, 1879-01-26
The Danger at the Stock-Yards
Yesterday Morning.
How = Most Disastrous Blaze
Was Happily Averted.
Suggestions as to Securing the Needed
Water Supply.
TIE STOCK-YARDS.

tho trade were Interested 20 hHo" ene Ao@]7' +4'
almost by the dawn OF day large DELEGATIONS
| citizens we're en- route to the scene OF destruc
tion. But the fire had been gotten unaer con
troll. and what promised unlimited destruction
at O'Clock was an hour later comprehended II
an actual loss Of about $l2, 600, nominal in CON
! parison with the amount OF capital Invested
The establishment is situated IN tht
| Town OF Lake, at the extreme south
! west corner OF the Stock-Yards Its ap
| pointments are Of the most extensive
| character and the money invested in the busi
| ness is simply enormous. The firms "village
is composed OF slaughter-houses, packing
cutting, and curing houses, in addition to it:
latest acquisition -" Warehouse c." This
building is 425 feet square, built Of brick, four
stories in height, aud, Us Mr. Armour stated
Yesterday to the reporter, as solid and ire-proo1
| as money eau make it. It was begun last year.
| and constructed under the immediate super
| vision Of Armour d. Co., being tully completed
| a month or more since at cost OF Sl50,o0O
| The building Was occupied in part Us IN
| ice-house, as q store-house for lard AUD
pork, and for hanging aud cooling
purposes. AS said, it is supposedly fire-proof.
The compartments into which the building is
divided are separated by thick, heavy walls, and
the entrances arc Of iron, the doors of the same
material, for the purpose OF cutting OF any ad-
vance OF the 1ames- In addition the premises
are completely supplied with hose aud the "a
1ious implements necessary for the extiuguish-
ing OF fires, and also with mea trained in the
hr,;raee ~ i1;rac+ +ha;r handling @sTn short
nothing has been left undone BY Armour s. Co.
that can contribute to securing the amplcst pro-
tcction to the interests involved. With such
auxjl,arjcs for the prevention of calan-
80 -. 60 .n ,.a,;.o ,r,a ~
'l'eS w "e ou' p1e "a'
pressed yesterday 10 lhE TRIBUNE re-
porter that the fire originated at all; and
after it had broken out, tlut the fire was ex.ip-
u,,isheI. ewing to 1he indifferent SUNNY Of
water to be lad. As stated,
uw.nruonsr c,,
:. oo,,;oa :, or+ 49, -, ina ,o,,.a .,a ,a..or
1,,rt;on hn;nr drvoted ro this n,1rnosr' nni ;s
about la5 feet long by 200 trct wide, During
the 6rm to iii the icc-house. This, it seems, had
been partially accomplished, and Friday The
rang was occupied in filling it with saw-dust
for lie protection Of the icc About midnight
Friday night a watchmau named Camp
bell passed through the room wherein the
lire is said to have originated, at which hour
everything was apparently secure, Half an
hour Jater William jackson. Chief of the Ar
mour ti1e-brtnade, was carving some hose to
the roof. where it is clwavs kent tn he 11serI as
necessity reonires. While TINS occnnieds etther
Jaclsou or one of the men assistine him smell
the odor of burning wood, which occasioned
some surprise, aud caused Them to make search
Tnr thf. rause It. was founI IN he t:an ;nc,n-
ient M '1, ner av r. n tne rs
corner of the ice-1ouse. The origin OF the ire
seems to be uncertain some argue that a cinder
trotn one Of the Yorkmen's mines had fallen into
the sawduse during the day It had been over
Looked aud uot Thought Of 41n;il II nan rinnnri1
into flames that for awhile deded the efforts but
forth for their suppression. Others are of the
opinlon that it was caused bv candle carelesslv
leIl uusnuffcd. The nio remained unattended
to until 1t had burned to the socket, and, falling
over. iguitcd the sawlust, which suopldcred for
seasoh finally starting t,p and burning fierccly
Wnen Parker, or one Of bis su5ord:nates, real
ized that tie ire had gotten start their
eifofts could hot stop, they at L short
time after half-past IL Saturday morninr
TURNED IN THE ALARM
connecting the packino-house with the engine
to at once, and, assisted b. companies in the
Town OF Lake and Hyde Park, an effort was
made to stay the fires ADVANCE Alter some
delay, the machines were gotten into position
proved fruitless, however, aud 4 long line Of
hose was extended from the roof of j building
to the burning premises by means Of statio1t-
ary ladder. But no effect btiug produced on
the fire, still alarm was sent at l3:45 Il. M. to
Engine %, which was heard by Marshal Meyer,
who responded at once.
He reached the scene to whicl, he was sum
moned in short time from the corner Of Twcr-
ty-sccond and May streets A brief survey Of
the situation was enough to conv1ycc him tllat,
with the force on hand, tho fire would soon lie
beyond CONTROL There we're fye engines at work,
but til. Inadequate supply of water in measure,
palsied the efforts of the liremeu, Act,pg unou
the conclusion above stated. Marshal Ne:er
hurried to an alarm-box in the southern city
limits aud sounded a general alarm, at
which time, be stated to TRIBUNE re-
porter, the entire upper portion OF the lighthouse
was il flames. This was the condition of
affairs when Marshal Benuer put in an appear
aucr, which occurred shortly after / o:clock
Yesterday morning. In response to the gencraI
alarm engine Companies ?, Is, lG, 10. Is. "a
and Hook and Ladder Companies s and !. toiled
through the slush aud got into position ready
for work. That
THEY DID sp1rSn1n WORK
a ofter tho +.rr;r,a ionrr.,r 80 49,. ca,s
thosa uh x;tnaseaJ +,5 W ene1 neu o1 laoors
success which attended such efforts, will
no~t :, ;o"s;l,o Aouno 70 pe
first wall md thercbv ohtain occ.ss .ns
to the southwestern marian of +ha h,,;1.i;,s.
wherein the frc was ran;nr. Tbis vac s' anan,s
pIished however. but MT nnt31 ne roof 49, -,
lire in dozen places. and boyonf1 s,jvot;on ~
add to this brisk preeze hlew IN mi +hroat