, 1879-01-14
THE IlONORE BLOCK.
Report Of the Underwriters Cons
rnsttee as to the Cause OF
the Fire.
Gan. McDowell's Idea About Fitting
Up Temporary Quarters for
the Post-0f1ca.

fho work on tho ltunoro Block runs IL pfo-
gress.ng rapidly and satisfactorily. The tenn
porar5 roof Will probably be completed to-mor-
row or next tay, anil then the building will DC
proof against future SHOWS. The thaHtnc-out
process hns had tho result Of making everything
about tne place uncomfortably wet, hut the
t;ehcnna-lIko tlrea Of several dozen sn,atnanuers
urc doing ,nucl, to drv nut tho iloors and ceil-
tngs III tho rooms. The hchrts Il hcing snnstllv
removed, new foors nre bei,lg put in where
'uectlcd, and the preparations generally Tor put
ting tho building back In eotNi sha,c are going
oil With rs mich raplslty ~ is possible
THE uNnknwR1rKRs' COMMITTEE.
appointed Inst week to ascertain tlc cause and
siasting- point Of the frc, yesterday afternoon
submitted to Capt. Bullwinkto tic following !n-
port, which. It will b. seem aQteeS Wi1h tho
tlleortr. aiyanced iy Cnpt. Bnllwink!c himself,
Tjrc-Stsrrl4aI l,r,,ucr, Engineer War.lcr anil, it,
e,iort. ever, bo.Iy except tic Tost-Oilfcc folks:
The comm,ttcs .ppo'nsea TO a,l(nst the inss On On
de- assuming TINT Il started in the !atenlrni. as
1t that iloos that ths Ere wastrst discovered,
tho Cn,ntttirc eouglit II hnl tho spat where tue
FIRE originated. l!y following the Traces ot thc
ts 5s e ta pHnt "f onsa sns
room directly north 0f and adjacent to tile
rcur Of The boller,. from tbe 1smn.ns o. two VI,
tas Debris. Ills room had been evidently used far
carpenter work. HIRE werc alt the appearances
Il With t s at m IA suas is s Sisee xs s
tlye1y, or nlm,st entirely. consumed; one hhtd.
onS doasa aao,ssS ne, e X,
butaet. II ,here were other tools they were en-
tirely destroyed. The Ore evidently passed eass-
Sa'"e., G"s" FStA bnt which. hS from scnpa!atsei1
III The 'Ss &C. arpns n
ii!ouTh ihe elieht slscs.hne. 4 fSaaa thr yeni
insunci, the r',a. communicated tho t'sc at onca
nr IN ~ spee,a,ers, lbs re WA rc"n burning very
fpon nftes tMs asst niarm; The Comnatteo exam.
lac, t!,c heller I'ue 10 which aou'o attributed tho
mains ot th iioor to,.s directly over thIs lns. an
tfthr iourang an'l latht it seemed evident that
ircly o tc tr.n,ys1sc Io.tn a 81 tnc 1Ioortus
tlrn lin. pctwrcn this 1lnc and fhr ELEVATOR. Il
%a1 a!p s l a1 te e , 81 IL
wnoswork 20 tho vent uf the elevator shaft: rhc
Committee, ran,c 10 tne conclusion thas tho t'rc
nppa.cntly hs n carpenter. hl,oD. Upon inquiry We
learned TINT. while there was = main carrcntcs-
eI nos originate. room, 10 which wc atfitato
tlg origin Of the frc was used also as carpcttrt-
shot +. nroatts{ to tie So!isss making III i S o5e
II x.nnIl br understood. while using the was.la
.'cntpentrr-e -ehUp." that tho Committee by TINT
name Designate n room Hf roums Where work lncl-
dental Ind necre.ary 10 Poht.t)lce pariurna-
axounx c. CLARKE,
Fun y. JAAEs.
e. C.. DAKA,
Jni1N J. JAMES.
Tho rcportsaerccs In all points with the theory
IL, ,anrru by Mr.. lshnH, the agent pf tile build
III. and Ia Understood to bs backed up BY Fire
,lurs!,nt l,rnLc1 wo agrces With Il Iii nl essc1l-
.in particulars, but who nevertheless, admits.
mt t!'a 1iro fiay have startcI III tho plumber
.l,up mn! then spread Into tho catpentcrsnor'.
AIR. lien,cr states distinctly that there ia tiu
possibility that It could havo nristnatcd 10 tic
Inc. and that, OF Ills own knowledge, It did not
10 o''R''a'e' oxs u,nowrrt.
Gupcrintcntacnt VI the 1,tw uuvernmcrt ltntlA
Ing, returned from Kansas City Yesterday after
noon. IA to what the Commissions rsporI
1or tllc now bullAIue tllrru l,o declined to say
iur The rsuson that thr report was the prnuert,
ol tlo Treasury Dcuarttnent. and would not ht
s'iyulgctl until that branch VI tlc ioycrnmcn
Thought It proper to do 80. Tile General loui
ns well as over, a.nl doesn't appear II
l;are lost my ncsh. ln splte D
tue hos-nopbin. anti polite bulhluzng Il
wi,trl, l,e nnl hts fclIow-Eosnmisslutlrr luh t.
eaa Clty, Gucil one Ut whom Ind ll,u tntst do
siral1o spot on sllu tacc VI tllc civilized rlobe
etc., etc, Tor tho ltcatnn Ut the now building.
CulnlnI; lown 10 Ilotne matters, thu reportc
who called to welcnmo tho General LAck to Ill
1afivu .,eath asked hlsn II he hnd hens,l Of til,
ruln0r started before lie left, but sctlul0usl,
famed during ILLS absence, that thu Chicaut
r'st.ofcc would probably move into the nsv
building somctfmc before spring. 'rllu ucnera
saitl he had rcaal thu papers containing tn
statement un the ttuin co,IiuE here, but tAa
had to say WIS that. whilc 1t wouldn't t,e exactl
rnrt-t,,,lru t,eopc-to taks thv latter Into III
building just NOW, still, W matter Of necessity
In.
tn= by the wo7k.Iun overhead md aruun
wuuttl no doubt bu objectionable tn the prt
posed ucsupants, und. IN turn, the contractor
on the Building would bo sunuwlut dlseotc
tustlcd, iruul the fact that there w.lIlI ba 'cs
rouni to work In, sotne shutting around wuul
lAvc to b. done to mike room for thu co1
.rae:ot* w!,o wers to do certain work by
delayed III any way. II t!v rust.otlicc fblE
did como III, anil occupied the nortl
Gust eorncr Of thu building there wou1
street and tllu oti,sr On Adams, Or, il C1ar
atrcct were prufctrctl IL Deurbor!I only onc l.c
Eptc would ho necessary, since there was nlEeatl
Clark street. gate, n,nlway In thc block. 4
quarters, he believed he could lo It III thIri
Llst, mud at an expense OF about 330, 900, a
tfh,ugh the cott woul.! ticpeud utUn how nut
veil n. tnr gunllty tuercof. lIs trtl estinal
Lads w1Icn u TRIBUNE man saw him the Ia
a!.er the tlrr, waa somewhat larger, hut th'
estimate contemplated thu Introduction III mu
expensive heatlng-appaEutus tllan hu nuw thl,lI
the necessities VI tho cuse-if they arc suvh
would Justify. AZ u rough guess, lie no
thinks that e3o,0D will til up porti4
OF the first iloor for the teniporl
accommodation ot thp Posk-0i.s ", pla It,
suaMEer which will make tho p!acr 1t least cul
ortaflr, though not Aa attractive as II might
upnfr other CIRCUMSTANCES. As tu just VIII
woa.l bu doar, however, hc couldn't ray. +
thu rcuson that the inatter WA in the hallds
Postmaster P4lMrr upd thu Department
Washing ton aitt he wis not advised a. to nc
tie Hutter nlw htooti, or probably wollh stan
with those poxers that be and ate oFdaInEd
Unclu Sahl.
IN brief, Geu. MeDowcll's position ia ths
It Is NECESSARY 10 taEe IN thu Post Otllce foil
he can tlrc thrtl u substantial, warm, and "
orally sosnirrtahlc plars: to do theIr work fn u
u! liv gets ataul'd to arra,,uing their peE1nauc
quarter. III the new building. Just what "
ocsar tl,eu ho di!!n't say. tut to tue outsi
3 in'Hu tt would seem that tho or
s.rrfn}ptR far tt,n I, =