The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-17
ARMOUR PLANT WIPED OUT
Loss COMPLETE AND AMOUNTS
TO 100000.
Buildings Destroyed Occupied Three
and One Half Acres of Ground-Six
Hundred Men Thrown Out of En-
PIoyment-A Most Spectacular Sight
Explosions of Ammonia

Ok n
Sioux City, Ia, Nov 16.-The big
plant Of Armour & Co., which occupied
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
this morning on the second floor of the
fertilizer building.
The loss, estimated by Charles w
Lennon, manager of the company is
total, or 100000 The insurance is $721,- =
300. The cause of the fire was said by
Mr.. Lennon to have been either spon-
taneous combustion or an imperfect
dryer.
Six hundred men will be thrown out
of employment all winter by the fire
The fire was discovered by watchman
of the building, who only a few min
utes before had pulled a messenger box
on the floor where the flames We're
Quickly the Armour private fire depart
nent OF six men was called out, and
the entire city department quickly re-
sponded.
By 1:20 o'clock six streams of water
were being thrown upon the fire, which
was uCSlLOyIIlsS lIlc
but the pressure was inadequate. The
fertilizer building, which was of brick,
120x60 feet, four stories high, was locat-
ed between the beef killing house and
the Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis and
Omaha railroad tracks on the east. The
floors and contents of the building burn
ed like chaff. At 1:25 o'clock the roof
fell In, and a moment later, the fire
burst through into the beef-killing
house. Simultaneously the cattle chute
ignited and lasted about five minutes
when it fell with great crash.
From the beef killing house to the
oleo building was only few steps, and
when the lard was ignited the fire pre-
sented a most spectacular appearance.
The big beef house, where 500 carcases
were hanging, caught at 2 o'clock.
BY this time the entire plant, except
the hog house, was a lake of fire. The
roar was terrible. The country for
miles around was lighted up. Sudden
1y came a terrific explosion, followed
quickly by another and then another
Twenty-four drums, of 100 pounds Of
ammonia each, exploded before the re-
serve supply in the ammonia cistern
was reached. That ignition almost rais-
ed the entire plant from its foundation.
At 2:30 o'clock the flames burst
through the heavy fire wall that sepa-
rated the big hog house from the other
buildings. The hog house was the last
building to the north and the largest Of
ALL
Steadily the fire crept against the
wind and through the Office building,
which from the first had been enveloped
in flames. Not scrap OF paper was
saved from the office. About this time
burning roof OF chute fell upon a
bunch OF live hogs, and their squeals
were added to the appalling chorus.
When the hog house caught fire, all
streams were turned in that direction,
but the water seemed like oil. In the
building were $500 dressed hogs and g.
100000 pounds Of pork product After
the fire got good headway in the hog
house all hope of saving any part of the
plant was abandoned. The shops,
chicken packing plant, ice houses and
ice runways and smaller department
houses were consumed in quick success
sion. At 8 o'clock the fire continued
with unchecked fury. The efforts of the
firemen seemed without result. The ter
rible roaring continued unabated. high
brick walls crumbled and fire walls were
absolutely valueless. From a spectac-
ular view, the fire was a magnificent
sight
At 1926 o'clock the fire department
gave up the fight. It was apparent that
all its efforts were useless and that the
entire plant would be destroyed. The
fire continued to burn all day and this
afternoon there was another terrific ex-
plosion, which threw bricks and pieces
or iron for hundreds Of yards, endan-
gering thousands of spectators, but no
one was seriously hurt.