The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-12-23
Horan Was Directing Work When
Platform Fell.
SCORES OF OTHERS INJURED
Loss will Reach $l,5OO,OOO.
Ammonia Explosions Add to
Horrors of Situation and Are
[ Directly Responsible For Fear
full Loss of Life.

Chicago, Dec. 23. - Twenty-four
men lost their lives in a fire which
destroyed the packing plant Of Mel
son Morris & Company at the stock
yards. The dead include Fire Mar
shal James Horan, Second Assistant
Marshal William j. Burroughs, Cap
tain Dennis Boyle, Captain p. e. Col
line, Lieutenant James d. Fitzgerald,
IA other city firemen and five en-
ployes Of the stock yards Scores OF
others were more or less seriously
injured.
Seventeen bodies have been recov-
cred, but the remains of Marshal Ho-
ran are still buried under the mass
of ruins. Hundreds of firemen fought
desperately in the smoking ruins to
ind the body of Horan. When dark
ness came on the firemen worked by
electric light, fighting the blaze,
which had broken out anew, and
searching the wreckage for the body
of the chief The last corner of the
Immense building, which covered an
entire block, took fire shortly after
darkness, and flames swept up 150
feet in the air.
Mayor Busse took personal charge
OF the search for Chief Horan's body
and of an investigation into the
cause of the failure of the water
pressure.
In fear that the remaining walls
would fall, Acting Chief Seyferich
removed his fremcn from the more
unstable portions Of the structure,
while large force of police kept the
crowd back.
Extreme efforts were made by the
fremen to prevent the blaze from
spreading, and Acting Chief Seyfer-
Itch hoped to be able to oonGne it to
the Morris plant and save the valu-
able buildings adjacent.
The city council held a special
meeting to plan relief for the fami-
lies of the victims and to aid in the
investigation demanded. Estimates
of the financial loss amount TO ST.
100000 and even higher.
The "a men killed in the fire were
crushed to death when the east wall
fell, carrying down upon them tons
of bricks, timbers and ironwork and
a heavy wooden canopy under which
they had been standing
There we're many ammonia explo
Eions. The fire was the greatest dis
aster in the history Of the Chicago
fire department, and the worst hol-
ror In Chicago since the lroquois fire
seven years ago.
Terrific explosions of ammonia in
the beef cold storage section of the
building sent a heavy canopy crash
ing down on a squad of iiremen VINO
were working on a loading platform.
The fatalities all occurred in one
place on the loading platform. Fol-
lowing this more alarms were sent
in until 80 streams of water were
turned on the blaze.
Away up in the roof of the building,
near point directly over the load
ing platform on which stood Fire
Chief Horan, Burroughs, his assist
ant, Lieutenant Fitzgerald and a
score OF others, there was a sudden
sharp, loud report. Portions Of the
masonry of the building fell away
and a large part of this fell on the
canopy tearing it away and bearing
1t to the platform, which was crush
ed like an eggshell. with its human
freight.
The building that was destroyed
was the principal beef house of the
Morris plant. 1t adiolned on the
south the building in which are the
main offices of the company, and was
the largest Of the Morris group of
structures. Il was six stories high.