The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-12
CHI &c A GO.
BY LATE NAILS. {.
Destruction of Public Buildings.

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Destruction of Public Buildings.
All the theatres, opera-houses, and pub
lie halls are destroyed. Farwell Hall was
a large and beautiful building. The audi
torium and galleries handsomely seated
more than four thousand persons. The
Crosby 0pera-House was very fine struc-
ture. In this was held the convention that
nominated General Grant to the Presidency,
on which occasion there were supposed to
be ten thousand persons present, on the
stage, in the halls, galleries, &c. McVlck-
er's Theatre, next to the Tribune office,
had Just been enlarged at an expense OF
about 500, ,000-one of the finest in the
country. Its destruction must make loss
of nearly half million of dollars. The
Academy of Design, on Adams street, was
completed only about year ago. 1t was
a work of exquisite beauty, and its gale
ries and studios were filled with many rare
works of art, among them being Rother-
webs great painting Of the battle of Get
tysburg. In the Opera-House Art Gal
lery were also many great paintings and
works of sculpture.
Hooley's Opera House, on Clark street,
was formerly known as Bryan Hall, built
by a gentleman we'll known in this city. Its
chief historical interest is that it was there
that the remains of Stephen A. Douglas lay
in state for several days before they were
carried to their final resting place. Woods
Museum, on Randolph street, was an inn
mense building, and contained very great
number of curiosities. The Dearborn-St.
theatre was handsome, but not very large
structure. The burning of these public
buildings has entailed a loss of millions of
dollars, and of course throws many persons
out of all means of livelihood for the pre-
sent. t
Among the great disasters whose aggre-
gate makes up the fearful calamity of the
great fire there are few which will appeal
more universally to the sympathies of the
intelligent public than the destruction of the
offices of the great daily journals of Chica-
20. Every one of these great offices is laid
low In ashes
The Tribune.
The Chicago Tribune building was the
finest building of the kind in the world. 1t
was erected during 1868, at cost, if we re-
collect correctly, of about 1915, 900, which
sum of money was made by the Tribune
newspaper in period of nineteen months.
The building was of beautiful stone, of q
light gray color, of beautiful bright luster,
but not glaring like white marble. 1t was
four stories in height, the press, folding and
mailing rooms being in the basement, the
counting-room ON the ground floor, the
editorial, proof-reading, library, and compo-
sition rooms occupying the whole of the
T.. ,a1
two eight-cylinder Hoe presses, one Of
which is said to have been the finest ma
chine of the kind in the world. Its cost
was $32, 900. The greatness OF this estab-
lishment may be conceived when we state
that the expense for news editors, cores
pondents, &C., is about $4,000 week.
The Times.
The building was Of Joliet marble, four
stories in height, with basement for press
and folding-rooms. The site of the build
ing is on Dearborn street, one-half block
north of the Tribune office. The property
was worth, perhaps, quarter of million
The profits of its proprietor, who is also
chief editor, were last year about 6O,O0O
The Evening Post.
The office of the Erening Post was OF
Madison street, few doors west of thu
Tribune. In the same building is also tht
iStdats-Zeit,u,g, and adjoining, in a simila
building, is that of the Escang Mall. Tn
block was of Joliet marble, basement an,
four stories, and very handsome in architec
ture, as it was immense in size. Th
presses used here were Hoes four and two
cylinders. Counting-rooms, editorial-room
and all were very excellent, and the loss t
the different companies publishing thes
journals must be hundreds of thousands Q
dollars.
The Republican. 1
The Republican office was in pla
building on Washington street. The pres
was six-cylinder hoe. The loss in build
ing and material would not amount t
more than 100000, if so much.
The Evening Journal.
Every one who has visited Chicago, stop
ping at the fremont House, will recollec
the Journal building, opposite on Dearbor
, street. 1t was one of the few venerabl
: relics of former generation of which Oh
, cago could boast. The building was
plain, four-story brick. The convenience
: of the office were good, and the loss mus
be very heavy.
With the destruction of these offices {
the daily journals several hundred men al
temporarily thrown out of employment
Compostors, pressmen, carriers, messer
gers, and the like, who need their pa
weekly, can not number less than thol
sand. There are probably 5000 souls d
pending upon them for their daily brea'
and many of them are now utterly withol
shelter from the rains and storms of heavel
The Lakeside Publishing Company
great house has gone. This had in oper
ton about seventy presses, and was one
the greatest printing houses in the Yves
1t published the Lakeside Magazine, 9th
periodicals and journals, and books. III
E loss of the company will be very great.
e If we reflect moment we shall see no
y serious is this destruction of propert
d amounting, in journals and printing esta
S lishments alone, to several million dollar
d and throwing thousands of persons out
: employment, out of bed, out of homes.
!, The Burned Hotels.
It The Pacific House, just finished at an e
T pense of 50 800 900, was the largest hot
= in America, and only surpassed in exte
by two OF three grand hotels of Europe.
was built Of granite, Joliet marble, al
= iron. The Sherman House, larger thI
= any hotel in New York, was built of Joil
=. marble. The fremont House was il
u ,oonea IN c;1a hnt huilt of brick han