The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-15
WRECK
CEREAL PLANT;
4 ARE INJURED
$25O,O00 Damage Done by
Explosion and
Fire.
TWO CRITICALLY HURT
KnefIer- Bates Factory of
Four Stories Is
LeVeIed.

Four men were injured, two crit
ically, when the Kneher-Bates
Manufacturing Company, cereal
products plant, 165 Palmer street,
was reduced to twisted steel, bat
tered brick and ashes by two dust
explosions followed by fierce flames
shortly after this morning.. Loss
was estimated at more than $250000.
Critically injured in city hospital:
Thomas Klein, 33, Of 1921 S.
Remington street, burned.
Herschel Cassidy, 35, of 1439
South New Jersey street, burned.
Lindsey Hewett, 821 Church street,
and Carl Jeffries, 1910 Charles street,
we're seriously hurt.
Expensive machinery used in the
production of molders' paste was
wrecked by the blasts and fire which
left only the west wall standing. AT
the first blast the entire east side of
the building showered down upon
Iour freight cars standing on a
switch in the rear of the structure,
crushing the heavy cars and con-
tents.
-Four employees working on the
lower floor we're uninjured and owe
their lives to the fact that they were
employed on that floor at the time
Of the blasts, Heavy timbers, bricks
and debris fell about them, but
they miraculously escaped.
Ernest Knefler, Golden HILL presi-
dent of the corporation knew Moth
ing of the ruination of his plant
until informed by Times reporter
early this morning. He has been
slightly i'll for two days and was not
called to the fire.
Hard Fight for Firemen
The fire was one Of the most
battling and persistent the Indian
apolis department has had to con-
tend with in it's history. At 8 this
morning large force still was
fighting the flames which broke out
again and again. Besides seven
teen lines of hose, one deluge set
and three glazier SETS each with
three lines of hose were played upon
the raging furnace.
Fred Kennedy and Herbert Full
mer, assistant fire chiefs, and Wal
lace Fisk, battalion chief, were in
charge of the scores Of firemen
fighting the flames.
Among the men employed on the
first floor who narrowly escaped
death were Tom Frees, night watch
man, 200 block Kansas street; Dave
Thompson, 1249 Ringgold street, and
Fred Cochran, living on Madison
avenue.
Four Story Structure
The plant is four stories high for
length of 300 feet with two
story extension of 130 feet.
When the first blast occurred the
entire east side crumpled down
crushing the four freight cars
standing on the switch and the
greater part of the valuable machin-
cry of the plant. The second blast
occurred almost Immediately after,
wrecking the remainder of the
building. The flames leaped up to
complete the work of disaster.
In some way unknown even to
AAAhAoCAA NdoolAy GoCdpCQ 4IOlll bliC
blazing building after he was in
jured and made his way to his home
half-mile from the scene of the
fire.
Covered by Insurance
His one thought, regardless of his
injuries were of his wife and three
children Ruby, 4, Robert, 6, and
Marjorie, TO- He was working on
the third floor of the plant when
tr~ terrific blast hurled him into a
brick wall. Dazed he made his way
over the fallen walls and the still
crumbling timbers and debris.
John S. Armstrong is secretary
treasurer Of the company and Carl
Gent is manager. The products Of
the firm are corn binders and paste
flows. The damage is entirely COW
cred by insurance according 10
officials.
The Klefler-B plant was
damaged $131 900 by a similar dust
explosion and fire Aug. %, 1925. The
two top floors we're ruined in that
blast.