The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-05-23
TwtNTy-NINE PEOPLE ARE INJURED
Loss TO THE COMPANY WILL
REACH BETWEEN $75O,OOO
AND 100000.
THOUSAND PEOPLE TAKE A FALL
HOG RUNWAY COLLAPSES, THROW
ING SPECTATORS TO THE
GROUND.

Chicago, May II. - During the pro-
gress of a fire which last night de-
stroyed the lard refinery of Armour 6
Co. in the Union stock yards, twenty
r.ine people We're injured, five of them
in manner which probably will cause
death in short time. The loss to the
company is estimated by it's officers at
between $75O,OO0 and 100000, with all
the chances in favor of the latter figure.
There was a number of accidents, but
by far the largest number of those
who were hurt net their injuries by the
falling of the hog runway upon which
they were stan ling to obtain better
view Of the fire.
The lard refinery had just been COM
pleted and was considered by its own
ers the most complete establishment Of
it's kind in the United States. 1t vas
filled with new and costly machinery,
and during the day 1000 people worked
within it's walls. The night shift num-
bered 700, and all of them were in the
building when the fire broke out. 1t is
thought all escaped in safety, although
the time allowed some of them was eX-
ceedingly brief.
Caused by an Explosion.
The fire originated with an explosion
of three lard tanks on the fifth floor of
the building. The cause of the ex-
plosion is unknown, but the three tanks
which were filled with boiling Lard,
went up with roar almost in the same
second. There was a score of work.
men in the immediate vicinity of the
tanks and a number of them were
burned by the scalding lard, but none
was seriously burned. 1t was not a
minute after the explosion before the
entire fifth tlOor was a mass of flames.
All the workmen in the building made
| a frantic rush for safety. and while all
| reached the open air without trouble,
some of those on the fifth floor lost
| their hats and coats, there not being an
! instant of time allowed in which to
pick them up. Despite the utmost eff
| forts of the fire department the flames
| spread through the entire building, and
| within an hour after the commence
ment of the fire, all the walls, with the
exception of that on the south side
We're lying on the ground. The fire was
one OF the most spectacular that has
been seen in Chicago in recent years
! and the display attracted an
| Enormous Crowd of People
who crowded all the arrow streets in
the stock yards ard swarmed by thou
| sands upon the viaducts which pass
| through the yards at a height OF
twenty feet from he ground. That por-
ton OF the Forty-fourth street viaduct
close to the burning building was
densely packed, and suddenly about 200
feet of hog runway extending from
the viaduct north to the plant Of Ar
mour Il Co., gave way, precipitating
fully one thousand persons to the
ground. The firenen instantly aban-
doned their work on the building and
devoted their energies to saving the
people. All We're taken from the
| wheckage within a few minutes ana
FACED in an improvised hospital in the
plant of the GerrlanAmeriCan Provis-
| ion company, which was itself badly
| damaged by fire during the early part
OF the week. 1t is said by the police
that the number Of those injured by the
fall of the viaduct IS greatly in excess
of the number reported, as there were
many who were but slightly hurt, and
being able to go to their homes without
assistance, no knowledge of them was
obtained by the authorities.