The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1902-11-21
BIG PACKING HOUSE FIRE
ARMOUR's PLANT AT SIOUX CITY,
IOWA, BURNED.
Buildings Covered Four Acres Of the
stockyards, and Were Valued at
5000, ooo-TotalIy Destroyed-Exact
Cause Unknown-5oo Men Thrown
Out of Work by the Fire.

Sioux City, Ia, Nov. 17.-Armour &
Co.'S packing plant, which occupied
four acres of the stockyards and was
valued at $900,000 was totally de-
stroyed by fire which started on the
second floor of the fertilizer building
and is thought by Manager Lennon to
have been due either to spontaneous
combustion or to an imperfect drier.
The loss is partly covered by $72l,ooo
insurance Five hundred men are
thrown out Of employment by the fire.
Within an hour after the fire was
discovered by a Waterman six streams
of water were being thrown upon the
flames. which were cutting the fertil-
izer building, 120x60 feet, and four
stories high, but the pressure was in
adequate. The floors and contents OF
the building burned like chaff. The
roof soon fell and the fire burst
through into the beef-killing house. At
the same time the cattle chute ignited
and in five minutes fell with a crash.
Once in the beef-killing house, the
flames began to dance madly. From
this house to the oleomargarine build
ing was only step, and when the OILS
started to burn the fire presented a
most spectacular appearance. The big
beef house, containing 500 carcasses,
next caught fire and the whole plant
except the hog house, was lake OF
fire. The roar was terrible. The coun-
try for miles around was lighted up
Suddenly there was a terrific deto-
nation, followed quickly by another
then another. Twenty-four drums Of
100 pounds of ammonia each exploded
before the reserve supply in the am
monia cistern was reached. That ex-
plosion almost RACED the entire plant
The flames were blow through the fire
wall which separated the hog house
from the other buildings. The hog
house contained $500 dressed hogs,
100000 pounds of pork products.
Steadily the fire crept against the wind
and through the office building. Not
a scrap of paper was saved.
When the last of the ammonia
drums was going off, burning chute
fell on a bunch of live hogs and their
squeals were added to the appalling
chorus. After the fire got good head
way in the hog house, the shops, chick
en- packing plant, ice houses and ice
runways and smaller department
houses were consumed in quick sue
cession.
The terrible roaring continued I'M
abated, the high brick walls crumbled
and crashed one by one and the con-
flagration gradually ate it's way
through building after building. The
fire department was helpless, as it's
apparatus was inadequate. The pres
sure was hardly strong enough to
throw water to the roof of the pork
house. When the walls of this depart.
ment burst, the firemen played their
streams on the buildings until day
light. The fire burned all day and this
afternoon there was another terrific
explosion, which threw bricks and
pieces of iron for hundreds Of yards.
No one was hurt.
To Be Rebuilt at once.
Kansas City, Nc, Nov &c. W.
Armour of the Armour Packing COM
pany, stated that the plant at Sioux
City, destroyed by fire last night,
would be rebuilt at once. The new
plant will be much larger and finer
than the one burned. The company
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