The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-03-28

Kansas City, March 24.-The entire
plant of Reid Bros. Packing company,
except the smoke house and the office, is
on fire. There is no probability of the
plant being saved, except perhaps the two
buildings mentioned. The loss will be a
half million dollars at least.
At G:30 o'clock tonight fire broke out in
the hog building of the Ried Packing
company's plant at Kansas and Railroad
avenues, Kansas City, Kan, causing II
loss of over $1,000,00O. At 1880 o'clock
the building had been destroyed and the
fire was not even yet under control ow-
ing to want of water pressure.
When the fire was discovered watch
man telephoned for the Kansas City,
Kan, fire department and n general alarm
was sounded. The flames spread over
the top floor of the hog building with in
credible rapidity, the flames feeding on
the meats and oils.
Before the firemen had lain line of
hose the roof had fallen in The flames
from the hog building came down on the
engine and soon wrecked the boilers and
the company's fire apparatus.
A disastrous explosion was narrowly
averted by the tiremen 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 houses, each 200X
$50 feet. These We're rapidly devoured
by the flames and then the four-story
storage building, which was right in line,
There was 100000 worth of meats in
the basement of the building. The first
floor was used as a warehouse and the
second was filled with dry salt meats.
On the third floor were big hogsheads
full of meat 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 so feet
| in the air.
AT this point the Kansas CITY. Mo-,
hre department was appealed to for as
slStance and six hose companies AMI two
engines responded. The water tower
from the Armour Packing company also
assisted. At 1880 all of the hog building
fell with crash. The flames burst over
the bridge connecting The storage house
with the beef hoHse and the bridge
burned fiercely. The iiremen turned their
whole attention to saving the bcef house
and dOZen, streams wcrh turned onto The
burning bridge. Notwithstanding the
strenuous efforts of the liremrn, section
after section of the bridge was partially
destroyed and finally fell TO the ground.
where the work Of destruction was com
lpleted. Finally the beet honse caught
| fire and the firemcn were pnwcrlrss TO
stay the greedy flames as thny 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 efforts of the entire force on the
ground was turned to saving the beef
warehouse. In short time the building
l. and contents were saved and then the
firemen concentrated their efforts on the
storage building, which was burning
| fiercely. A heavy wind coming up caused
the flames to burn with renewed energy
and within 20 minutes the roof fell in
and soon thereafter the south and west
wall toppled over. But little time
elapsed before the building was a complete
wreck. A three-story smoke house is
separated from the storage building by
80 feet. small one-story building stand
ling between them, and it was soon Dlaz
ling. The wind veered to the east before
much damage was done here, however
and the building was saved.
At 10:45 the fire was brought under
control but as heavy wind was blowing
1.-The firemen were kept on duty to avof
lany possibility of the fire spreading.
The entire plant is valued at S60O.W Q
while the estimate placed on the stocl
ranges from $S00,000 to S1,0O0,OOO. Tht
loss on the buildings destroyed will rearf
S4OO. 600 to $4,000, and that on I'll,
meats. lard and other products consumed me-
Twill bring the total to over S2,5OoOOO
IThe insurance is ample to cover a,
losses -Four men were slightly injured