The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1895-03-30
Packing House Plant at Kansas
City Destroyed.
TONS OF MEAT WERE BURNED
FLAMES Ate Their Way Through Inf am
mable Material In spite of
the firemen.

Kansas City, Mo, March 24.-At $50
O'Clock tonight fire broke out in the hog
building of the Reid Packing Company's
plant at Kansas and Railroad avenues.
at Kansas City, Kansas, and almost tho
entire group of buildings were complete
ly destroyed, causing a loss OF over 81
100000. At 1880 O'Clock the following
buildings had been destroyed, and the
fire was not yet under control, owing
TO the want of water pressure: The
three-story hog building, four-story stor-
age building. engine house and beef
house burned.
When the fire was discovered the
Waterman telegraphed the Kansas City,
Kansas, fire department, and a general
alarm was sounded. The flames spread
over the top story of the hog building
with Incredible rapidity, the flames
feeding on the meats and oils. Before
the firemen had laid a line of hose the
roof had fallen in. A disastrous explo-
sion was narrowly averted by firemen
who at the risk of life and limb, rolled
20 barrels of gasoline from the building.
From the engine building the fire spread
to five one-story frame ice houses, each
200x125 feet. These were rapidly de-
voured by the flames, and then the four
story storage building, which was right
in line, fell prey to the elements of de-
struction. There was 100000 worth of
meats in the basement of this building.
At this point the Kansas City, Mo, fire
department was appealed to for assist
ance and six hose companies and two
engines responded
At 30 o'clock the west wall of the hog
building fell with a crash. The flames
burst over the bridge, connecting the
storage house with the beef house, and
the bridge was burned fiercely. The
fremen turned their whole attention
to saving the beef house, and a dozen
streams were turned on the burning
bridge. Notwithstanding the strenu-
Gus efforts of the fire department, sec
ton after section of the bridge was par
TALLY destroyed and finally fell to the
ground. where the work of destruction
was completed. Finally the beef house
caught fire, and the firemen were pow
erless to stay the greedy flames as they
ate their way into the building through
the bridge.
At 10:45 the fire was brought under
control, but as heavy wind was blow
iibS Tic III WtAC kept On uuAJ, lt
avoid any possibility of the fire spread
ing.
The entire plant Is valued at $780, 900
while the estimate placed on the stock
ranges from 100000 to 81 900 600. The
loss on the buildings destroyed will
reach probably 100000 to $5OO,OOO, and
that on the meats. oil, lard and Other
products consumed will bring the total
to over 81 $500 The insurance is am
pie to cover all losses.
Four men were injured.
WILL REBUILD.
Indianapolis, March 24.-In an inter
view with an Associated Press reporter
tonight. Mr.. Samuel Reid, one of the
firm of Reid Brothers q King. Indianap.
oils. owners of the burned Kansas City
plant, said as to rebuilding that the di-
rectors would decide it, but there was
little question but that the plant would
be rebuilt at once.
FIRE AT CHICAGO.
Chicago, March 24-Fire tonight near.
~ destroyed the Empire theater. The
loss will be about $4,000; fully insured.