The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-28
Small Blaze at the DoId Pack
ing Plant.
)SS WAS NOMINAL
Business of the Firm Will Not
be Interfered With.


the regular night service Of the com
pany's plant The night before large
amount Of meats OF the different cuts
was placed and hung in the north smoke
/ house numbered -" All the usual pre-
cautions were used to so place these sew
eral different pieces as to receive the best
applied process and the least danger from
fire. There was an estimated hanging of
! 60. 900 pounds of meats, this including sides
! shoulders and hams. and all were reSu-
! larry arranged along the tiers Of frames
! in the smoke house. 1t may be said that
the smoke houses of the Dold company
! are so arranged and prepared that the
minimum of danger is affected, bW in
! spite Of this there is always chance that
/ a string win break. a hickory pole let
/ down, or something beyond the cslcula-
/ ton Of any. one and dire results follow
! This is what happened on Sunday morn
/ ing. The night before there were hung
/ in smoke house No. many thousands
of pounds of meats, and sometime during
! the night, in spite of the care and watch
! fitness of the night force, some one Of
| these fifty pound sides broke a string
and floundered down to the next tier.
/ This presumably broke the next line OF
/ hung meats and these went down until
! they took with them a. or a large part
Of the several lines hanging underneath.
/ When the whole lump reached the bot
! tom there was mass Of greasy and fatty
meats which readily took fire from the
! furnaces below and thus the incpient
fire started. No one can tell just how all
/ this occurred, but from the experience
of the past it is quite likely that all this
occurred. Be it as it may, the fire was
| ignited in the principal smoke house
some time between and .. The watch
man on the heat had examined all the
several smoke houses and satisfied him
self that they were working all right.
Then ne went directly to the engine room
and made his rounds as usual. Later on
the next tour Of the main building he
found No. in bad shape. The regular
fire alarm was at once sounded and all
hands about the plant summoned for
emergency duty. At the same time there
was an alarm sent down to the city, but
because of fallen wires it failed to reach
the city department. Then the local
Dold force met the situation and at once
sounded the long blast on the big whistle
for help and called out all the force
ready at hand. Two messages were sent
to the city for assistance. and as soon
as the city fire department got it they
promptly responded and after several
difficulties reached the plant and did su-
perb service. One Of the companies met
with an accident which seriously disabled
the crew, but this in no manner deferred
the effectiveness of the whole department,
as No. 2 Immediately appeared and at
once placed two long lines of hose up
over the roof of the big building where
the trouble was, and sent down from
above the streams to the confagration
below, which effectually quenched the
flames and allowed the Dold workmen a.
moments ease. Before the city force ar
rived on the scene, the plant force at the
packing house had been heroically fight
ing the flames and confirming the fire 10
the endangered smoke house and the ar
rival Of the city fire department finished
all the trouble.
The loss TO the Dold company is nomi-
nal and so far as the matter of insurance
is concerned the part Of the plant affect
ed is not directly connected with the
main construction in any manner. and
while the rest Of the operating plant is
heavily covered with up 10 date insur-
ance this feature carries very little. In
no way is the effectiveness Of the COM
pany's business affected. All standing
orders are now just the same as on late
Saturday night. Possibly two cars OF
specially required meats viii be delayed
perhaps a day or two. Otherwise there !
will be no cessation whatever in the bust
ness. Manager Fred Dold and Superin-
tendent Derrigrande at once placed
large force of workmen on the smoke /
house and all the debris and charred |
timbers were at once removed. and the |
affected meats sent 10 the grease tanks |
and fertilizer. In two days the temper |
airy stop VIII be relieved and business 1
conducted Just as usual. There are five (
big smoke houses at the Dold plant ard !
one OF them has little effect on the regu- !
lar output There was no loss from /
water whatever. The dry salt cellars /
and the cold storage reservoirs were in /
no manner affected, as they We're apart I
from the district Of the fire. The fire was /
so closely confined by the regular Dold I
fire service and the efficiency OF the city 4
department that only the one smoke /
AtASE N-l-N-l Dc -rrflctLfAl from any toli-
nection with the rest Of the plant was /
affected. Il was unfortunate OF course |
that the signal wires were on this coca /
sion SO seriously affected. az the two 1
hose companies might otherwise have re- /
sponded earlier, but in spite Of that, as /
soon as the alarm reached the assistant I
chief, MI Browneil. he at once had on 4
the way all the companies, and although +
the overturutrg Of the FIRE engine for a /
moment disconnected the run. the ser 4
vice was admirable and 1Ir. Georse +. |
Dold leaves nothing unsaid in praise OF 1
the effectiveness Of 5he department which /
reached the scene az the nick Of time
Nothing but Ne. smoke house suffered /
and this i 81 rapidly being repaired /
under personal supervision Of the man !
agemect that the delay IL orders HfI be !
but one or two days.
That TIRE saeuId oceure in This depart 4
u'e1t 81 ,he packing house IS noc Al al F.
remarkable. but the fact that il was 50 .
readily handled and promptly confined .
gives praise u thu Dold system OF dssci- (
pline as well as 10 the uutiriuE ana a. .
ways effectiveness OF the city IRE depart