The Hawaiian gazette., 1873-05-21
The Rebuilding of Boston.
THE CITY TO LOOK BETTER THAN BEFORE

The CITY ~ LUX BETTER THAN BEFORE.
The full and encouraging review of what
has been done and what is doing in the
burned district gives more complete idea
ofthe work as whole than anything that
has before been published. According to
the official returns there were 776 build
ings destroyed by fire on the 9th and 10th
of November. The street widenings and
the enlargement ofestates will reduce ma
terially the number of structures that will
cover the same territory when it is again
built upon. The list of building permits
comprise nearly 10 structures, which will
cover at least one-quarter of the entire ter
ritory available for building, The list will
moreover be greatly extended within few
weeks, as soon as the important questions
still at issue are settled.
1t is by no means to be taken as mat
ter ofcourse that the speediest rebuilding
possible on the burned district is some
thing altogether to be desired. Several
cities have made serious mistake by build
ing too rapidly, and although we have no
fear that there will be surplus of ware
houses in which to do the business of the
metropolis, there are symptoms of dis
position on the part of some of the build
ers to take the material that is available
rather than to wait fewl weeks for bet
ter. We cannot afford to make any more
mistakes in our business architecture.
The buildings must be substantially con-
structed or we shall be no more secure
than we were six months ago. 1t may
turn out that the delays in official quar-
tiers, which have been so vexatious, will
in the end prove great benefit to all who
have felt aggrieved by them.
The evidence we have collected is suffi-
Gent proof that the general appearance
of the rebuilt district is to be far more
agreeable than it was before the fire. The
streets are to be more convenient and bet
ter adapted for business and for the dis
play OF fine architecture And the build
ings are to be both more elegant and of
much greater variety. There will be
large number of marble fronts, which, al
together perhaps not more imposing than
granite, will relieve the monotony of uni
form material We regret that there is
or TO ha 81. ~ fbf |
ance of Pearl street before the fire, but
variety is preferable to variety nowhere.
And satisfactory as was the general effect
of the district before the fire, it will be
much more attractive year or two hence. |
Some of the buildings are to be as elegant |
and costly as any in America, and very |
few will be inferior to those which form
erly covered the same sites. 1t is to be |
hoped that the final settlement of street
lines may soon be reached, so that the re-
construction may not be too tardily ac-
complished.
Already we are profting by the good
arising from the terrible scourge, and a
priceless benefit it will be in return for so
great cost. Boston will be greater, bet
ter, richer and wiser forit Our commerce
was never SO good as it is to-day; has
never shown SO great an increase as in
the week just past. We are reaching out
our strong arms on every side; charging
our borders, improving our streets, re-
visiug our laws, enriching our city, and
lettering our people.-Boston AdUeniser.