The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-03-28
OVER A MILLION LOSS.
Reid Bros Big Packing House @
 Mass of Ruins.
Exploding Dust In the FertilixinG Works the Cause-Six Hundred and Fifty Men Thrown Out of Elm
 ployment.

KANSAS CITY, Kan, March 25.-The most destructive fire in the history of Kansas City broke out at GAS o'clock last night in Reid Bros big packing house in Armourdale. Of all that mag nificent plant, covering fifteen acres of ground and valued with it's contents at g 1000, 900, only three buildings were saved. Eleven buildings were de- stroyed and the loss will probably ag- gregate considerably over Sl,000,0G0.
 The cause of the fire is not definitely known, but is said to have been an ex- plosion of dust in the fertilizer works, which formed part of the mammoth ''hog building" in which the flames were first discovered. The fire swept over the plant with terrific rapidity, licking up the fat and grease-saturated structures like a famished monster.
 The fire departments of both Kansas Citys, Armour Packing Co.,, the Mis- souri Pacific railway and the Reid Bros own company united in fighting the flames, but owing partly to the poor head of water and partly to the intlam- mable nature of the buildings contents, they were able to accomplish but little, and even that only by the hard est and plucliest of fighting After three hours of steady combat the firemeu gave up to the flames.
 The immense brick storage building, 3O0x2OO feet, four stories, containing slOO, 900 worth of pickled meats in the basement alone and altogether repre- senting SSOO,OOO Five ice houses, frame, each COOKIES feet, nineteen feet high. The hog building, an immense rambling three-story brick structure covering several acres and including in its various wings the fertilizing plant, the engine and boiler building, an ice manufacturing plant, a tin shop and cannery. The saw mill and six stories of hog pens and several other minor buildings.
 There were saved only the beef building, a two-story brick about l50S 100 feet, containing 3. 900 dressed beeves and $50. 900 worth of canned meat: the smoke house, a four-story brick S0x4C feet, and the office building, small three-story brick.
 The loss Manager W.J. Reid estimated at S1. 100, OOO-on the storage building, $50, 900; other buildings, S300,OO0. This is fully covered by insurance. The in- surance is divided among all insurance companies that will place insurance on packing houses. The principal com pany is the Indemnity Exchange, CO operative institution which is con- posed of eighty firms It had $500, OoC on the Reid plant. As nearly as could be learned last night, the rest of the insurance was divided among 100 com panies. These include various board companies, $500, 900; various Lloyd companies, S25O, 900; Individual Under writers, S5O,OOO.
 The fire will throw 650 men out ot work, the majority of them residents of Kansas City, Kan. Their average daily wages were S2. 30, and the loss in minor trade channels is sure to be SC verely felt. However, the loss will be but temporary, for Manager William Reid said last night, while he wa' watching the progress of the fire, tha' the company would certainly rebuild and at once. This will, of course, give employment to a great number ot workers. so that what is lost to ono class will be largely made up to an other Mir. Reid said that a large force would be set to work at once clearing away the debris and preparing for the rahr;ldipn