The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-03-28
LOSSES A MILLION
Packing House Plant at Kansas
City Destroyed
TONS OF MEAT WERE BURNED
flames .te Their way Through 1 II mn
mabi- Material in spite .f
the fire men.

Kansas City. Mo-, March 24--At $40
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
entire group of buildings were completes
ly destroyed, causing loss of over ST.
100000. At 1890 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
watchman telegraphed the Kansas City,
Kansas, fire department and 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 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
20Ox125 feet. These We're rapidly de-
voured by the fie mes, and then the FOUR
story storage building. which was right
In line, fell prey to the clements 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 7:20 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 hercely. The
tiremen turned their whole attention
to saving the beef house, and 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 a heavy wind was blow
Ing, the firemen were kept on duty, to
avoid any possibility of the fire spread
ing.
The entire plant is valued at 5000 0O0
while the estimate placed on the stock
ranges from 100000 to 81, 1,O00,0 900. The
loss on the buildings destroyed will
reach probably 100000 to $500 900, and
that on the meats. oil, lard and other
products consumed will bring the total
to over s125O,o0O. 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 & King, Indianap-
oils. owners of the burned Kansas City
plant said as to rebuilding that the d.
rectors would decide 1t. but there was
little question but th-~.. the plant would
be rebuilt at once.
FIRE AT CHICAGO.
Chicago, March 24.-Fire tonight nenr-
ly destroyed the Empire theater. The
loss will be about $50, 900; fully insured.