Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-01-05
Latest Eastern News.
The HOnOre block Burned-Nnr-
row Escape Of Pos to nice slerkS.

The Honore block Burned-Nnr-
row Escape Of POstU nice sIerkS.
CHICAGO, Jan. AT $3.50 this af-
ternoon fire was discovered in the
Honore Block, corner of Dearborn
and Adams streets. This edifice,
which is one of the finest in the
city, was first erected Immediately
preceding the great fire in 1871, and
was rebuilt soon after upon the
same plan, in the French renais-
sance style, almost classical in its
severity. 1t is 1902 feet on Dear
born street and $50 on Adams, four
stories high, basement, Mansard
roof, faced with Lemont limestone
and finished in brick, iron and
steel. The foundations and walls
were of unusual stability, the light
est wall being sixteen inches in
thickness. 1t was built for hotel,
but being remodeled for business
purposes, it was occupied by thePost-
office shortly after the fire of 1874.
Its original cost was over $500, 600,
but it could probably be put up now
for less. The floors were occupied
as follows: The basement and the
first and second floors by the Post.
office and the Chicago & Alton
Railroad Company; the third floor
by General Sheridan and staff as
the army headquarters Of the Mill
tary Division of the Missouri; the
fourth floor by lawyers; the fifth
floor by the Quartermaster of the
army, by the heavy mail depart
ment and by Shufeldt & Westover.
The latter firm were just moving in
and lost their law library of four to
five thousand books. The upper
rooms in the Mansard roof were oc.
cupied by the watchman and others
as domiciIes. The fire originated
in the carpenter shop in the base
ment, while the carpenter was alb.
sent in the upper stories. The
flames swept without warning up
the hatchway to the roof and drove
out the tenants of the upper stories
in an incredibly sholt time.
The rapidity with which the
flames progressed after reaching
the top of the building, prevented
escape by the stairway of a number
of Postotfice employees, who were
driven to the roof and for time
remained in an agony of suspense
and alarm awaiting rescue. A
woman who leaned imploringiy
cut of window in the fifth story
was saved by the gallantry of q
fireman, who assembled the fire es-
cape and bore her earthward in his
arms. The men were saved not an
instant too soon by a long rope,
which was procured and ION which
they in turn slid to the ground.
The mail matter was gotten out of
the way in a short time and all
valuables about the Postoffice were
locked up in the vaults. The mail
matter was taken to the new Sing.
er building on State and Washing
ton streets, where business will be
transacted for the present. The
postal cars will do a large amount
of work which otherwise would fall
on the department. All mails left
tonight as usual.
Atruck for Back Ray,
PoTTsvILLE, Pa, Jan. 4.-Seven
hundred men and boys of the
Breokside colliery have struck for
back pay.
Fr0zen 20 Death.
ALBANY, N. Y, Jan. 4th.-Jacob
Van Housen, aged 62, went to dig
a grave in Greenbush last night,
and was found this morning frozen
to death.
Passenger Train Run Into.
ALLENTOWN, Pa, Jan. 4th.-A
passenger train OH the Perkirman
railroad was run into by a freight
train this morning at Zionsville
Station. Several passengers were
injured, but none fatally.
Navigation Suspended.
RICHMOND, Jan. 4th.-The river
is blocked with ice and navigation
is suspended. The canal is Blocked
for its whole length. All industries
dependent upon water supply are
closed.
The election for successor to the
late Representative Douglass will
be held OH the 23d instant.