, 1872-12-07
THE GRAND PACIFIC HOTEL.
The Board Of Underwriters Pay It a
Visit of Inspection---What They
Saw and What They Think
of the Risk.
Rev YGk Meeting Of the Railroad
stockholders in the En-
terprise.

1eBterdayWas made an event IN the recon-
struction o1the Grand Parifc Hotel, by the
formal and c6cial visit paid to the structure by
The Chicago Board Of Underwriters, in a body,
who carried tie closest inspection to every part
IF the building. When it is understood that
this is the LARGEST editice in the United States,
and that within few months it is to stand with
the Underwriters, with the building, furniture,
aud stocks Of goods exposed, risk of 50 000, ,ooo
On single rod, the question becomes an m
portant one, whether, in the view Of insurance
experts, auy features Of disregarded insecurity
remain which may and should be removed The
visit was paid By Mr.. George c. Clark, Drew,
Pasco, and others Of our leading insurance men,
and moE thorough investigation was made o.
in respect to the dangers Of fire. Ihe arcn1tect,
Mr. Eoyington, George ". Gage, DAVID 4.
Gage, and John 4. Rice, we're the escorting
party. It is no half-hour's wo~k to look through
the Pacific for the visitor may walk mile in its
corridors and yet leave portions une4plored;
Some Of the insurance men thought they had
net experienced SO thorough job Of pedes-
trianism since the epiZoot.
The visitors examined the strength Of the
foundation and supporting walls; the thorough
ness with which brick partitions have been car
ried to the very top Of the building even to the
enclosing Of tile towers, the solid brick shafts
that are to contain the elevators; the double
svstem of iron girders that encirc1e the entire
Building carrying the partitions the brlcking-in
OF all partitions for q height above the floor and
Beneath all the windows the care with which
aues hare been constructed, and fre-places set
the openness Of all the corridors and cross-hals;
the standing iron pipes opening at the
s Ta to carry TaseF bs roof fr0% n the the
building (of which complete public test is to
be given IN few days) the tanks on the roof
containing 12,0oo gallons Of water the hoist
wsy for hose; the hose connections On every
door Of the building the filling in Of all the
floors with concrete; the arrangement for the
NEST powerful force pump in use in this city,
and, having seen and noted all this, the under
Writer'S are unanimous in IN the 4k
ton in its class Of risks and de-
cided that there seemed no further
Recommendations to make. When it is con-
sidered that this is really the second time 30
thorough survey has been made, the visit has
meaning and value to the interests concerned.
On the former occasion referred to- it will be re-
me1nbered that the leading underwriters and the
chief officers and Inspectors Of the city Fire
Department went carefully through the plans in
advance Of the commencement Of construction,
and the recommendations then made we're fully
embodied in the erection, SO that this second
vlsi. is really in confirmation OF the meaning OF
the first.
The visitors were struck with the advanced
stage of the building, which now seems LIKELY to
be ready for complete occupancy in March. It
is believed, on careful examination, that three
months more will see the Pacific completed and
i'll full commission, and acting On this pressing
suggestion, Hon. I. B. Otis, President Of the
Co,apany, Mr.. Boyington, the architect, and
John A. Rice Esq, fepresenting the the v, vles,sees e.
Monday next to meet the leading represents
tiyes Of the railroad capital invested in the Pa
clic, and make q final review and decision
as TO the decorative features OF the hotel.
which will be rapidly pushed b. ~ increased
force of workmen. T. D: Gaskel, late OF the
tunes With the Pacific, vii; meet the party in
New York, and from this time give his atten-
ton to the cuisine features Of the Pacific. The
Company and lessees mean to spare nothing to
bring their great work to full completion in the
time named, and so pressing is the demand for
it that already the room plans have begun to be
marked off to prospective boarders. Our new
hotel e:a is to Introduce the new epoch Of hotel
boarding to degree never before realized.
It slnuld not be omitted, the great stress and
value the Underwriters yesterday gave to the
feature OF protection to the Pacific, that one Of
its large central towers is to be made city look
out ard fire telegraph station. Eighty Pei. cent.
OF the alarms Of IRE are made from these look
outs, and the central position OF this lofty point
Of view will make it one Of the most important
elssions, as far aspubic interests are concerned