RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, On February 7, 1968 a series of explosions tore through a sausage factory and destroyed the general offices of the Mickelberry Food Products Company at 801 West 49th Place in Chicago; and
WHEREAS, Nine individuals, including four Chicago firefighters and the President of the Mickleberry Company, were killed and more than seventy people were rushed to hospitals and dozens more treated on the scene for injuries; and
WHEREAS, The tragedy began when a gasoline tanker truck, on site to fill the company's gas tanks, struck a garbage container while driving through an alley, knocking the valve off the tanker's discharge pipe; and
WHEREAS, Gasoline poured through an alley doorway and down into the basement of the building where a boiler ignited the fire and resulted in two explosions; and
WHEREAS, As firefighters responded to the fire at the plant, a third more powerful blast erupted and threw firefighters from their ladders; and
WHEREAS, The third blast was so powerful that it hurled bricks as far as three blocks away and propelled a portion of a glass block window across the street with such force that it left an imprint in a brick building; and
WHEREAS, Following the blast, which leveled most of the plant and administrative offices, a 5-11 alarm fire was declared and more than 300 firefighters responded; and
WHEREAS, A ceremony will be held on February 7, 2018 at the corner of 49th Place and Halsted Street to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Mickelberry explosion; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this seventeenth day of January, 2018, do hereby commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Mickelberry explosion and pay homage to those who lost their lives in this tragedy; and