The record-union., 1895-03-25
COSTLY BLAZE.
COSTLY BLAZE.
PACKING HOUSES IN A KANSAS
TOWN BURNED.
a Fire Last Night Which Caused the
Loss of Over Million
OF Dollars.
Special to the REcoRD-UNIox.

Special to the RECoRD-UNIoN.
KANSAS CITY, March 2i-At O'Clock
tonight fire broke out in the hog build
ing OF the Reid Packing Compauy's plant
at Kansas and Railroad avenues, in Kan
sas City, Kansas, and almost the entire
group OF buildings were completely des-
troyed, causing a loss of over a million
dollars. At 1880 o'clock ten buildings
had been destroyed, and the fire was yet
under control, owing to the want of
water pressure. 4 three-story building,
& touT-story storage building, and the
engine house were destroyed.
When the fire was discovered a watch
man telegraphed to the Kansas City fire
department., and a general alarm was
sounded. The flames spread over the
| top OF the hog building with incredible
! rapIdity, the flames feeding on the meats
and oil. Before the hremen had laid a
line or hose the roof had fallen in. The
/ flames from the hog building Communi-
Gated with the engine house, on the
| south, and soon wrecked the oiler and
destroyed the effectiveness of The COM
! pany's ire apparatus.
Il disastrous explosion was narrowly
| averteG by the hremen, who at the risk
/ OF life and limb, rolled twenty barrels OF
| gasoline from the building. From the
engine building the fire spread to five
| one-story frame ice-houses, each 2OOxI25
/ feet. These were rapidly devoured by
the flames, and then the four-story stor-
| age building, which was right in line
| tell prey 10 the element of destruction.
| There was 100000 worth Of meats in the
baseflent OF this building.
The tire leaped from room to room,
and roared and cracked until the roof
fell in, and the flames shot fifty feet III
the air. At this point the Kansas City
(Mo.) fire department was appealed to
for assistance, and six hose companies
and two engines responded.
At 7;2O O'Clock the west wall of the hog
building fell with crash. The flames
| burst over the bridge connecting the stor-
| age-house with the beef-house, and the
| bridge burned iercely. The firemen
turned their whole attention to saving
the beef-house, and a dozen streams Were
! turned on the burning bridge. Notwith-
standing the strenuous efforts OF the fire
department., section after section ef the
bridge was partially destroyed, aud
finally fell to the ground, whore the work
OF destruction was completed. Finally
| the beef-house caught ire, and the fire.
men were powerless to stay the greedy
| flames as they ate their way into the
| building.
Nnen IT was seen that the entire plant
was in imminent danger of complete de-
struCtlon more aid was called for and the
entire force on the ground was turned to
saving the beef warehouse. In q short
time the building and contents were safe.
and the uremen concentrated their efforts
on the storage building, which was burn
ing ilerceIy. A heavy wind coming up
caused the flames TO Durn with renewed
fury, and within twenty minutes the roof
tell in, and soon after the south and west
walls toppled over. But short time
elapsed before the building was COM
plete wreck.
Ihe three-story smoke houae is sepa-
rated from the storage building by thirty
feet, small one-story building standing
hetween them. This was soon blazing.
The wind veered to the east before much
damage was accomplished, however, and
The building was saved.
At 1880 the fire was brought under con-
troll, but as a heavy wind was blowing
the hremen were kept on duty to avoid
any posslo oility of the fire spreading.
The entire plant is valued at $500, GOO,
Whlle the estimate placed on the stock
ranges from 5000 10 10000 The
loss on the buildings destroyed will prob
ably be 100000 TO $780, 600, and that on
the meats, oil, lard, and other products
consumed will bring the total to over
81, ,250,0U0.
The insurance is ample to cover all
losses. -Four men were slightly injured
LII IS impossible tonight TO secure de-
talled insurance, officials of the COM
panles refusing to give it out at present.