The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-03

swept TO the cattle sheds on the south.
When the barn collapsed. the flames shot
up towards the sky and veritable fire.
works of sparks and burning embers We're
scattered broadcast over fhe cattle sheds,
which were soon On fire.
Alley 500 was first TO fall before the
flames. 1t was nearest the feed barn and
the flames literally licked up the dry tim
bers coated with tar Alley 400. Immediate
ly adjoining. was soon a mass of flames
and thence the fire spread to alley 800. with
the fremen fighting from the roofs in the
very face OF the wind swept flames.
The fire was difficult one to fight be-
cause Of the hard wind from the worst
possible direction and the extent and di-
mensions of the fire. The heavy lines OF
hose had to be carried 200 and 800 feet and
hauled over sheds and roofs and willing
hands seemed to be greatly lacking. the
firemen working almost unaided. The sup
ply of water was too woefully low. and
spect.
FIREMEN HANDICAPPED.
When the fire department arrived on
the scene the entire stockyards seemed
doomed so disastrously were the flames
spreading and the sparks scattering. To
effectively combat the blaze the fremen
were forced to take up a position on the
roofs of the cattle shed in the face of the
wind. which carried the fire headlong be-
fore it. Around them the sky rained large
sparks and burning clots of hay and en-
their work with the hose to fight incipient
blazes on the tar-covered roofs about them.
large force of men was kept busy con-
tinually running the roofs about them
fighting these new outbreaks of wind
famed flames. Practically nothing could
be done toward extinguishing the fire un-
til the heavy wind subsided. and at 2
o'clock this morning IL was seeN-~Ukt--fv
other two alleys were doomed.
The fremen had succeeded in fighting le
fire back from the west end OF the sheds
in the effort to keep it away from the horse
pens, but at the south end of the long cat
tie sheds the wind blew the flames straight
into the two remaining alleys. which are
500 feet in length. and the fire seemed to
gather new strength and headway. 1t APP
peared then that the entire line of alleys
would succumb to the terrible fire.
HOG PENS THREATENED.
At the extreme south end of the cattle
shed were the pig pens. into which the
sparks poured like a rain of shot. Great
difficulty was met there i'm fighting down
the outbreaks because of the heavy smoke
which the wind blew over this part of the
yards. However. all pigs and hogs were
tie. were taken to the Interstate stock
yards.
When the fire broke out and was scat
tered over the entire yards there were
many stock the nearby tracks
Engines were brought at once TO begin
hauling them away. Many of them. how
ever, were set on fire by the flying embers.
and the outskirts of the yards seemed to
be in flames. Several of the cars were COM
pletely destroyed.
HORSE STABLES THREATENED.
At 2:l5 o'clock the fire at the south -
of the remaining cattle sheds had gained
such proportions that all hope of saving
the sheds was abandoned and attention
was turned TO the stables in which the
horses were kept which are stationed to
the west of the alleys. and which were in
immediate peril. To-day being auction day.
about five hundred horses were in the
stables, and men began removing them
with much caution possible. There
was great excitement among the animals,
many of them attempting to break away in
their fright. One horse which succeeded
in breaking his bonds rushed madly into
the flames and TO his doom and a general
stampede narrowly averted.
From a spectacular point of view the fire
was All tndl cOuld De lmaglned. ABOVE the
whole wild scene the sky seemed afiame
with burning masses OF wind-tossed hay
and flying sparks. while the feed barn.
where the baled hay was piled some nifty
feet high a pyramid of glowing fire at
which the wind dug wickedly. When the
flames fell into the mass of tar barrels the
spectacular illumination Of the fire oc-
Cured. The long tongues of fire seemed TO
reach to- the sky. while cloud upon cloud
of smoke rolled over the lighting fremen
Shortly after o'clock the fire had COM
pletely destroyed the entire line OF alleys
and all the buildings south of them. includ-
ing the hog pens Having burned SOUTH
ward down the entire length OF Alley CO.
the flames worked their way westward on
the remaining two alleys. the wind having
shifted slightly 10 the eastward and again
increasing its strength. Handicapped by
the low pressure OF water. the firemen
fought heroically. but under tremendous
odds
AS the fire gained its way back OF the
cattle shed IL endangered directly the horse
and sales stables. which were about thirty
feet west Of the north ends OF the alleyu