The evening Republican., 1902-05-17
A CHICAGO DISASTER
Many Persons Injured at Ar
mour Plant Fire.
4 CROWDED VlADUCT COLLAPSED.
Th0uSn nds Had Gathered to Watch
Burning Of Big Lard Refinery.
Property Loss Is Estimated 1T
Nearly u Million Dollars.

properly LOSH IL Estlm0teN NJ
Nearly u Million Dollars.
CHICAGO, May 17.-During the
progress of fire which last night de-
stroyed the lard refinery of Armour Il
Co. in the Union stockyards twenty
nine people We're injured, five 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 $750,O0o and $500, 900. 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 We're hurt met their injuries by
the falling Of hog runway upon
which they We're standing to obtain a
better view of the fire.
The fire drew a great crowd to the
st0ckyards. and it is estimated that at
least 10000 people were gathered
around the burning building to watch
the progress Of the flames.
Several vaducts traverse the yards
at height Of twenty feet from the
ground and upon these points Of vaN-
tage the people gathered. One of the
viuducts ends near the lard refinery,
and from the north side of this VIA
duct hog run 300 feet long extends TO
the plant of Armour & Co. While this
was denscly crowded with people about
nf il Of nrpfinItD
all who stood upon it to the ground.
The tiremen instantly abandoned all
efforts to save the refinery, which was
already doomed, and devoted them
selves to the work of rescue. The"via-
duets are not elaborate affairs, and
there was not a great amount OF wreck
age from which to disental.gle the vic
tins, and all We're taken out within Il
few minutes.
4 call was at once sent for the near
est police ambulance. but il was half
an hour in putting in an appearance,
for the reason that when the horses
were being attached to the ambulance
they ran away. Finding it impossible
to recnpture their own horses, the men
Of the ambulance corps impressed an
other team and started for the fire.
BY the time they arrived most OF the
injured had been carried to hospitals,
but a number Of the more severely hurt
was placed in an improvised hospital
in the plant of the German American
Provision company.
The lard refinery was new building
erected during the last two months,
and the building. exclusive Of the ma-
cninery it contained was valued at
| Sl5O.0uO. 1t was of brick and five sto-
ries high. The fire started on the fifth
floor from an explosion Of some watts of
lard 1t spread rapidly throughout the
| bailding, despite desperate efforts OF
| the workmen to check its advance, and
| by the time the tiremen arrived at the
scene the building was mass of
! flames. calls We're quickly sent in for
| additional engines until twenty had
| been summoned, but even this re-en'
! fOrcement was OF no avail. and in a
| short time the north, south and west
| walls of the building were down. Di
rcctIy west Of the lard refinery is the
| plant of the Upton Packing company
aud the flames, after the fall of the
west wall Of the refinery, burst Out
| agaiASt this building with terrific force
and for a time it was thought that il
would be impossible to save the Liptol
building. 1t was damaged somewhat
but the flames were checked before thu
damage was serious.