The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-16
MORE THAN HALF or GREAT
PLANT AND PENS GO UP IN
FLAMES.
RACES FOR FIVE HOURS
Cause Of Origin OF Confiagration Is In
known.-Were 1900 Animals In Pens
ut Close Of Business Yesterday.-Ear-
ly Morning Blaze.

Kansas City. Mo. oct 16.-More
than one half of the Kansas City Stock
! yards, the second largest in the world.
was destroyed by fire of unknown orr
gin early today. 1t was estimated at
Z o'clock this morning that several thou
sand head of cattle had been burned.
Some estimates placed the number be-
tween 10000 and $4,000. At that hour.
| the fire was under control, after having
burned five hours.
The flames were confined to the cat.
tie pens. which comprise considerably
! more than half of the yards. New three
story concrete hog pens finally checked
the flames after the fire departments
of Kansas City, Kan, and Kansas City,
Mo-, and hundreds Of volunteers had
worked unsuccessfully for hours to pre-
vent the fire from reaching the ex-
change building and other structures.
The fire. discovered by two patrolmen
in Kansas City. Kansas, where the
yards are located. spread with great
rapidity and soon the entire sky was
glowing.
There We're 1900 head of cattle in
the yards at the close of business yes
terday, and so rapidly did the flames
spread that it was impossible to liber-
ate the animals with any degree of
system. The streets of both Kansas
Cities in the vicinity of the yards soon
were filled with terror stricken cattle
This forenoon. hundreds of men We're
engaged in rounding them up. Car
casses of many burned cattle were to
be seen in the glowing embers early
today.
Today's fire was the third disastrous
one in the history of the local yards.
Fire department officials of both Kansas
Cities today were endeavoring to as
certain the cause. The other two con-
fiagrations at the yards were caused by
carelessly thrown cigarette stubbs.
Guards Kill Suffering Cattle.
Throughout the morning rifiemen and
sledge hammer bearers went about the
stockyards killing burned animals un-
der direction of humane society of
ficers.
Here and there i'm the vast burned
area, the lives of a few animals were
saved when falling pens had broken off
water pipes and allowed miniature
to spray over limited space.
Disposal of the carcasses was proving
a problem today. IL was thought by
men at the stockyards that
local soap and fertilizer plants would be
able TO care for most of them.
Cowboys that had accompanied their
stock to the yards. together with stock.
yards employees. were rounding up the
strayed cattle. 1t was said that all
these would be sold at auction by the
insurance companies, which would set
tie with the owners as If the cattle had
been killed i'm the fire. This was done.
it was explained, after the fire of three
years ago.
Many Not UnlOaded.
Many new shipments were in the
yards today ready to be unloaded.
Cattlemen were undecided as to what
it was suggested that they would be
shipped to either st. Louis or Chicago.
Omaha and st. Joseph also might bene-
fit by shipments. it was said.
Very few swine We're burned. The
hog pens were reached by the flames,
but most of the animals seemed to have
been liberated. 1t probably was due to
the fact that the hog pens were new
concrete structures that the flames
finally were cornered and subdued af-
Ter a two hour and half fight.
Late in the morning. the fire still
'mouldered in scores of places and sew
sral fire companies were pouring
streams of water into various sections
If the yards to keep n rising wind from
,ausing further damage.