The New York herald., 1872-11-12
Wilson were named as Secretaries to the meeting
Mr.. A. A. Low 0nered the following
RESOLUTIONS.

Wilson were named as Secretaries to the meeting
Mr.. A. A. Low onered the following
RESOLUTIONS.
calamity that has but one parallel in he history Of our
II 10 rs hs
and their stores OF merchsndisc become prey 10 tho
Sns Se 81
n., ysnsels contents Sses OF untold have
where kn9wn for their energy their Their o
day are bound together by mutual ties OF interest and
Resolved, That it becomes this mercantile community
promptly TO tender TO the merchants of Bostsn an TO all
Of our deep and Seary and roer
snen generous n measures o. ieeI 81 IL. - i'm, ,ne
Resolved That a committee of ten be appointed TO CON
70 adopt in order 10 alleviate the peeqniary dsabtes
that are likely TO result rem the sudden Of
Arms.
MR.. Low, in support of these resolutions, said:-
SPEECH or MR. Low.
GENTLEMEN-When, little more than year
ago. we were called upon to contemplate the great
calamity which had overwhelmed Chicago and q
committee was appointed to take measures ol re-
lief for the suffering inhabitants OF that city, there
were no gentlemen more active IN such measures
OF relief THAI members OF some OF the firms named
In the morning papers as now among tne sunerers @
In Boston when wa was Iressuner she oI your neieI @
goods firm, which had It's branches in Boston.
brought me In one cay $g6, ooo collected and con-
counted among the sufferers in Boston. 1t Is not
worth while here to repeat the terrible story of
this new calamity. Language is feeble to depict
1T WAS SUGGESTED
that little could be said regarding the action of the
Chamber in this emergency, until the full extent
OF the calamity is known, but motion was made
to adopt Mr.. Lows resolution.
"REMINISCENCES or OLD NEW YORK FIRES.
Mr.. DODGE said whatever was done in the way
of sympathy or aid had better be promptly done.
What was wanted was something 70 cheer and
sustain the parties now In such deep distress.
Many OF us remember the great fires OF 1885 and
1s45 which AFFLICTED our own city. I shall never
forget the terrible night In 1885 when, alter work
ing hard all night, just alter daybreak was In
Pearl street, below Wall, and saw our now venera-
able fellow citizen, Colonel James Lee, with twenty
Irshmen, digging for his sale. He was covered with
SCOT and dirt offered him my sympathy and aid
Said he, "Dodge, thank God my wife and children
Something in the way OF sympathy Is needed now
to sustain these sufferers. Fortunately there
LrTTLE PERSONAL SUFFERING
In this case such made one of the worst features
Of the Chicago disaster Some OF the employees In
the factories are thrown out Of employment, and
others Of the poorer classes may be driven from
their homes; but the merchants chiefly need SYM
patly and aid. The Boston merchants rendered
New York paper held In Boston and otherwise cx-
ercised forbearance and granted privileges in the
that
ONE OF OUR LARGEST INSURANCE COMPANIES
has given notice that it will at once pay portion
OF the losses. A little forbearance and generous
aid Is all that is needed.
The resolutions were then unanimously adopted,
an amendment being accepted that the chairman
OF the meeting be added to the list as chairman of
the committee. Subsequently
TIE COMMITTEE
was appointed as follows:-
William 4. Dodge, chairman; A: A. Low, Fred. 5.
Winston William H. aIG Guon Horace rc' ! B. n, Giaain,
Jarvis Slade, Jacob Wendell and s. b. Chittenden.
Notice was given that the committee will meet at
the Chamber Of Commerce at noon to-day to Or
ganize and commence business.
THE DANGER OF NEW YORK.
The resolutions having been adopted, Mr. Low
MIR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN-Whe this largo
body of gentlemen is here, 1t is a fitting oppor-
preventives of the disasters that have beiallen
Chicago and Boston. 1t seems that large buildings
tas e are oon out 81 all r
large buildings In order to stay the flames. 1t may
safely be said that ten or fifteen minutes after the
fire broke out in this large building of granite
IN Boston 1t had ascended through four or
FIVE STORIES TO THE MANsARD ROOF
strong M and elcient as that department in Boston
has been justly esteemed to be- In ten or fifteen
minutes large section Of the city was entirely at
do for us to remain blind to the possibility of the
same thing occurring in other cities where build
surmounted by something as combustible as as {, a
stable. There Is immense danger in these modern
w sad w the Of the
think, need to be adopted in the present emer-
gency
Whereas the recent destruction by fire Of large and
pSrOn # the city IF
@ isSs y Ne Modern S ssSf SP Or
with ne
%Sasr w s total
2 na sae sG Ye car 1 e oSe
similar faulty construction and in two remarkabc in.
has o% s S
the TEr Of the now
bers re se sppotea to
on S @S hn G early s ss
na Blow @ Of e a easf s take k
Of the Head Of Che Fire Department the shall have
It be made The duty Of such Board Of Engineers to be
efectual prosecution of this contemplated work.
THE BLOWING UP OF BUILDINGS.
Mr.. LOWE then contnued-1n regard to the blowing
mp buildings as our science has not yet succeeded
In discovering something better, we should be ena-
bled to apply this rude remedy more efiectuay Here
it becomes Of necessity a last resort, and the
Mayor probably reluctantly and against his wishes,
agrees after consultations and delays upon destroy
ing two or three magnificent structures TO save the
rest.
OUR WATER SUPPLY
Commodore j. p. LEVY said-In view OF the late
catastrophe our own situation In New York Is de-
plorable. We have merely enough water to sup
Ply the ond ah, ana allow tb for wasage
such representations to the proper authorities
as would induce them to provide for the introduc-
million dollars would serve to introduce the salt
water, with auxiliary engines on the wharves to
supply the fire engines. The fire plugs are OF little
capacity. The engines could better suck water out
OF sixteen or eighteen inch pipe than out OF our
flre plugs. We ought to have better supply Of
water in any event.
OUR INSURANCE SYSTEM.
Mr.. s. .. CnrTTENDEN said the resolutions proposed
by Mr.. Low covered q subject OF more importance
to than any other since the outbreak OF the war;
Two such calamities In thirteen months warn us
that under the existing organizations we have no
security against fire. Merchants ought to realize
that another such sweeping fire will impoverish and
break down our system Of FIRE insurance. Com
mercial interests cannot be continued without a
reliable insurance system, and believe now that
we have not sufficiently reliable Institutions l
am reminded that after our nre In 1885 the insur-
ance companies here united In opposition TO un-
derwrltings on buildings over four stories high;