, 1872-12-03

an effort be made to sell back the condemned
property to those from whom it was taken, and
return the proceeds to those who have paid their
assessments. The proposed extension, If COM
pleted, will be Of very little value to tile general
public, and it will cost them very heavy sum of
money to build and maintain long viaducts over
the several railroads which will CROSS it diagon-
ally. Nearly the whole length Of the extension
will require to be protected with vladucts, and,
when they are erected, there will be very little
ment. People viii still prefer the Lake and
Halsted route to milwaukee avenue. The
diagonal route Of the opening cuts all the lots
into triangles, which ruins them for most
uses; hence the heavy claims for damages,
and heavy assessments for questionable benefits,
to pay for an improvement which they deem Of
no benefit to their property.
TIE NEW WATER WORKS AND TUNNEL.
The long controversy in regard to the location
Of the new Water Works is ut last settled by the
purchase Of q block Of ground on Ashland ave-
nue., near Twenty street; which contains
about 1856 900 square feet, or three acres and o
half, with 200 feet Of dock on tho west side
thereof, md railroad track on the north front.
The purchase price is $4,000; the city, by pre-
5000 Of disputed and appealed general and
special taxes therefrom. I regard the price as
fair and reasonable, and the lot well located
for the purposes contemplated.
The new tunnel, extending under the city from
the old to the new works, will be four miles in
able Of conveying from the lake 10o,000,000 Of
gallons of water per twenty-four hours. The
Board Of Public Works intend to haye it COM
pleted ut an early day, aB it can be
constructed in sections By sinking shafts at sev-
eral points, and therefore it may be pushed rap
q million Of dollars.
1t is the design, I understand, to tapi at
numerous places where it passes under streets
with an artesian tube. The water will rise
in these wells within *'w feet Of the
surface. To each tubo o fre-hydrant can
be attached, from which two engines may
draw water. Thus through the very heart OF the
city there will always be sure supply of water
with which to combat fire, Independent Of that
furnished by the pumps and water-mains.
lake, together with the new works to be erected
on the Ashland avenue lot, will considerably ex-
ceed the unexpended proceeds Of tho wafer
bonds, and the deficit must be made good by
taxation.
SAFEGUARDS AGAINST FIRE.
In this connection desire to repeat the rec
concentrations in regard to the necessity of ad-
ditionl prerentions and safeguards against
the danger of fires, contained in my
special message to the Common Council Of Nov.
II, 1872. The Finance Committee reported an
ordinance carrying into effect these recommends
Council had not sufficient time to act thereon.
trust it will be taken up by tho present Coun-
Gil, and carried into effect without delay. The
best time to combat q fire ls before it gains u11-
comfortable headway. There is always q time
during which q fire is manageable if extinguish-
ers can be brought to bear upon it. A few min
utes' time, more OF less, often determines the
question whether q fire can be quenched or not,
A chemical extinguisher quickly brought to bear
will put out fire which with ten minutes longer
l. t~E. 1-11
The great fire in Boston broke out in d ive-story
building with Mansard 6re-trap roof, and burn
Ell unmolested forty minutes. 1t was then too
late to conquer it until it had done it's terrible
work. Our Chicago conf1agration had nearly
half an hours start in the midst of pine rook-
cries and aided by strong, dry wind, befors it
was seriously molested by the steamers.
BY that time it laughed to scorn the puny
efforts OF the fremen, and swept onward until
half the city was destroyed. II ever We have
another destructive conffagration, it will be from
the same cause, viz. delay in getting the e1tin-
guishera at work.
The most reliable Of all insurance is preyen-
tion Of fires the exercise of such care and pre-
cautions as will prevent them from breaking
out. Next best thing to DO, is to adopt such
guisher to play on it in less than five minutes
from it's commencement, or at the earliest possi-
BILE moment after its discovery.
Let me recapitulate the suggestions embraced
the special message, anu Incorporated II L06
proposed ordinance:
/. The purchase and distribution, among the
police stations, Of chemical fire extinguishers.
2. The erection Of bell tower to give alarms Of
fire. 8. Access to the river at the street-ends,
for the fre-engines, by clearing away obstruc.
the police force, in order that outbreaks OF fire
may be quickly sent to headquarters, as
well as for the better protection OF life
and property, the present force being quite
inadequate fol: 20 proper discharge Of duty.
Insurance has Become 40 costly and precarious
that our chief reliance for safety against fire
must be in precautionary and preventive meas
r1res. The average cost Of insurance in this city
now exceeds the taxes on the same property.
From this fact some idea can be gained Of the
adoption of such safeguards as will reduce the
chances Of destructive conhagrations.
BRIDGEPORT RENDERING ESTABLISHMENTS.
A vigorous effort has been made by the Health
Department during the past season to suppress
and abate the no1ious odors arising from the
soap-boi1ing, and other establish
ments which manipulate putrid flesh in the
southwestern sections of the1city. Only mod
crate SUCCESS has attended these efforts. The
owners, from long contact with the offensive
unconscious thereof, and utterly Indifferent to
the suffering of the public thereby, and it is very
difficult to make thom appreciate that they are
creating into1erable nuisances. Each stoutly as
serts his innocence, and denies tho impeachment.
They have been numerously prosecuted, indicted,
and fined, and repressed to certain extent. But
80 long as enormous and ever-increasing guam
titles Of decaying animal matter is permitted to
be rendered and manufactured within the city
limits, in the summer season, just so long will
the nouous efauyia be generated therefrom, and
be spread over the city by the westerly winds to
suffocate and poison the people. This class of
business should al be carried on at consider
able distance beyond the corporate limits.
Whatever methods science may devise for neu-
tralizing those offensive gases, by means Of fire
or disinfectants, there will always remain, in
vicious activity, the pecuniary interests Of the
proprietors to avoid expense and trouble, and
the s1othfu1 care1essness Of employees in using
the preventive appliances.
OGDEN SLIP AND uEA1EY SLOUGH.
Great complaints wero made to me last sum-
mar concerning tho filthy cdndition Of the "Og-
den Slip" I first resorted to dredging, but dis
covered little improvement therefrom. After
careful examination, became convinced, in the
face Of all denials to the contrary, that
the slip was befouled by the washingB Of blood
and other animal matter into it from
the neighboring rendering and Strengthening es-
tablishments. Steps were then taken to cause
the guilty firms to construct sewer that would
convey these washings into the South Branch
where there is considerable current. The bene-