, 1879-01-05

| But those stoical flames still labored on,-
laborea On as though they defled man and the
| watery element in their attempts to extinguish
them. Upward still they shot from the north
end. but at the southeast corner they we're hid
den by great, curling clouds OF dark and inl-
| nenetrable sm moke. Here the fire was still con
fined to the upper floor. The clouds OF smoke
shot m and I'D. Huge and threatening clouds
they we're, hiding building aud everything else
! from view. At this corner two engines were
laboring aud putting necessarily, adding their
smoke md steam to swell these clouds and make
still, thicker the Egyptian darkness prevailing
| around the building ut this corner. Now and
then there came . glow Of red in that great
| darkuess,-a glow Of crimson not unlike that
seen ut eyentidc Of dark day at the setting OF
! summer SUI.
The frencn suffered terribly from the e1-
IRENE cold, yet they wor ked like noble heroes.
They hesitated and stopped at nothing. On
Dearborn street they stood in knee~deep frecz-
Ing water and held the nozzes without budgipg
for hours. Once there came near TRIBUNE
reporter fireman whose ears we're uncovered
and fast freezing. The reporter gave him q
handkerchief to cover his ears, which was re-
ceiyed with many thanks and another man was
made happy At Z o'clock the flames still
seemed to bid defiance to the efforts that
we're being made to subdue them. They
still lashed, and fumed, aud burned with
persistent fury. Back OF the building there
seemed nothing wrong. The great black walls
stood up against the pale and moonlit sky,
seeming to defy the elements Of destruction
that were going on in front. One would hardly
suppose, standing in the vacant lot fronting On
Adams street, snd adjoining the building, that
anything was wrong within that structure, save
that confusion seemed to reign on the street.
Men, covered with great coats OF Ice, were hur-
rying and scurrying htther and tbither. The
Fire Department fuelwaEons and sleighs came
and went, leaving their loads Of coal near the
engines which needed them, and hurrying back
to replcnish. In the vacant lots number Of
the Post-Ofice employees we're engaged In re-
moving the newspaper mail, which had been de-
posted there for safety. Contractor Walsh
was also there in person to sec that things were
properly done. In the alley south OF the build
Inc, between the Honore Block and the Post
Office, the road was clear, except
that the ground was covered with
q coat OF slush and ice about two feet deep,
through which it was difficult to walk. The
mailing, carriers, and mailbag departments in
separate building iu the rear, were safe, and
large number Of men we're employed in get
ting out the racks and counters and transport
ing them to the new Singer Building. At 5
o'clock TRIBUNE reporter met Chlef-Marshal
Matt Benner, OF the Fire Department. Said the
reporter: "Wlat do you think Of it nova"
II have the fire under control now," said the
Marshal in reply, "and Touldn'r say it If
didn't know it."
It did not look so to the reporter. but, sure
enough, from that time on the flames began to
| diminish, and the work of destruction seemed
at an end, except so far as the flames were lick
| ing up such portions OF the building to which
| they were confined.
| INCIDENTS,
| At 4:45 an attempt was made to move the
Skinner escape-ladder from the north end of the
building, tha fire having become too hot and
the TOD of the building too insecure to allow
the fremen to play upon the flames from posi-
| tions on the ladder. AS it was being lifted away
from the building the group Of tiremen having
charge of the guy-rope on the north slipped on the
! lev pavement and lost their hold of the rope
| The mammoth machine sWaycd to and fro for 9
| few moments in the air, the top Of it barrel,
| touching the caves Of the burning building, auC
then with terrific crash fell lengthwise in tht
middle Of the street. The men holding the guy
rope at the south OF the machine had very
narrow escape from instant death, the immense
ladder falling within few feet Of them. Th:
| machtne itself was but slightly damaged, but Il
| was of no further service.
| The mcrcuria1 alarm is said to have operated
| panp p,111 irt-t rctffia7 III
telephone Of the breaking ont OF the fire.
Mrs. Kelly, familiar1y known about the Post
| Office as the. s.sapple woman," who kent the
stand in the Dcarborn-street entrance, was ex
tricated from room on the fifth floor, where
she had been lying i'll, and came down the fire
escape.
There are 217 Post-Ofice employees, and mos
| OF them were in and about the building whe1
| the fire occurred. About twenty females ars
among the number, and six Of them, who CAM
down the fre-escape, we're occupied in repairing
and making mai1-bags on the fourth floor, 4
/ the north end Of the building.
Fire-Marshal Bet.ner vas very interesting
| object about o'clock. He would then hay,
passed off readily for the veritable Jack Frost
and looked rs if he had been made up in itnita
tion Of Sauta Claus, or the Ice King from th'
cold North. His ire-hat vas covered with ice
and iciccs hung from the rim Of it. His beart
and mustache, and that portion OF the hair O
his head that had been exposed to the water
that flew about from all sides OF the building
were coated with ice, and the mass that covered
his great tire-coat was suggestive of a portable
skating-pond. His boots looked as il they haf
been fashioned out Of Ice, and his trumpet ap
peared like huge icic1e. Yet he moved abou
wherever duty called him, while the fallinf
spray and drops Of water fell upon him, ant
copgealing, added to his already large form.
In the excitement attendant upon the re
moyal OF effects from the rear part Of the Post
Office building, and the rush Of tce-coverct
firemcn in raising ladders, and stretching hose
and bringing streams to bear upon the burning
| pile, q TRIBUNE reporter managed to obtain
| little information from Postmaster Palmer
who was coollY standing in the doorway on th
northwest corner of the building, giving direc
tions to his subordinatcs when required SO II
do. Mr.. Palmer III answer to a question, sait
he could not then say where the Post -Oh6c
would be located, but he would take the mos
suitable, as we'll us available, buildin!
be could find. He would look abou
for new quarters as soon as be coult