Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-07-06
Hammond Packing Company's
Plant Destroyed by Fire,
Loss 800, 200
TWO FlREMEN BURNED TO DEATH
k>'son Morris Plant Was in Great
Da,.ser and Was Saved Only by the
Heroic Efforts of the Firemen-Ter-
rifle Explosion of Ammonia Tanks
Endangered Lives of All Firemen.

ST. Joseph. Mo-. July 6.--Tire de-
stroyed the main building of the Ham
mond Packing Companys plant Sun
day afternoon, causing a loss estimated
at S1.500.000 and the death of two men
Nearly dozen others were injured, and
some of them seriously.
The contents of the big building, con-
sisting largely of fats, oleomargarine.
and the carcasses of fat animals, added
fuel of the most inhammable nature
to the flames, and the firemen were
powerless to prevent their spread until
the entire building was ablaze. The
explosion of ammonia tanks in the re-
frlserator plant caused great danger,
causing the walls to fall and the fire to
threaten the adjoining plant of Nelson
Morris & Co. 1t is believed, however,
that these buildings can be saved.
The Dead.
Charles Miller, fire marshal for the
Hammond company: was on the roof of
the building with hose when the ex-
plosion caused it to fall.
Unknown man. employee of Hammond
company: overcome while fighting the
fire.
The Known Injured.
Charles Collum, employee of Ham
mond company; overcome by smoke;
condition serious.
William McHolland, employe of
Hammond company; carried out of the
building unconscious; will recover.
Samuel Oakley, fireman; badly in
jured by falling wall.
The fire was discovered in the main
building of the Hammond company's
plant at 2:15 in the afternoon, and so
rapidly did it spread that at o'clock
the building was gone. When it be-
came apparent that the spread could
not be checked, three fire companies
devoted their energies to saving the
Nelson Morris plant, 800 feet north.
For time ii looked as If this property
was doomed.
The water pressure was low at first
and the fire, which was on the third
and fourth floors, could not be reached.
Dense smoke filled those floors and
many firemen were overcome by the
dense smoke. Half dozen others mar
smoke.
The fatalities took place about S
O'clock, when nearly all the building
was on fire. a man with a hose, who
was Unidentified as Miller, was seen at
one of the windows on the north side
of the hog department playing water
on the wall. Suddenly a terrific ex-
plosion shattered the wall on which
Miller was standing. A tank Of am
monia had exploded. Uttering cries of
assistance Miller managed to swing
TO another window. Then this portion
of the wall fell and groan escaped
from the crowd. AT this time the beef
house was solid mass of flames.
Two young men who were with Miller
and had just left a few minutes before,
said that two failed to escape. They
did not know the name of the other,
who was an employee of the company.
The greatest danger was at o'clock,
when part of the north wall fell and
flames were shot toward the Nelson
Morris building. Twenty leads of hose
were out on the Nelson Morris build
ing, and the firemen saved 1t.
The origin of the fire is mystery.
There was no fire in the casing depart
ment in the eastern part OF the build
ing, where it started The flames were
discovered by Charles Collum. the day
Waterman. He gave the alarm, but
was so overcome by smoke that he was
almost suffocated.
The fire had penetrated into the oleo
department, which is in the northeast
corner of the building. by o'clock.
IN
The beef beds, egg department., and
other departments in the eastern emu
of the building, known as the peer
house. were soon ablaZe. Inc eastern
part of the building was OF wood and
was soon a mass of tiames. Wlthln
few minutes the flames were IN the hos
department, and the carcasses OF y
500 animals, largely fat, were added 10
the flames. 1t was in this building that
Miller was said to have lost his life.
From the hog house it was a matter
Of n short time before the smoke house
was ablaze, thus making fiery fur
mace 400 feet long and $50 feet wide.
Flames, so intense, that it was with
difficulty that person could stand
hundred yards away, shot into the air
n hundred feet or more.
It was 6 o'clock when the greatest
danger was reached. AT that hour
large portion Of the southern wall fell
with a crash. Several violent explo-
s;ons had been heard just before as
some oil tanks burst within the build
ing.
The buildings and machinery were
covered by insurance to the amount OF
about S550,0OO, and the stock was in
snred for about 100000. Every local
insurance representative wrote as much
for his companies as they would take
and much was written outside of the
United States The carcasses OF $500
hogs, 1900 cattle and 500 sheep We're
burned. Nearly 100000 pounds OF oleo
were destroyed.