Wichita eagle., 1888-03-31
LOST BY FIRE.
THE ACKERMAN PACKING HOUSE
GOES UP In TIE FLAMES.
The Most Disastrous Fire in the
City Since the Burning Of
the Stock Yards.

Last evening shortly after O'Clock some
one on West Douglas avenue cried Fire,
E'ire.n and Marshal Walden who was near
the fire-box at the corner of Main and
Douglas, Immediately turned in the alarm
which reached the hose houses about the
same time as telephone message from the
west side
Both the hose companies answered with
promptness. 1t required but glance
across the river to show that the fire was
at Ackerman's packing house ON the west
bank. Already the flames were shooting
forth from tht roof and sides of the build
ing and by the time that the hose compa-
MES were on the grounds the fire had
gained fearful Roadway
There was but one water plug in
the vicinity, and to this the hose was CON
nected; but the distance of this from the
burning building together with the start
the fire already had, soon showed that the
effort to save it would be useless. The
chemical engine was pushed into service.
and thus the small brick warehouse Just
west of the main building, and in which
was stored 5000 hams, was saved. The
building continued to burn and was in a
very short time entirely consumed, the
grease and fat within adding fuel to the
flames. By II o'clock the site of the pack
ing house was marked only by a pile of
smouldering ruins
How the building took fire is mystery.
When those who were first upon the
grounds arrived. from the southeast corner
and from the roof at this point the flames
were issuing. Mr.. Alderman himself and
his son had just rushed from the burning
building, their faces and hands badly burnt
and scorched from their efforts to save
what of the contents they could. 1t re-
CURED two men to hold the latter and,
keep him from rushing through the fiery
doorway to rescue other of the contents.
Mr.. Alderman ST., was taken by
friends to his home on the
island and was thus spared the
sight of seeing his possessions licked up by
the flames while he himself was powerless
to do anything to prevent the destruction.
The son said that he was in the packing
house and hearing sound as if of some
one trying to get in, he ran to see what
the noise was and was Mortified to see
the house afire. There has been no fire in
the boiler for three weeks past and in fact
none about the building except in the
Office for some time. A short time ago
Mr. Ackerman's attention was called by
the insurance company to a defective flue
in the Office and new brick one was
built.
TIE loss incurred by the conflagration,
it was last night almost impossible to es-
innate, but was roughly put by one of the
younger Akermans at from twenty-five to
sixty thousand dollars. The work was
shut down for the present and on the 10th
of April it was the intention to take an
inventory of the stock. There was, how
ever in the cellar large quantity of salt
meat and lard, this is evidently all destroy
ed. The machinery is too, no more than
SO much old iron. Two horses, it is GER
tain were consumed in the flames
there were in all five horses in the building
and two were taken out and a third, al
though not at the time of the burning
found, was thought to be safe. a cow,
also reported lost, was found afterwards,
badly burnt, walking about the yard. In
the brick warehouse We're 5000 hams,
which had been placed there but short
time ago and which belonged to Messrs.
Busch and Grover.
The amount Of insurance, too, could not
be ascertained The books and the poll
cies were in the safe, which was in the
destroyed building, and no mem
randum had been kept. 1t was
said, however, that the amount was
about $4,000 principally upon the stock
Many of the policies, it is believed, were
short time. policies upon the stock in the
building. Only one was last night re
ported the Orient for 81 600.
The packing house was erected over
year ago by Joseph Alderman, the entire
plant costing about $4,000 1t was COM
pletely fitted out with all the appliances
and machinery for the successful carrying
on the business for which it was erected.
Mr.. Alderman has since then been con-
Quoting his business with considerable
success; his meats standing high in the
market. and he himself having gained an
enviable reputation as an honest, straight
forward business man. He was last night
unable to state what course he would in
future pursue as to the rebuilding of the
packing house.