Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-03-28
OVER A MILLION LOSS.
Reid Bros Big Packing House a
Mass Of Ruins.
Exploding Dust I'm the FeEtilixinE Works
the Csuse-Slx Hundred and Fifty
MeR Thrown Ont of EN-
plOynaents

KANSAS CITY, Kan, March 25.-The
most destructive fire in the history OF
Kansas City broke out at Gas o'clock
last night in Reid Bros big packing
house in Armourdale OF all that mag
nifcent plant, covering fifteen acres of
ground and valued with its contents at
g, 000, 600, only three buildings were
saved. Eleven buildings were de-
stroyed and the loss will probably ag-
gregate considerably over 81 ,OOO, 900.
The cause of the fire is not definitely
known, but is said to have been an ex-
plosion of dust in the fertilizer works,
which formed part of the mammoth
''hog building" in which the flames
were first discovered. The fire swept
over the plant with terrific rapidity,
licking up the fat and grease-saturated
structures like famished monster.
The fire departments of both Kansas
Citys, Armour Packing Co., the Mis-
souri, Pacific railway and the Reid
Bros own company united in fighting
the flames, but owing partly to the poor
head of water and partly to the inflam-
mable nature of the buildings contents,
they were able to accomplish but
little, and even that only by the hard
est and pluckiest OF fighting. After
U1T00 hours OF St0dQY COmDdb Ju0
firemen gave up to the flames.
The immense brick storage building,
3oOx2OO feet, four stories, containing
500, 900 worth of picked meats in the
basement alone and altogether repre-
senting $500, 0O0 Five ice houses,
frame, each COOKIES feet, nineteen feet
high. The hog building, an immense
rambling three-story brick structure
covering several acres and including
in its various wings the fertilizing
plant, the engine and boiler building,
an ice manufacturing plant, a tin shop
and cannery. The saw mill and six
stories of hog pens and several other
minor buildings.
There were saved only the beet
building, two-story brick about 1903
100 feet containing 5000 dressed beeves
and $50, 900 worth of canned meat; the
smoke house, four-story brick S0x4C
feet, and the Office building, a small
three-story brick.
The loss Manager WI. Reid estimated
at 81, 100, OOO-on the storage building.
$50, 900; other buildings, $500, 900. This
is fully covered by insurance. The in
Surance is divided among all insurance
companies that will place insurance on
packing houses. The principal com
pany is the Indemnity Exchange, CO.
operative institution which is com
posed of eighty firms. 1t had $500, O0C
on the Reid plant AS nearly as could
be learned last night, the rest of the
insurance was divided among 100 com.
panies. These include various board
companies, 100000; various Lloyd
companies, $3.50, 900; Individual Under
writers, $4,000.
The fire will throw $50 men out OF
work, the majority of them resident.
OF Kansas City, Kan. Their average
daily wages were So so, and the loss in
minor trade channels is sure to be Sc
fverely felt. However, the loss will be
but temporary, for Manager William J
Reid said last night, while he wa!
watching the progress OF the fire, tina
the company would certainly rebuild
and at once. This will, of course, givs
employment to a great number o.
workers, SO that what is lost to on'
class will be largely made up to an
sother. Mr.. Reid said that a large fore,
would be set to work at once clearing
away the debris and preparing for thu
rebuilding.