion they can of the crops usually handled by the Tucker Drier. The storage is yet to be worked out.The equipment can not actually be replaced in dollars and cents for what it is worth. However, he said that he estimates the burned facilities at some $150,000.00.The four tanks left standing against the sky are 80%' to 90% gone says Mr. Barker. They were the 3,660 bbls. of storage of Fred Hoyt, 2000 bbl. storage of Roland Busch and 1000 bbL storage of Jimmie Johnson. They were the property of these farmers.The Tucker Rice Dryer was built in 1940, by the late T. B. Tucker. Fred Hoyt says that he dried his first rice in 1943 in the dryer. It was the first dryer of its kind in the south and caused much comment as to the practibility of drying rice other than natures way.In 1944, R. Robertson built the Robertson dryer beside that of Mr. Tucker. In 1951, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Barker boughtccssities. Deputy Sheriff H. A. Hood and . local men, the Ft Bend County officers and Harris County patrol aided in directing traffic around that section of Highway 90 on which the Tucker Dryer was located.The fire which could be seenat the Brazofl River, just out of Rosenberg, to Sealy and for miles in ettKft* direction attracted hundreds of people to Katy. The streeU.were lined with onlookers, but “Mayor Arthur Miller said, they Vere to be complimented aB'thelt;«treet8 were open to traffic and they did not hinder the workers. Large cinders, which were literally large chunks of fire were flying all over town. The huge Magnolia, Gulf and fumble storage tanks of gasoline • were a constant threat of danger, as all are located within * block of the burning structure.Ft. Bend Steak House and Alexander's Cafe each opened their doors to fire fighters for coffee, etc., during the evening.After leaving part of their equipment for use by the local men, the neighboring firemenwere each equipped with res- the Robertson dryer and with pirators and other first aid nec- Mrs. Barker’s mother, Mrs. T.The Tucker Rice Dryer in Katy was a pile of smouldering rubble on last Thursday morning.A fire of undetermined origin broke out at 10:40 on Wednesday night in the huge building that firemen of Katy, Brookshire, Rosenberg, Spring Branch and Sealy fought for hours before all danger to buildings very close, and to the business section of Katy whicl^v/ere in eminent danger through-out the night, was past.Several factors were responsible for the fire not consuming the Katy warehouse, across the narrow street, the Negro community to the rear, the* Gulf Station on the right, and the business places on First and Second streets as well as the residential section north of the dryer.A big factor, says the firemen, was the absence of a high wind. Another was the way the building fell in, instead of out, as it gave away, still another was plenty of water which enabled the eight pumper trucks (1. .from Brookshire, 2 from Rosenberg, 1 from Sealy and 2 from Spring Branch and the 2 of Katy) to continue operations. The 250,000 gallons of reserve water and the 50,000 gallons in the regular tank supplied the fighters with sufficient water to save the other buildings. Most of all, said Erkin Ince, Katy Fire Chief, the Katy firemen were tearfully grateful for thewholehearted co-operation of Katy’s neighbors who came and worked to the point of exhaustion to save the town from further tragedy.Three Rosenberg firemen and Leo Goates of the Brookshire Volunteer Fire Department were overcome by the almost unbelieveable heat. They were given First Aid at the scene by the Brookshire Lions Resuscitator brought by the Milton H. Schmidt Ambulance and assisted by the Rosenberg Emergency Corps, then taken to Dr. L. W. Bing’s office for treatment until they could be returned to their homes.Schmidt ambulance, the Ro-enberg Emergency truck, three Harris County Emergency Corps, trucks and Ted Fields, Supervisor of this department stood by until all danger to the fire fighters was past. Theyt.eerd-ir-En-m-B. Tucker incorporated the three drier units with 45,000 bbls. bin storage into the Tucker Rice Dryer.N. O. Nash and Otto pusch, operators of the dryer, said that not more than 20 minutes after they had closed the dryer for the night and had gone home, the fire alarm sounded and flames were visible in the east section of the building. When Mr. Barker reaahed the scene and hurridly drove two trucks out, he could see that it was impossible for firemen to go into the burning building.Soon after there was.an explosion and the buildings seemed to be burning in every corner. Early there was only anxious hope that all nearby structures could be saved-Mrs. T. B. Tucker and Mrs. Raymond Barker were in Arkansas at tfyetime of the fire. They were assisting in revival church . services near Benton-ville.wendugonnes*-fc-ireiy-ins/iderttckysme7bored?heMr. and Mrs. Harry Virnau and Mrs. Z. A. Boiles visited her mother in Rising Star.
Newspaper Details
Brookshire Times
Brookshire, Texas, US
Thu, Sep 02, 1954
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Ron S.
