The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-05

attracted 10 che gigantic sznokestack 90
the pcger houses OF the Doid Packing
company. Not many even IL tile city real
TIE the immenssty of mis- chimney, the
outlay Of expense il IFS construction. or
N fact VITA, all this really means IN such
vast piles anywhere. As a mztter.ot fact.
sS1s Is the tallest ard largest single chin
ney in The state OF kansas. outside OF
Kansas City. AZ the otter manufacturing
centers. such as the Neodesha gas wells.
OF The Hutchinson kalr plants. the draft
Is produced by little groups OF small chin
neEs. such as the Whitaker plan, here.
or else very much smaller single towers.
The stack IS built a. he east side OF the
abattoir. over the engine house I, Is 30
feet high and covers a ground space OF
- square feet. II IS u feet IN diameter
az the smallest part OF the top. ard Is
feet across ct the bottom. II IS bull,
on a foundation OF solid masonry the
stone being selected with great care and
set in position by expert mechanics IN this
line OF architecture. This massive foun-
dation Is sunk 10 feet below the surface
OF the ground. ana 10 fee, below the octa-
gon base; $4,000 brick were used in its
construction besides great quantities or
stone. lumber. lime. cement. sand. nails
and staging, and the excavating aud labor
represented many weeks. The cost OF this
one feature OF the big plant would build
fine residence IN any fashionshls part
OF the city The total cos, OF tte tower
alone was s. 81 50, nearly $500. and the
foundation alone cost the neat sum OF
S.7s2.59, or nearly 5000 n small army
OF workrnen were employed upon rs con
structiOn under the immediate supervision
OF two experts. skilled and experienced In
this one exclusive branch OF the building
trade. It IS 50 constructed as 20 allow
Of sway at the apex estimated 10 be
about one and one-half feet cut 81 the
perpendicular. There is a story relating
to this last feature vet remembered by
some of those engaged upon It's coustruc-
ton. The building OF the tower was sub
let to two different contractors IN sections.
one to go up 70 a certain height and the
other 20 complete It from that point on
up. When the first part was up about Is
feet me contractor one day went up q
inspect the work. lie was an old timer in
she business and mad before climbed TO
big stacks Of the Fowler. Swift and other
plants at Kansas City. and In fact all
over the land. But the breezy zephyrs OF
southern Kansas were too much for him
and he came tearing down the improvlsed
elevator. pale as death and weak as a
sick kitten, declaring he was sea sick
Never again did ne venture up even that
Ear. 10 say nothing Of the other hundred
feet 70 be added on. This pile Is virtually
two stacks one built within the other
and entirely distinct from each other.
They are built with Complementary curves
so as 10 give added strength and support
70 each other in times Of great strain
from high winds. On the inside OF the
inner tower IS a solid iron ladder built
into the masonry OF the walls % enable
workmen 20 go up IN case OF needed re-
pairs. but so far no human foot has ever
assembled that ladder since It's completion.
for the work was so well done that no re-
pairs has ever been needed. In fact from
January TO December the past few years
the big stack has never been cool long
enough at any one time for one 70 90
within. All day and all night long Fey-
eral hundred units OF heat are pouring
through It's cavernous throat. 81 being nee
essary ~ keep the power always going 70
keep the Ice tanks and cooling rooms of
the cold storage plant AZ proper tempera-
ture. Should II ever topple over and re-
tain its elongated form. II would cover a
linear space equivalent 70 abou; a quarter
OF one OF the long blocks.