The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-17
Most of the Victims Were n Hog
Runway Viewing the Flames
when the Structure Broke.
NARROW ESCAPE OF woRKMEN
SCALDED WITH LARD THROWN FROM
EXPLODING TANKS.
Fireman Forced to Jump Through
FIames-Property Loss Estimat-
ed at About 100000

CHICAGO, May 16.-During the progress
of fire which tonight destroyed the lard
refinery of Armour & Co. in the Union
stockyards, twenty-nine people were in
jured, seven of them in manner which will
probably cause death in a short time. The
loss of the company is estimated by its
officers at between $4,000 and 100000. with
all the chances in favor of the latter fig
ure. There was number of accidents, but
by far the larger number of those who
were hurt met their injuries by the falling
of a hog runway on which they were stand
ing to obtain a better view of the fire.
Fatally Injured
JENNIE SMITH, stenographer German
American Provision Company. both legs
broken.
RAY IRWIN, eleven years of age, in
ternal injuries and head badly cut.
ISRAEL MORRIS, driver police patrol
wagon. both legs broken.
MICHAEL MALOY, driver OF fine engine.
internal injuries.
MILES MNAMARA, back broken.
MAGGIE FRAZER, internally injured.
]. P. BRADSCHALL crushed.
Others Injured
JOHN HOFFMAN, head cut and arm
broken.
WILLIAM GREBLING, head cut open.
MRS. MORRIS SCHwADER. wire of the
manager Of the German-American Provi-
sion Company, hands and arms badly cut.
WILLIAM MKEEvER, head cut.
JAMES M'NAMARA, head cut
AFnDcE baad 10Th
shoulders dislocated by falling beam.
MRS. F. H. FRASER, legs badly cut
MRS. r. r. CLIFFORD, arm broken.
HARRY JENNINGS. head cut and cheek
bone broken.
right arm broken
MAMIE ROACH, head cut.
EDWARD BUsBY. internal injuries.
very serious, but recovery probable.
DAVID FLEMING, arms and back cut.
FRANK BURNS. face and arm cut
WILLIAM M'NEIL, thirteen years old.
shoulder dislocated and cut.
LEO MILTO, cut about head.
CHARLES LERTZ. face and arms cut.
WILLIAM LERTZ. head cut and legs
bruised.
/ ANNA SANFORD, arm cut and crushed.
! WILLIAM S. KELLOGG. internally in
/ jured; not fatal.
CHARLES DICKERSON, back injured.
/ SAMUEL ROBINSON, body bruised and
fingers mashed.
/ JOHN SAVAGE, fireman, overcome by
smoke; will recover.
! CHARLES TRAXEL fireman. overcome
! by smoke; will recover.
The lard refinery had just been COM
/ pleted, and was considered by its owners
the most complete establishment of it's
+ kind in the United States. II stood at the
/ intersection of Forty-third street and Cen
ter avenue and was five stories high and
i 2JO by 300 feet. II was filled with new and
costly machinery, and during the day 1900
people worked within its walls. The night
. shift numbered 200, and all of them were in
the building when the fire broke out. II is
thought that all escaped in safety, although
the time allowed some Of them was exceed
ingly 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 explosion is
4 unknown, but the three tanks, which were
filled with boiling lard. went up with a
roar almost in the same second. There was
score Of workmen in the immediate vicin-
| ity 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
floor was a mass OF flames.
All the workmen in the building made
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 instant OF
time allowed In which 10 pick them up.
Despite the utmost efforts of the fire de-
partment the flames spread through the
entire building. and within an hour after
the commencement of the fire all the walls.
with the exception Of that on the south.
were 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 narrow streets
in the stockyards and swarmed by thou
sands upon the viaducts which pass
through the yards at a height of twenty
feet from the ground. That portion OF the
Forty-fourth-street viaduct close 20 the
burning building was densely packed. and
suddenly about two hundred feet OF a hog
runway extending from the viaduct north
TO the plant Of Armour & Co. gave way.
precipitating fully one thousand persons TO
| the ground.
The firemen instantly abandoned their
/ work on the building and devoted their en-
ergies TO saving the people All were taken
from the wreckage within a few minutes
/ and placed In improviSed hospital In
the plant OF the German American Provi-
sion Company. which was itself badly dam
aged by nre during the early part OF the
| week A call was hastily sent for the po-
lice ambulance. but the one stationed near
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