Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-23
Twenty-Five Lives Lost When
Expanding Cold Air Tears
ASunder Burning Chicago
Meat Packing Plant,
CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT
AMONG UNF0RTUNATES
Brave Men Drop From Exhaus-
ton in Desperate Effort to
Recover Body Of Commander
From Fiery Tomb.

Chicago, Dec. 22.--Of the twenty
five men killed in fire of the stock
yards today by falling walls. the bod
les of nineteen, including that of
Fire Chief James Horan. had been
taken from the ruins at a late hour
tonight. The list OF dead includes
the chief, assistant chief, two cap
tains. five lieutenants. thirteen city
firemen, two private firemen and a
railroad employe.
II was many hours after the ex-
pansion of cold air within the beef
refrigerator OF Morris and Company's
plant threw a wall on a squad OF
men before the bodies could be re-
leased by steam derrick.
The tired fire fighters tonight were
still trying to subdue the flames that
burst out afresh in the packing plant
Of Morris and Company at the Union
Stock Yards.
All the fifteen men injured at the
fire Will recover.
The fire broke out afresh at 3
o'clock tonight, after il had taxed
the STRENGTH OF the fire department
for sixteen hours. Acting Chief Sey-
ferl'nh gent q general call to outlyinA
stations for fresh men. These, aided
by police reserves continued the
fight on the fire and the search for
bodies Of the dead Mayor Busse
spent ten hours today personally d.
recting the search for the body of
Chief Horan, who had been a life
long friend
A railroad wrecking train with der
ricks and steam shovels was used 20
clear away the burning ruins.
Insurance inspectors tonight said
that the killing of the chief and his
men was not due TO an ammonia ex-
plosion, as at first supposed, but 70
the sudden expansion of cold air In
the beef warehouse. This. 1t Is said,
caused the four-story wall to fall, as
violently as though an explosion had
occurred within the building.
Apparently maddened by the death
of their chief. firemen threw them
selves recklessly into the work OF
clearing away the fallen wall all day
long. More than fifty men dropped
from exhaustion and were carried
back from the intense heat or the
burning warehouse
Despite the work OF many engine
crews, the fire continued TO burn
stubbornly all day and night. Thou
sands thronged into the stock yards
and the police kept spectators back
from tile uaHSNi iihc WIN hiNpe VII
ficulty.
Not since the days following the
Iroquois theater tragedy which, like
the disaster of today was a holiday
time horror, have such pathetic
scenes attended a fire in Chicago
The bodies OF victims were taken
to an undertaking room near the
fire Widows and children of the
dead men, frantically crowded into
the place. The bodies were so badly
mutlated in most cases that the po-
lice would not permit the relatives 10
view them. In several Instances
women struggled madly with police
men In attempts TO see their dead
Mayor Bussc late today called
special meeting of the city council
which selected a committee OF fifteen
aldermen to take charge of relief
work for the families of the dead
and to make funeral arrangements,
At the same time a meeting was held
at the Chicago club, and wealthy
business men started relief fund.
Theater managers also prepared TO
hold benefit performances.
Marshal Horan's body was pinned
to the ground beneath a heavy tim
ber and partly protected by several
iron girders. The face was free from
bruises and was recognized as soon
as uncovered.
The body of Lieutenant james |
OF engine company No. 23, |
was found near the dead chief.
Commissioner OF Public Works |
Mulaney late tonight took $50 city |
laborers TO the Morris plant to relieve |
exhausted firemen and policemen |
who could no longer keep on their |
feet. Commissioner Mulaney re-
NAMED AT the fire TO direct these |
men IN the search for bodies Of the |
The following is revised list OF |
the dead, so far as bodies have been |
recovered:
JAMES HORAN. fire marshal.
WILLIAM j. BURROUGHS, sec
ond assistant fire marshal.
HENRY BRANDENBURG. lieu
tenant.
PATRICK +. COLLINS. captain.
THOMAS COSTELLO. pipeman.
NICHOLAS CRANE. truckman.
EDWARD J. DAMS, lieutenant.
NICHOLAS DOYLE. truckman.
ANDREW DYMURAN, fireman
STEPHEN LEEN, clerk Chicago
Junction Railway.
CHARLES MOORE. truckman.
ALBERT MORIARITY. truckman.
MAURASKIVGO pipeman.
EDWARD SCHOENZETT, truck
man.
WILLIAM +. WEBER. pipeman.
W. @. STURM, lieutenant