St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-25
THE BLAZE VERY STUBBORN
A Great Group Of Buildings
Moved Down by the
Flames.
MANY BkRRELSOF GASOLINE
Rolled Away Just in Time to
Prevent a Great Explo-
sion.

AAINofao VI 4iO's Vii 49,
AT $50 tonight a fire broke out in
the hog building Of the Reid Pack
ing company's plant at Kansas and
Railroad avenues, Kansas City,
Kan, and almost the entire group
of buildings were entirely destroyed,
causing a loss of over million dol
lars. At 1920 o'clock the following
buildings had been destroyed, and
the fire was not yet under control,
owing to want of water pressure:
The three-story hog building, the
storage building, four stories high;
five ice houses, the engine house and
the beef house. When the fire was
discovered a Waterman telephoned
for the Kansas City, Kan, fire de-
partment, and a general alarm was
sounded. The flames spread over
thetop floor Of the hog building with
increditable rapidity, the flames
feeding on the meats and oils Be
fore the firemen had laid a line of
hose the roof had fallen in. The
flames from the hog building COM
municated with the engine house on
the south, and soon
WRECKED THE BOILERS
and destroyed the effectiveness of
the companys fire apparatus. A
disastrous explosion was narrowly
averted by the firemen, who, at the
risk of life and limb, rolled twenty
barrels of gasoline from the build
Ings. From the engine building the
ire spread to the five one-story ice
houses, each 200x125 feet. These were
rapidly devoured by the flames, and
/ 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
| Hoor was used as a warehouse; the
| second was filed with dry salt meats.
I '3R the third were big hogsheads
| hiled with meat ready for shipment,
| while the fourth floor was packed
| with dressed meats. The fire leaned
4 from room to room ana
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 department
was appealed to for assistance, and
1 SIX hose companies and two engines
| responded. The water tower from the
! Armour Packing company also assist
ed. AT 1920 o'clock the south wall of
the. hog building fell with a crash.
| frames burst over the bridge connect
ing the storehouse with the beef house.
| ana the bridge burned fierceIy. The
fremen turned their whole attention
10 saving the beef house, and a dozen
streams were turned on the burning
prldge. Notwithstanding the strenil-
Gus efforts of the firemen, section after
section of the bridge were partially
destroyed, and finally fell to the
ground while the work of destruction
was completed. Finally the beef house
caught tire, and the firemen We're
po"efless to, stay the greedy flames
DIS they ate their way into the build.
ing through the bridge.
FIREMEN REINFORCED.
When it was seen that the an+ir.
plant was in imminent danger of com.
pete destruction, more aid was called
Tor, and the fire force on the GROUND
was turned to saving the beef ware
mouse. In a short time the buildine
ana contents were saved, and then the
nremen concentrated their efforts mr.
the storage house, which was burnine
Hercely. A heavy wind coming ur
caused the flames to burn with re-
neWed fury, and within twenty min
utes the roof fell, and soon thereafte,
the south and west walls toppled over
But a little time elapsed before the
| Du1lQlnE a A
three-story smoke house is separated
from the storage building by thirt,
feet small three-story building
standing between them, and this was
soon blazing. The wind weered to the
east before much damage was ac
aomplished here, however, and the
building was saved. At 1915 the fire
was brought under control, but. as :
neavy wind was blowing, the firemer
| were kept on duty to avoid any pos
y slbility of the fire spreading. The en-
1 tlre plant is valued at $780, 900, while
the estimate placed on the stool
ranged from $4,000 to $10O0OO0 TIL,
loss on the buildings destroyed will
probably reach $780, 600 to $500, 900, anC
on the meats, oil, lard and other pro
ducts consumed, will bring the tota
TO over million and quarter dollars
The insurance is ample to cover al
losses. Four men were slightly in
| jured. g.,
THEY WILL REBUILD.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, arch 4-Il
| an interview with an Associated Pres
| reporter tonight, Samuel Reid, one O
the firm of Reid Bros, and Kingan {
| Company, owners of the burned Kan
sas City plant, said the loss is fully
? covered by insurance. AS to re
building, he said the directors would
decide it, but there was little question
: but that the plant would be replaced
81 at once.
COLORADO QUAKES.