The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-03-08
improvements.


Il Is pertinent TO the times TO inquire
whether the future Honolulu shall be il
stone OF wood Hitherto, when We hav,
seen a merchant tear down his woode1
slauiy, and replace it with a comely
structure 81 coral OF brick, or an ODD
Fellows Society put up goodly hall o.
indestructible material, or citizen Of
means investing in a block of fire proof
stores, we have believed such improve.
meHts 20 have been made in the right di.
recuon Is regards private interests and
tie public good We have considered
such buildings sound and safe investments,
less subject to losses by wear and tear,
no more liable TO deterioration by extra
ordinary catastrophes and more likely to
pay a fair interest upon cost than wood
en- ones
such too, Is the opinion of their own
en- to-day, SO that 1t would be wasted
time in a purchaser to cheaper such prop
eris with the assertion that they are more
risky properly than other structures. He
could not abate their value one dollar
iu that way.
When we hear that in one locality, or
another part Of the town, projected stone
buildings are about to be erected, land
several persons are just now intending to
pu5 Up such buildings,) we applaud the
Iroceediug and believe the citizen is 90
ing tie right way to work to improve his
business; 20 increase the value Of his own
property a. well as that in his immediate
ueighborhood We believe that such
citizen may cover his lot with substantial
fire proof buildings, one, two, or three
siorios IN height, and adjoin them to his
noi-hbor's wooden shanty without excit-
iug the least fear in the latter that any &C
oiieut VIII happen 10 him by reason of
theIr PrePinqUity We believe too, that
such buildings viii find tenants that at
the very least, no abatement of rent will
DC necessary on account of earthquake
risks.
The rev Post Office, besides its useful
ness as public building, Is considered to
he a cnediiable advance upon the former
structure that occupied its site, and sat
Isiactory addition to the good appearance
O. the streets in that neighborhood. We
have observed several citizens looking
5'pon II with some pride as an ornament
10 she town, and praising It's erection from
that point Of view. 1t is fair and sub
stsniial building and viii last scores of
years. i may not, We fancy we hear
some one say. at may be struck by /
ligbtouing II may be washed out by some
extraordinary wave of the sea; 1t may be |
upset b a tornado; 1t may be shaken
down by an earthquake" So too it may
orumble away under the oeaseless gnaw-
ing Of the tooth Of time, it may disappear
by spontaneous combustion, or it may end
rs career in blow up from nitro-glyce-
rine aooidently left inside. a hundred &C
oideHts may happen, if We give our imag-
iHztion loose-roin; and vet we fancy that
any life insurance agent in our town will
insane any citizen for years to come at an
iufiHiiesimal small per cent against harm
from that building, from Tightening, wave,
tornado or earthquake. Ii would be folly
far ANN reason whatever to tear it down
70 he replaced in wood; It would hardly
fan shori Of Il if the building was about
10 he commenced instead of being about
finished, to erect it in wood. We fancy
that II built If wood in that situation it
would be = misfortune, and might be Justly
considered great increase of fire risk to
the neighbOring buildings. To avoid the
use Of stone for building purposes, merely
from imaginary apppehensions, viii surely
he deemed Puerile by all common-sense
citizens, and destructive of all progress
N public Improvements
We have heard no one regret what has
ziready been done, by the use of brick
and stone, nor has any damage yet occur
ned 10 such buildings to cause owners to
lose confidence in their property, or to
make them apprehend, reasonably, that
they may receive injury.
Our remarks look to the future, and we
ask, Is there any reason for going back
upon the idea that our places of business,
our prominent buildings and public ones,
N order 10 become ereditable improve
ments, ought = be put mp in stone ?
TheS are some such buildings soon to be
ereciei, and If we make Of them single
palaces, can we hope to look on them
twenty years hence with satisfaction, or
hope those wllc come after us viii approve
Cur ch sice Of wood as a material for such
structures.