Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-11-20
ARMOUR PLANT DESTROYED.
The Loss Aggregates 100000, With
Insurance of $721,50o.

Sioux City, Nov. 1.-THE packing
plant of Armour & Co., which occupies
three and one-half acres Of ground at
the extreme south end of the stock
yards district, was totally destroyed by
a fire which started at 1880 o'clock
yesterday morning on the second floor
OF the fertilizer building. The loss, es-
timated by Charles W. Lennon, man.
ager of the company, was total, or
100000.
The cause of the fire was said by Mr..
Lennon to have been either spontan.
eous combustion or an imperfect dryer.
There is s721,5 of insurance on the
Armour property. Six hundred men
will be thrown out of employment all
winter by the fire.
The fire was discovered by a watch
man of the building, who only few
minutes before had pulled a messen-
ger box on the floor where the flames
started.
Quickly the plants private fire de-
partment OF six men was called out,
and the city department was notified.
Every fireman in the city was called
out.
By 1920 o'clock six streams of water
were being thrown upon the fire, which
was cutting the fertilizer building, but
the pressure was inadequate. The
fertilizer building, which was of brick,
100 by so feet, four stories high, was
located between the beef killing houSe
and the Chicago. st. Paul, Minneapolis
and Omaha railroad on the east.
The floors and contents of the build
ing went like chaff AT 1:25 o'clock
the roof fell in and second later the
fire burst through into the beef killing
house. Instantaneously with the catch
ing of the fire in the beef killing
souse the cattle chute ignlted and
lasted about seven minutes, when it
fell with a great crash.
Once in the beef killing house the
flames began to dance madly. From
this house to the oleo building was
only step, and when the lard started
to burn lie fire presented most spec
tacular appearance. The big beef
house, where 500 carcasses, nicely
dressed, were hanging, caught at 2
o'clock. By this time the whole plant,
except the hog house, was lake OF
fire. The roar was terrible. The
country for miles around was lighted
up. Suddenly there was terrific ex.
plosion, followed quickly by another.
and then another.
Those are the ammonia drums"
shouted Mr.. Lennon to Fire Chief Kel,
logg. Tell your men to be careful
There is danger of suffocation." Tween.
ty-four drums of 100 pounds of am,
monia each exploded before the re
serve supply in the ammonia cistern
was reached. That ignition almost
raised the entire plant OFF its founda
ton.
When the hog house caught all
streams were turned in that direction
but the water seemed like oil. In the
building were $500 dressed hogs and
100000 pounds Of pork product.
After the fire got good Roadway in
the hog house all hope of saving any
part of the plant was abandoned. The
shops, chicken packing plant. ice
houses ana ice runways and smaller
department houses were consumed In
quick succession.
The fire continued to burn all day
Sunday and this afternoon there was
another terrific explosion, which threw
bricks ard pieces Of iron for hundreds
of yards, endangering thousands of
spectators. but no one was seriously
hurt.
Kansas City, Mo-, Nov. 17.-C. w.
Armour of the packing company stated
that the plant at Sioux City destroyed
by Ire would be rebuilt at once. The
new plant will be much larger and
finer than the one burned. The COM
pany will in the meantime remain in
the market, the cattle purchased to be
distributed between Omaha. Kansas
City and Chicago.