The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-25
LOSS OF PoRK-PACKERs
The Reid Packing Company's
Big Plant in Kansas En-
tireIy Destroyed.
WIND TANNED THE FLAMES.
Four Firemen Injured While Battling
With the Blaze Which Proved
Stubborn.

KANSAS CITY, 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 the en-
tire group OF buildings was completely de-
stroyed, causing loss of over s., 25O, 900.
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 building,
the four-story storage building and the en-
gine-house.
When the fire was discovered a watch
man telegraphed the Kansas City (Kans.)
Fire Department and a general alarm was
sounded. The flames spread over the top
floor of the hog building with incredible
rapidity, the flames feeding on meats and
oils. Before the firemen had laid line of
hose the roof had fallen in. The flames
from the hog building communicated with
the engine-house on the south and soon
wrecked the boiler and destroyed the
effectiveness of the company's fire appa-
ratus.
A disastrous explosion was narrowly
averted by the fremen, who, at the risk of
life and limb, rolled twenty barrels of gaso-
line from the building From the engine
building the fire spread TO five one-story
frame icehouses, each 200 by 125 feet
These were rapidly devoured by the flames,
and then the four-stOry storage building
which was right in line, fell prey to the
element OF destruction. There was 100000
worth of meats in the basement of this
building.
The first floor was used as a warehouse
the second was filed with dry salt meats
on the third floor were big hogsheads full
OF meats ready for shipment, while the
fourth floor was packed with dressed
meats.
The fire leaped from room to room and
roared and cracked until the roof fell in
and the flames shot fifty feet in the air.
AT this point the Kansas City (Mo.) fire de-
partment was appealed to for assistance,
= and six hose companies and two engines
RESPONDED. The water-tower from the
Armour Packing Company also assisted.
At 7:20 O'Clock the west wall of the hog
building fell with crash. The flames
hurst over the bridge connecting the
storage-house with the beefhouse, and the
bridge burned fiercely. The firemen turned
t,-zir whole attention to saving the beef
hbuse and dozen streams were brought to
bear on the burning bridge. Notwith-
standing the strenuous efforts of the fire
department, section after section OF the
bridge was partially destroyed and finally
fell 10 the ground, where the work of de-
struction was completed. Finally,the beef
house caught fire and the fremen were
powerless to stay the greedy flames as they
ate their way into the building through the
bridge.
When it was seen that the entire plant
was in imminent danger of complete de-
struction more aid was called for, and the
entire force on the ground was turned to
saving the beef warehouse. In a short
time the building and contents were saved,
and the firemen concentrated their efforts
on the storage building, which was burn
ing fercely.
a heavy wind coming up caused the
flames to burn with renewed fury, and
within twenty minutes the roof fell in and
soon thereafter the south and west walls
toppled over. But little time elapsed be-
fore the building was a complete wreck.
The three-story smoke house is separ-
ated from the storage building by thirty
feet. a small one-story building standing
between them. This was soon blazing.
The wind yeered to the east before much
damage was accomplished here, however.
and the building was saved.
At 10:45 o'clock the fire was brought
under control, but as a heavy wind was
blowing the fremen were kept on duty to
avoid any possibility OF the fire spreading.
The entire plant is valued at $500, 900,
while the estimate placed on the stock
ranges from 100000 to 100000 The
loss on the buildings destroyed will proba-
bly, be $4,000 to $500, 900, and that on the
meats, oil, lard and other products con-
sumed will bring the total to over 81, 25O, 600.
The insurance is ample to cover all losses.
Four men were slightly injured.