The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-06
Main Building of the Hammond Plant
Destroyed and Other Structure.
Endangered.
AT LEAST TWO LIVES LOST
NEARLY 100000 POUNDS OF oLEO
LICKED UP BY THE FLAMES.
Nelson Morris and the Swift Plants
Saved with DimcuIty-Insur-
ance $1,I5O,OOO.

ST. JOSEPH. Mo-. July 5-The main
building of the Hammond Packing Com
pany's plant was burned this afternoon.
The loss is estimated as high as $500. 900.
1t is entirely covered by insurance. Two
men lost their lives in the flames. One of
them is reported to be Charles Miller, fire
marshal at the plant. This could not be
verified. Three men were injured, one of
them seriously.
For time the entire stockyards district
was threatened. BY hard work the Nelson
Morris plant. 200 feet north of the Ham
mond plant. was saved, and this saved
the Swift plant. which is to the north of
the Nelson Morris building.
The fire started a little after O'Clock
BY 8 o'clock most of the building was
gone. The greatest danger was at O'Clock,
when part of the north wall fell and the
fierce flames were shot toward the Nelson
Morris building. Twenty leads of hose were
out on the Nelson Morris building. Though
the dense smoke was blown against the
big building. 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 firefghters
were directed by Chief Kane, of the city
department.
The carcasses OF $500 hogs. 1.sO0 cattle
and 800 sheep were burned. Nearly 100000
pounds of oleo was destroyed The con-
tents of the smokehouse were consumed.
The entire north building. measuring 120x14O
feet. and ranging in height from five to
seven stories, was gutted. 1t was with the
greatest difficulty that the south building
was saved The origin of the fire Is a mys-
terry. There was fire in the casing de-
partment in the eastern part OF the build
ing. where the fire started.
The flames were discovered about 2:2S
o'clock by Charles Cullen, day watchman.
He gave the alarm. but was so overcome by
the smoke that he was almost suffocated.
Daniel smaley. foreman of the car de-
partment, fell from the carsheds on the
north of the building and suffered serious
injury.
The fatalities occurred about o'clock By
that time nearly all the building was on
fire. A man with hose. said to have been
Miller. was seen at one of the windows on
4 tiC hoi III Siuc VI tHc nus utpdi tncHt ne
walked back into the building and a few
seconds later those on the outside heard
| terrible cries, which lasted perhaps half a
minute. The man did not appear again and
is believed to have been killed. Two young
men who were in the room and left a few
minutes before said that two failed to es-
! cape. but they did not gives the names of
the men. who were said to be employees of
the company. 1t was not until 6 o clock that
| the greatest danger was reached. At that
hour a large part of the southern wall fell
| with crash. Several violent explosions had
| been heard just before as some oil tank
/ burst within the building.
The buildings and machinery were COW
cred by insurance to the amount of about
s55o.0oo and the stock was insured for
about $4,000.