Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-17
FLAMES IN KANSAS CITY
OF |NCEND|ARY ORIGIN
Yards and Terrible Destruction
Came About Accidentally.
LOSS APPROXIMATELY $3.50, 900
Eleven Thousand Cattle and $500
Hogs Perish and Large Portion Of
Yards Laid In AShes-Fires Start
in Three Places.
IRN AsancIafnd prexsl

!
| KANSAS CITY. October l6.-Reports
| that the fire that to-day destroyed a
large portion of the Kansas City Stock =
yards and resulted in the death of ap-
proXimately 1900 cattle and $500
hogs was OF an inccndiary origin per-
sist. though discredited by officials OF
the corporation owning the yards.
| While no definite fire damage esti-
mates have as yet been made insurance
adjusters and officials of the stockyards
corporation place the loss at approx
matcly $4,000.
Insurance was carried both upon the
| buildings OF the stockyards and upon
| the live stock. Tho amount was not
announced.
| Investigations were made during the
day of the burned area by Fire Warden
Marvin and chief engineer of the
Kansas City fire department. Both
men believe the fire was set, but de-
that no indications of an inccndiary
origin could have escaped the flames.
THREE FIRES BURNING
FULLY 1000 YARDS APART
| The statement of the officers Is based
| largely upon the assertions of Lieu
tenant Bishoff, OF the first fro company
to arrive 1T the yards, who said that
three fires were burning fully 1000
yards apart, in different portions of the
yards.
General Manager Collett of the
yards. declared he believed the fire
resulted from natural causes. and that
the wind had blown sparks from the
first fire. starting the other two blazes.
Private detectives were said to be in
vestiEating the inccndiary rumo-s.
Receiving and selling will be re-
sumcd in the yards tomorrow in all
classes OF live stock. except stockers
and feeders in the cattle class, accord
Ing to MIR. Collett. An embargo on this
class will be necessary until Monday
he declared.
More than one-half Of the stockyards
the second largest in the country, was
destroyed by the fire. There were
$1,000 cattle in the yards at tho close
OF business yesterday. It was said and
while il was possible to liberate most
of them, so rapidly did the flames gain
Roadway that many were caught and
burned.
Hundreds OF cattle liberated from
the burning structures reached the
downtown sections of both Kansas City.
No.. and Kansas City, Kans
The blaze was discovered by two
patrolmcn in Kansas City. HAMS and
before they could summon apparatus.
the fire had become unmanagcable.
Fire departments from both Kansas
| Cities combated the flames.
| BY o'clock the fire had been ex-
| tinguishcd, after the lrcmcn had been
| lighting 1t with approximately 100
pieces OF fire apparatus and with dyna-
| mite.
THOUSANDS OF CATTLE
| ARE BEING CENTRALIZED
| The thousands of cattle which were
| liberated from the pens are being cor
| rallied. Owners finding difficulty
In Identifying their property. AS a
large percentage Of the stock is from
| farm herds. and carries no identifying
| brands. The Kansas City Stockyards
| are owned and controlled by a corpora
| ton. many of the officers of which are
Eastern men. and n large amount of
| the stock is held in the East.
| Throughout the morning rifle men
and s!edEe hammer bearers. under di-
| rection of humane society officers went
about the stockyards killing disabled
! animals.