River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-01-09
DISASTROUS FIRE IN CHICAGO.


CHICAGO, Jan. AT $50 this afternoon
/ fire was discovered in the Honore block, cor
ner Dearborn and Adams streets. This edi-
fee, which is one of the finest in the city,
was first erected Immediately preceding the
great tire in 1871. 1t was rebuilt soon after
on the same plan in French renaissance
style, almost classical in its severity. It is
/ 1872 feet on Dearborn street and $50 feet on
Adams, was five stories high, with basement
and Mansard roof, faced with cement lime
stone and finished in brick, iron and stone.
| The foundation and walls were of unusual
stability, the lightest wall being sixteen
/ inches In thickness. 1t was built for hotel
but being remodeled for business purposes,
was occupied by the postoffice shortly after
the fire of 1874. Its original cost was over
$500, 900, but it could probably be put up
now for less. The floors were occHpied as
| follows:
! Basement by the postoffice.
First and second floors by the postoffice
and by the Chicago & Alton Railroad com
| pany.
Third floor by Gen. Sheridan and staff, as
army headquarters of the military divis-
ion of the Missouri.
Fourth floor by the military and by the
following lawyers: Lawrence, Campbell q
Lawrence: Isham Il Lincoln; Paddock IL
Ives.
Fifth floor by the quartermaster of the
army. the heavy mail department, and by
Shnfeldt & Westover.
The latter firm were Just moving in, and
lost their law library of 1000 to 5000 books.
The upper rooms in the mansard roof were
occupied by the Waterman and others as
domicies. The fire originated in the car
penter shop in the basement while the car
penter was absent in the upper stories. The
flames swept without warning up the hatch
way to the roof, and drove out the tenants
of the upper stories in an incredibly short
time.
The rapidity with which the flames pro
gresssd after reaching to the top of the build
ing prevented escape by the stairway of q
number of post office employees who were
driven to the roof, and for a time, remained
there in an agony of suspense and alarm,
awaiting rescue. A woman who leaned inn
ploringly out of window in the fifth story,
was saved by the galantry of fireman who
| assembled the fire escape and bore her earth
ward in his arms. The men were saved not
an instant too soon by long rope which was
procured, and on which they in turn slid to
the ground.
The mail matter was gotten out of danger
in short time and all valuables about the
postoffice were locked up in the vault. The
mail matter was taken to the new Singer
building on State and Washington streets,
whence business will be transacted for. the
present.
The postal cars will do a large amount of
work, which otherwise would fall on the de-
partment. All mails left tonight as usual
The building which was owned by the
| Connecticut Mutual Insurance company was
damaged to an amount variously estimated
at 800, 900 to $4,000. Insurance as fol
! lows. $4,000 IN Lancaster; 81 500 each in
the Manufacturers, the Royal and North
Britith: 5000 each in the Springfield, Fire
and Marine, the Imperial, the Niagara, the
American Central, the London Assurance,
the Boylston, the Neptune, the Pennsylvania,
the Hoffman, the Phoenex, the Under
writers, the Hamburg, of Bremen,
/ the Commercial Union, the Scottish
| American, the Boston Underwriters, the In
surance Company of North America, the
| Orien. the Northwestern National, the Trad
| ers the Rhode Island, the Hartford, The Ma
| tional & German Americana $1,000 each in
the st. Paul, the Irving, the Mercantile the
| Atlantic the Commonwealth. the Lorillard,
the Firemens Fund the Northern, the Con-
nectcut, the Tradesman, the Glens Falls,
! the Trans Atlantic, the Rochester, German,
| the Clinton, the Franklin, the Home of
| Colorado, the Peoples, the Lamar, the Bee,
| German. the Detroit Fire Il Marine, the
Meridian. Total, 100000.
| Individual losses, as well as the loss on
! building, prove to be less than might be ex.
pected. The Ii rary of Isham & Lincoln is
nearly intact, and their loss will not exceed a
| thousand dollars. Gen. Sheridan lost some
| papers of value and the Office furniture. The
/ Chicago & Alton railroad company lost moth
1 ing except a trife in furniture. The active
efforts of Manager McMulicn prevented the
/ destruction of papers.
| The total individual losses are estimated at
/ $1,000 to $50, 00o. The only loss sustained
I by the post-ofice department is $4,000
worth OF stamped envelopes.
| At 10 o'clock the fire was almost ont, the
damage having been mostly confined to the
| three upper stories.