, 1879-01-05
YESTERDAYS FIRE.

ANA%@A@A-' $3.50
ightful climatic resort. ''-
: YESTERDAYS FIRE.
The local columns Of The TRIBUNE this
morning present an elaborate and graphic
account Of the burning Of what has been
known as the Honore Building, located on
the northwest corner Of Adams and Dear
born streets, and opposite the incompleted
Custom~House. The fire occasioned unusual
commotion in the city, for several reasons.
The block of bui1dings-for such it was
practically-was one Of the largest and most
costly of the New Chicago. It was the
temporary abiding-p1a Of tho Post Office,
and Gen. suEn1oAS's Military Headquarters.
The Chicago j. Alton Railroad had recently
moved its general Offices there. And there
were also several Of the lending 1aw-ofdces of
the city, including those Of 1sHAaf & In
COLIN, LAWRENCE, CAMPBELL. j. LAWRENCE,
and PADDocE d. 1DE- The location of the
building, near the centre of the city,
and in the neighborhood Of some of
the leading hotels, theatres, newspaper
Offices, and other business blocks, nat,-
rally aroused general feeling Of ap-
prehension. Fortunately, there was little
wind. and the prompt appearance and eff
cient working of the Fire-Department, in
spite Of the intense cold, confined the conaa-
grafton within the walls where it originated
This was the second fire on the same spot.
Il similar building had been completed just
before the Great Fire Of 1S71y and shared then
the common fate Of destruction. The pres
ent structure was erected by Mr. HoHonE
almost Immediately, but chiefly at the ex-
pense OF The Connecticut Mutual Insurance
Company, which ultimately bought it under
o mortgage sale. It remained unoccupied
for several years, and has only been fully
tenantcd within the past few months. It is
the third experience Of the Chicago Post
Office with the familiar fre-fend. The first
was in The Fire Of 1871, when the Govern
ment Building, now known as Haverly's
Theatre, was gutted and abandoned. The
second was in the large fire Of July IA, 1874,
when tha Office was located in the old
Methodist Church edl6ce corner of Wa
bash avenue and Congress street. The
Post-Oace has now been moved to the
new Singer Building, which has already
passed through the ordeal Of fire twice, and
may hopefully be regarded IS exempt from
a ny new attack for some time to come.
The loss by yesterdays fire will be COM
puted at about So0o,00o. The Connecticut
Mutual had q lien of 554o, 900 on the build
ing, but purchased it under the salo for
$500, 900. The Company afterwards expend-
ed about $50, 600 more in finishing it up for
and in making some improve
ments. Besides these expenditures, there
were fixtures, furniture, law-ibraries, etc,
which will probably be estimated at $40,-
Oo0 There was 100000 insurance on the
building itself, scattered in Eums Of from
s., 500 to $10 600 in various companies.
The fire is supposed to have originated in
the engine-room or some contiguous apart
meri in the basement, and it took sudden
shoot up the elevator-shaft, which furnished
it at once with material and draft.
1t was this fact which rendered it
for the Fire-Department to fight
the flames from the top or inside the build
lIE, AQL4 ILLS &A5t WHICH, bO 6C14QU5l1 ILL
dangered the lives Of several persons who
were saved by the skill and intrepidity Of the
fremen. There was large amount Of frame
work in the building, and it had one Of those
patent ire-traps known as French roof;
nevertheless, had the elevator-way been con-
structed of friedrich. Or lined with boiler
iron, the fire might have been smothered III
its infancy
The loss and confusion which will result
from this third burning of the Post Office
will increase public indignation at the neglect
and rascality which ara responsible for the
Building. It is some seven years since work.
on the new Government Building was begun,
and there is not reasonable doubt that it
would have been completed, and the Post
Office safely housed in dre-proof structure,
if the work had been done honestly, con-
scientiously, and economically. There seems
to be scarcely any event nowadays in the
nature Of n calamity in which official corrup-
ton does not cut some figure. Yesterday
evenings fire furnishes new reason for the
vigorous prosecution of the men who are be-
ieved to have been Implicated. in the Chi
cago Custom-Ho frauds.
The outcome of the fire is as fortunate as
could have been expected under the circum-
stances in which it originated and spread,
and with the conditions surrounding it. The
fremen did noble work in d temperature
which almost paralyzed outdoor energy;
several Of them were carried off looking like
frozen carcasses Of humanity, but it is hoped
that the best Of care will restore them The
police, too, acted generally with discretion
and judgment, but it would be better if the
practico prevailed Ii Chicago Of making
Gordon around three or four blocks in case of
such fire, and absolutely prohibiting every
one from stepping inside the limits except
those actively engaged The warning which
the conhagration should impress upon all at
this time, when furnaces and stoves are
stocked up to their utmost capacity, is the
exercise Of strict and constant care.
OUR ASSESSMENT LAWS.
Il