The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-07-10
packing PLANT BURNED.
Loss Is Estimated at 81, 500, 900, En-
tirely Covered by Insurance
Two Men Lose Their Lives.
me WALLS FALL WITH A CRASH.
Hard work of Fire0en-The ORR
gin Of Fire IL . Mystery-Wntch-
man overcome by smoke-Three
Others injured.

man Overcome by smoke-Thre<
Others Injured.
ST. Joseph, Mo-. July 6.-Ihe mar
building Of the Hammond packing
plant was destroyed by fire yesterday
The loss is estimated as high n 81
10000. Ii is entirely covered by IN
surance Two men lost their lives in
the flames. One Of them is reporte
to he Charles Miller, fire marshal at
the plant. This could not be verified.
Three men were injured. one of them
seriously. For time the entire stock
Yards district was threatened By
hard work the Nelson Morris plant,
500 feet north Of the Hammond plant.
was saved. and this saved the swift
plant. which is 10 the north Of the
Nelson Morris building.
The fire started a little after two
o'clock BY nine o'clock most Of The
building was gone. The greater dam
ger was NJ six o'clock when part Of
the north wall fell AMI the fierce
flames were shot toward the Nelson
Morris building Twenty loads Of
hose were out on the Nelson Morris
building. Though the dense smoke
was blown against the big buildings
the work Of the firemen saved the
building. Many of the firemen were
volunteers. There were three of the
city companies at the fire, and the fire
fighters were directed by Chief Kane
IF the city department.
The carcasses of 4,500 hogs. 1.s0C
cattle and 500 sheep were burned.
Nearly 100000 pounds Of oleo were de-
stroyed. The contents of the smoke
house were consumed. The entire
north building. measuring 100 by 400
feet. and ranging in height from five
10 seven stories. was Quilted. IL was
with the greatest difficulty that the
south building was saved. The origin
If the fire is mystery. There was
no fire in the casing department,
where the fire started. The flames
were discovered about 2:23 o'clock by
Charles Cullen. day Waterman. He
gave the alarm. but was SO overcome
by the smoke that he was almost snf-
located.
Daniel Smaley. foreman Of the car
department. fell from the car sheds
on the north OF the building and suf-
fered serious injury.
The fatalities occurred about five
o'clock. BY that time nearly all the
building was on fire. a man with
hose. said to have been Miller. was
north side in the hog department. lie
walked back into the building and 4
Few seconds later those on the cut
side heard terrible cries. which lasted
perhaps half a minute The man did
not appear again, and is believed %
have been killed.
Two young men who were in the
room and left a few minutes before
said that two failed 10 escape. but
they did not give the names If the
men. who were said TO be employees
Of the company.
The fire had penetrated To the olec
department.. which is at the mort beast
corner Of the building. by three
o'clock. The fire then began 70 burn
fiercely. The beef beds. egg depart.
ment and other departments in the
eastern end Of the building as the
beef house, were soon ablaze. The
eastern part Of the building was Of
81 -
in that direction. This eastern wall
was soon a mass Of flames. 1t burned
slowly at first, but by $3.50 o'clock
was beginning to fall apart. especial |
~ at the north end, where the olec !
department was located.
The building and machinery were
covered by insurance to the amount
IF S5j0.000. and the stock was in. I
sured for about 100000. This In. \
surance was carried by nearly every |
company To the full amount which !
each company would accept Every
local insurance representative wrote
as much for his companies as they
would take. and much was written
outside Of the United States.
The insurance on the buildings and
machinery amounting 10 $4,000
probably represents the full amour;
desired by the Hammond company on
this part Of the plant. but the sG0o.00
on the stock represent not the entire
amount desired but all that could be
obtained on the stock. Every com.
nany represented here has all il can
carry. and in addition all the outside
companies were filed up and mutual
and similar organizations were given
whatever they cared TO carry. Con.
siderable was written by foreign com.
panies in France and Germany. and
even Japan. The policies range FROM
100000 down to as low as 81 800.
DAMAGE BY WIND AND RAIN.