The Washington herald., 1910-12-23

NInSdSOs Dec. SS'- "SiieJ iO'$i
brave men lost their lives in a FIRE
which destroyed the packing plant
of Nelson Morris & Co., at the
stock yards, early to-day.
The dead include Fire Marshal
James Horan, Second Assistant
Marshal William ]. Burroughs,
Capt. Dennis Doyle, Capt. Patrick
L Collins, Lieut.. James d. Fitz-
gerald, twenty other hremen, and
FIVE employees OF the stock yards
Scores of others were more or less
seriously injured.
CHEFS BODY MISSING.
A. 9 o'clock tonight seventeen bodies
had beer reco.ered. brt to reinaiEs OF
Marshal Koran we're still buried under
the mass of ruins Hundreds OF hFeInen
fought desperately in the smoking ruins
to find the body CT their chief. When
darkness came on the hremen worked by
electric light, hghting the blaze which
had broken out anew late IN the after
noon. and searching the wreckage for
the body OF the chief.
The last corner Of the immense build
ing. which covered an entire block, took
IRE shortly after darkness came down
and flames swept up $50 feet in the air.
Mayor Busse started for the stock yards
late this afternoon, going 10 the scene of
the fire for the third time. He said he
would take personal charge of the search
for Chief Horan's body. and of an in
vestigation into the cause of the failure
Of the water pressure.
Fear Falling Walls.
In fear that the remaining walls would
faIl. Acting Chief Seyferlich removed his
firemen from the more unstable portions
OF the structure while a large force OF
police kept the crowd back.
Extreme efforts were made by the fire.
men TO prevent the blaze from spread
ing, and Acting Chief Seyferlich hoped
To be able to confine it to the Morris
plant and save the valuable buildings
adjacent At midnight tonight the FIRE
had been burning twenty hours. Mean
while the city council held a special
meeting to plan relief for the families
of the victims and to aid in the investi-
CATION demanded.
Estimates Of the financial loss ran 10
81 900, 900 and even higher. The thirty
men killed in the fire were crushed to
death when the east wall fell, carrying
down upon them tons of bricks, timber,
and iron work, and heavy wooden can
opy, under which they had been standing.
There were many ammonia explosions.
The fire was the greatest disaster in
the history OF the Chicago f1re depart
ment and the worst horror in Chicago
since the Iroquois fire seven years ago.
Fire Spreads Rapidly.
The fire started shortly after o'cloci;
this morning and spread with rapidity.
Chief Horan directed the efforts of a
great force OF firemen. At 5 a. m a
terrific explosion of ammonia in the beef
cold storage section of the building sent
q heavy canopy crashing down on a
squad of firemen who were working on a
loading platform
The fatalities all occurred in one place
on the loading platform. Following this,
more alarms were sent in. until fifty
streams OF water were trained on the
blaze.
away UP in the roof of the structure,
noar q point directly over the loading
platform. on which stood Fire Chief
Horan. Burroughs, his second assistant;
Lieut. Fitzgerald and nearly q score
of oehers, 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 over the load
ing platform. tearing the canopy away
and bearing ii 10 the platform itself.
which was crushed like an eggshell, with
its human freight.
The building that was destroyed was
the principal beef house Of the Morris
plant, it adjoined on the south the build
ing in which are the main Offices of the
company, and was the largest of the
Morris group OF structures. 1t was six
stories high.
At midnight the body OF Marshal
Koran had not been recovered The
IRE was still burning furiously with 70l
firemen fighting hard to check it.
Chief Had Given Warning.
Just twelve hours after the FIRE chief
had warned the council committee on
buildings that better fire-fghting appa-
ratue Wera needed in the stock uards