Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-09
DISASTROUS FIRE IN CHICAGO.

CHICAGO, Jan. AT $3.50 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 fire in 1871. 1t was rebuilt soon after
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 Ightest wall being sixteen
inches in thickness. 1t was built for hotel,
but being remodeled for business purposes,
was occupied by the postofice shortly after
the fire of 1874. It's original cost was over
$3OO, 1000, but it could probably be put up
now for less. The floors were occupied as
| follows:
Basement by the postoffice. tz SD
| First and second floors by the postofice
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 &
Lawrence; Isham & Lincoln; Paddock &
| Ives. t"S@.A
| Fifth floor by the quartermaster of the
army, the heavy mail department., and by
Shufeldt & Westover.
The latter firm were just moving in, and
4 lost their law library of 1000 to 5000 books.
| The upper rooms in the mansard roof were
occupied by the Waterman and others as
domiciles. 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. f-e.s s
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 time, remained
there in an agony of suspense and alarm,
awaiting rescue. A woman who leaned i'm
ploringly out of a window in the fifth story,
was saved by the gallantry of a fireman who
assembled the fire escape and bore her earth
ward in his arms. This 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 we're 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. l r.,
The postal cars will do large amount of
work, which otherwise would fall on the de-
psrtment. 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 300, 900 to $150,000 Insurance as fol.
lows: $4,000 in Lancaster; $500 each in
the Manufacturers, the Royal and North
Britith; $4,000 each in the Springfield, Fire
|, and Marine, the Imperial, the Niagara, the
American Central, the London Assurance,
the Boylston, the Neptune, the Pennsy lvania,
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 American; $4,000 each in
, the st. Paul, the Irving, the Mercantile, the
Atlantic, the Commonwealth, the Lorillard,
the Firemen's Fund, the Northern, the Con-
necticut, the Tradesman, the Glens Falls,
the Transatlantic, the Rochester, German,
the Clinton, the franklin, the Home OF
Colorado, the Peoples, the Lamar, the Bee,
German, the Detroit Fire d Marine, the
Meridian. Total, 100000
Individual losses as we'll as the loss on
building, prove to be less than might be ex.
pected.. The library of Isham 81 Lincoln is
, nearly intact, and their loss will not exceed q
thousand dollars. Gen. Sheridan lost some
papers of value and the Office furniture. The
Chicago d Alton railroad company lest moth
ing except tribe in furniture.s The active
efforts of Manager McMnllcn prevented the
, destruction of papers,.
The total individual losses are estimated al
$4,000 to $4,000. The only loss sustained
by the post-ofdce department ID $1,000
:, worth of stamped envelopes.
At 10'o'clock the fire was almost out, The
, damage having been mostly confined to the
. three upper stories.