Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-11-22
A MILLI0N=DOLLAR BLAZE
Destruction of Great Plant of Armour &
Co., at Sioux City.
BUILDINGS RAZED FROM FOUNDATIONS.
i"enfy'four Drums. Each Containing One
Hundred Pounds OF Ammonia. Explode,
Followed by the Explosion of the Big
Storage Cistern-Three Thousand Dressed
Hogs Burned.

Sioux City, Iowa (SpeciaD The big
plant OF Armour & Co, which occupied
three and a half acres of ground at the
extreme south end OF the stock yards dis
trict was destroyed by fire which start
cd soon after midnight on the second
floor OF the fertilizer building. Six hun
dred men are thrown out OF employment
he loss, as estimated by Charles w.
Lennon. manager OF the company, is
100000: the insurance. S72I,sco.
The cause OF the FIRE was said by Mr..
Lennon to have been either spontaneous
combustion or an imperfect dryer. The
fire was discovered by Waterman OF
the building, who. only few minutes
before. had pulled messenger box on
the floor where the flames started.
Quickly the Armour private fire de-
partment OF six men was called out, and
the entire city department followed. BY
I.2o a. III. SIX streams OF water were be-
ing thrown upon the fire which was dc
stroying the fertilizer building. but the
pressure was inadequate. This building.
which was OF brick. 40 by Co feet, four
stories high. was located between the
bccf-killing house and the Chicago. St.
Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha railroad
tracks on the east.
The floors and contents OF the build
ing burned like chaff At Las a. II. the
roof fell i'll. and moment later the fire
burst through into tho beef-kiling house.
Simultaneously the cattle chute ignited
ard lasted only about FIVE minutes, when
il fell with great crash.
From the bcef-kiling house to the
oleomargarinc building was only a step.
and when the lard was ignitcd the fire
presented most spectacular appearance
The big beeihouse where so carcasseS
were hanging. caught at o'clock. BY
this time the entire plant. except the hog
house. was lake OF fire. The roar was
terrible. The country for miles around
was lighted UP. Suddenly come terri
&c explosion. followed quickly by an
other. and then another. Twentyfour
drums. Of 100 pounds OF ammonia each.
exploded before the reserve supply III
the ammonia cistcrn was reached. That
ignition almost RACED the entire plant
from its foundation.
At go a. III. the flames burst through
the heavy FIRE wall that separated the
big hoghouse from the other buildings
This was the last Building 10 the north
and the largest oil all Steadily the fire
crept against the wind and through
the Office building. which from the first
had been developed in flames. Not 4
scrap OF paper was saved from the oil
fee.
The burning roof OF a chute fell upon
= bunch OF live hogs and their squeals
we're added to the chorus
When the hoghouse caught fire all
streams were turned i'll iha. direction.
bit the water seemed ike oil. In the
building we're $500 dressed hogs and
100000 pounds Of pork product Alter
the fire got . good headway there al
hope OF saving any par; oi Ii plant
was abandoned. The shops. chicken
packing plant. icehouseS and ice run
ways and smaller department houses
were CONSUMED i'll quick succession.