The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-07

 went out with the first alarm and as soon as I arrived saw it wuold be neces- sary to have the entire department, and turned in general alarm" Building Filled With Fumes l On account of the hours that the pipe had been leaking the building was | filled with the fumes of ammonia and it was impossible for the fire fighters to enter. Heroic attempts were made under the direction of Chief Bennett. but the men were driven back or over come by the fumes.
 | Chief Bennett stated last night that for an hour he was helpless and was forced to wait until. the fire burned through the numerous walls and got to the outside where he could fight it. In the meantime he made every preparation. Lines of hose were thrown in the front and rear and on the top. The instant the fire came within reach 12O0 gallons of water per minute were thrown on it.
 | The fire burst from the rear and Chief Bennett was instantly on the scene di- recting the fight. He drove the fire back
 
 the building. Bremen stationed on top Of the adjoining Cudahy building poured streams of water on this blaze while laddies on the other side of the building did likewise. s...t.- t' After hours of hard labor without food the firernen succeeded in checking the flames and at Il o'clock had the fire | under control. Although the ruins smoul- dered until late last night the fire was practically extingushed. Chief Bennett kept a crew of men at the fire last night and streams of water were played on the 1 building for hours.
 Damage Estimates Vary | While Chief Bennett estimates the loss l to the Armour company at s1OO0O0, W. S. Moughon, general manager of the Ar mour company. placed the damage at a | much higher figure. Chief Bennett is | confident that Sl00,0O0 will cover the loss. l The basement and first floor of the build | ing were. intact and were not damaged 1 by fire. The water damage to the stock | was the only loss suffered on the lower | floors The second and third stories were | gutted by the flames and while the stock | is badly damaged Chief Bennett stated that he thought it was not a total loss. The loss to the building he estimates at | $6o,000. The stock loss he thinks will | reach about $35,0O0 or s4O000 These fig | ures are for the Armour plant only The | plant of the Cudahy Packing company I next door to the Armour building, was | damaged about slO,0OO while the Kenni- mer-1rwin Shoe company suffered slight damage. It is thought that sl25,OOO will easily cover all damage done by the fire | Plant Insured
 l The Armour loss is fully covered by insurance. The company carried s15O,Ooo on the plant and a blanket policy. thought to be about s50.000 by Manager Moughon, on the stock. The policies were placed through the Jemison- -Seibies agency and were distrihutedI as follows: Home In- surance company of New York, sloooJ German American Insurance con1panv of New York, s20.00O; Scottish Union and National Insurance company, sO,OoO I44e losses on. the other plants were fully covered by insurance. l While the fire of yesterday morning 1 was not spectacular an immense crowd variousy estimated at 1000. to 1GO0O peo- | pie gathered around First avenue and Twenty-third street to watch it. So dense was the crowd that Assistant Chief Wal ton requested the police deparment to send squad of policemen to control the crowd. Capt. J. s. Johnston was detail- ed by Chief Bodeker. On account of the tanks of ammonia In the basement of the building the crowd was pushed back the authorities fearing an explosion. The | ammonia in the tanks was pumped out shortly after the crowd began to gather and removed the possibility of an ex- plosion. fst | Traffic Delayed
 Street car traffic on the East Lake line was delayed for hours by the lines of hose across the tracks The cars were rtn to Twenty third street. and the passen- gers transferred to other cars on the east ] side Of the fire. The building destroyed | yesterday was the most completely equipped of it's kind owned by the Armour I company in the south. It was three | stories with basement and was entirely | new from top to bottom. The building 1 had only been occupied by the company 1 for a little less than two months. the for | nal opening of the building taking place | on July IT.
 The building was equipped with a beef l cooler with a capacity of 2oJ cattle 1oD sheep, 100 lambs. and 100 pigs. There were four smokehouses. two sausage smoke houses. sweet pickle. raw meat. butter.