, 1879-01-05

When the magQlLuQe OIL LQe DANGER DecAtue
manifest all was confusion III the Post-OiHce
Department. The 3 O'Clock delivery for the
city had Just been sent out by the carriers, and,
fortunately, that Tas saved intact. Postmaster
Palmer Was in his rooms, and Immediately re-
paired to the scene of the threatened disaster.
The entire clerical force Of the Department
came to his assistance, and as soon as it became
apparent that the building was really in dan
ger, they began to think about the removal Of
the mails. The New York mails have been
dclayed for twenty-four hours, and, fortunately,
they were out Of the reach Of danger, as were
the mails on several other routes. The delivery
wagons OF the Department we're sent for, and
every cart aud wagon that could be pressed into
the service was called upon in this emergency.
The mail-bags we're tumbled out OF the base
mcnt into the alley in the rear, and guard
placed over them. The crowd was kept back
by the police, and the alley leading from Dear
born to Clark street, north OF the Post~Ofice
building, was kept free from obstruction
for the passage Of the mail-wagons. A line
OF clerks was formed. and the bags were
passed from hand to hand with the greatest
rapidity, and some forty or fifty tons of mail
matter was thus conveyed to the wagons and
carried to the West Side Post Office, and depos-
tied for safety temporarily. Not single letter
bag has been lost, and probably all the newspa-
Der aud other bulky matter has also been saved.
Even some Of the Post-Ofdce furniture was
dragged out by the enthusiastic and indomita-
BILE clerks. The money-order department was
saved. The funds on haud we're removed, and
al1 the books and documents. When an
accounting comes to be had it will be
found probably that the loss in the
entire Post-Offce Department has been
yerv trifing indeed. Even the letters in the
boxes, not called for, we're pulled out, piled
into baskets, and carried out Of the burning
building.
The flames began in the basement, and in
dangerous proximity to the mail matter, but,
owing to the precautions taken and the efncien-
cv Of the Department, they were saved. The
building on Fifth avenue, formerly occuDicd By
the Board Of Education and the Recorders
office, has been offered to the Postmaster for a
Temporary Post Office but Mr.. Palmer had not
determined to accept the building at late hour
last night. This building is now uuoccupied,
and the first and second floors would furnish
very pocd accommodations for mailing pur-
noses. Il is surrounded on all sides by an alley,
aud can thus be readily approached bv tue de-
livery gagons Reeds Temple ct Music has
also been mentioned, aud one or two other very
acceptable buildings haye been placed at the
disposai Of Mr.. Palmer. The public may con-
rratuIate itself that it has met with
no greater loss in the destruction
Of this yerv finc building. The burning Of the
mails would have fallen heavily upon large
| number of small capitalists and ! GLASS OF poor
peoplc receiving remittances for their support.
Later in the evening
MR. PALMER
made up his mind pretty definitely to accept Of
the magnificent new building Of the Singer
sewlpg-Machine Company on State street, be-
tween Randolph and Madison. This building is
centrally situated, it Is immense as to
size. it is new and every way COM
modlous, and will no doubt be satisfactory
tn thu public II Mr.. Palmer does not change
his mind this morning, and there is not much
probability that he will, this building will be
the one selected for Post-Officc purposes for
the nregept. Just at the time Of the breaking
ont of the fire some Of the delivery wagons,
Bith the Eastern mails, we're standing in the
alley near the Post-Office and we're just about
to unload their contents intQt the basement
Seeing the danger, the wagons we're driven
hack to the Michigan Central Railroad depot
| and the bags were deposited there for lew
hours. The Postmaster last night did not think
It was probable that any letters would be dcliv-
cred in the city to-day BY the carriers. The in
coming mails will be first distributed, as they
can be more readily gotten at BY the carriers.
Some OF the loose letters in the Post-Otdce at
the time Of the fire will not reach the hands
for which they we're intended for some days
probably. The letters in the mal-hags
will bc assorted to-day on temporary tables
provided for the occasion and given to the
carriers us soon as possible, probably this af-
ternoon or tomorrow morning. The delay will
be as brief IS possible. Mr. Palmer says the
| mails arriving from the great business centres
of the. country will receive the first atten-
| tiou, and will be distributed before let
| tiers Of friendship and ordinary correspondence.
| rzatu effort Hil ha 1nalla to accommodate