The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-12-27
Gorris Packing COmpany's Beef
Plant In Ruins.
FIRE MARSHAL HORAA KILLED
Scores Of firefighters and Stock.
yard Employees Injured In Blaze
{ That Caused Financial Loss Of
l. $i,500,000.

Chicago, Dec. 23.-In a fire which
Destroyed the main beef house OF the
Nelson Morris Packing company's
plant A. the stock yards, "a men lost
sheir lives. The dead include Fire
Marshal Horan, Second Assistant
Marshal William ]. Burroughs, Cap
tain Dennis Boyle. Captain P. II. Col.
ajne, Lieutenant James ID. Fitzgerald.
IL other city iremen and five en-
pioyes Of the stock yards. Scores OF
others were more or less seriously
injured.
Terrific explosions Of ammonia In
The beef cold storage section of the
building sent heavy canopy crash
ing down on a squad of firemen wno
were working on loading platform.
The fatalities all occurred In one
place on the loading platform. Fol
lowing this more alarms were sent
In until SO 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
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 1t away and bearing
1t to the platform, which was crush.
cd like an eggshell. with its human
freight.
Seventeen bodies have been recov.
cred, hut the remains OF Marshal Ho-
ran are still buried under the mass
of ruins. Hundreds of firemen fought
desperately In the smoking ruins to
and the body Of Horan. When dark.
ness came on the hremen 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 100
feet in the air.
Mayor Takes Charge.
Mayor Busse took personal charge
of the search for Chief Horans 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 Seyferllch
removed his firemen from the more
unstable portions of the structure.
while large force of police kept the
crowd back
Extreme efforts were made by the
eremen TO prevent the blaze from
spreading, and Acting Chief Seyfer
lich hoped to be able TO coniine II to
the Morris plant and save the valu-
able buildings adjacent.
The city council held special
meeting to plan relief for tho fami-
He's 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
heavy wooden canopy under which
they had been standing.
There were many ammonia explo.
sions. The fire was the greatest dis
aster in the history of the Chicago
fire department, and the worst hor-
ror In Chicago since tho Iroquols fire
seven years ago.
The building that was destroyed
was the principal beef house OF the
Morris plant 1t adjoined on tho
south the building in which are the
main offices OF the company, and was
the largest OF the Morris group OF
structures. II was six stories high.
NEAn niIMnrn rnunrrrn