Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-08-16


some further glimpses Of this great city,
but l shrink flom an attempt which must
fgll 80 far short Of accomplishing what
desire. It is impossible to see city like
this ia two days, and that Is all the time
we feel that we can spare to IL.
have already alluded TO the maenin
cence of It's business establishments, and
cannot attempt TO go into detailed de-
scriptions Of them, not really having had
lime 10 see more than their outside.
This morning, however, we did pass
hastily through the new fire proof build
ing Of the Fidelity Savings Bank and Safe
Deposit Company on East Randolph
street, and il Is truly a wonderful
structure. Its vaults are mafyels ol
strength and safety.
A substIucture Of stone uadeTlies the
entire system Of vaults, forming bed Of
massive and impenetrable solid masonry,
while the walls of the lower vaults In the
basement cOnsist of solid masonry aud
corrugated iron, the whole iOiming a
foundation for the vaults on the main
door substantial as solid rock. The walls
OF these vaults are of solid masonry, OF
immense thickness, and are lined with
six thicknesscs OF haifinch hardened
steel plates, welded and Tiyeted together,
making solid metal easement three
inches thick and weighing 100 tons, and
so hard that the severest tests with the
best tools utterly fsil to make an impress
sion on II. Th- vault has AN entrance at
each end, with two doors Can inner and
outer one) at each entrance, and the
outer doors, which are secured by the
best Of double combination locks, have
each ten thicknesses Of steel plates, and
weigh three and half tons each. ln-
side this vault are the steel boxes and
safes rented TO deposltors. The vaults
are said to be the finest IN the world, aud
absolutely lmpregnaole to burglars. That
they are fre-proof is sufficiently attested
by the fact that they perfectly withstood
the terrible confagratlon Of October, 1871,
which destroyed the building over them
and threw down upon them the Immense
walls Of the siN-story Sherman House,
next door. They contained at the time
millions Of dollars In money and valuables.
10 addition to all this they are watched
day and night by armed watehmen.
One Of the queer incidents OF the great
fire is related In connection with this
building. a dog In the building ran
under stone stairway and along side OF
the basement vaults and thsre remained
throughout the fire and until the enOr-
nous piles OF stones and rubbish were re-
moved days afterwsrd, when he came
forth unscathed. No: We an, wer to tnG
mental inquiry Of every reader, We did
not see the dog, but we did see the alley
like place where he was so sngulary
saved and We're assured by one Of the III
GERS OF the institution that tue story was
strictly true.
And this reminds me that we saw an
other wonderful relic of the fire,
only building in the whole burnt district
that was saved. singularly enough 4
was frame building but il WIS SUI
rounded by trees. 5 i'll that does not en-
tirely account for the tact that IL wa
saved, for ont at Lincoln park, two o.
three miles from the centre OF the tlie, We
saw great number of trees that wer,
killed or injured, whose blackencd trunks
still bear witness to the awful heat. Thi
is on the north side and the building.
there are not so generally rebuilt as Of
the south side, which contains the Il Acs
residences as well as the most of tn
handsome business houses.
1t is difficult to speak Of Chicago " ith
out using those terms north eide, soutl
side and west side, which convey bu
| little meaning to the reader at distance
1 Let me help any one who has never beef
| here to have clearer understanding
/ The city he, Of course, knows lies ON ,h
| west coast Of Lake Michigan with th
Chicago river, emptying into the lake
running through the centre Of the husI
nessi part. This. river turns, however
sOmeW hat abruptly to the south. y
La B.. "a b
bend In the river Is called the south sid,
while the corresponding portion Of III
city lying along the lake and north Oi tl
| river is called the north side, and all th
remainder separated from the south side b
this bend in Che river, aud from the nor,
side by an imaginary line, or rather by
certain designated avenue, is called III
west side. II constitutes the largest poi
ton Of the city, and though the great iii
originated in il, it in "a great measure ct
capped the calamity which swept the hus
ness part of the south side and almost ia
whole of the north side 10 ruin.
But have not time or space to tai
about that fire. In ten Yeas more tlci
will he no trace OF il left, except In III
superiority Of the buildings ierlHcu
those destroyed over those lu the l.ul9 ,
the city Nlicn Cstaped.
One indirect effect Of the fire was
revoiutiouizc the character Of some OF II
streets. Wabash Avenue for years q
street for handsome residences, was
invaded by business during the mont
that followed the cuniagr''iun, that
- will never recover its original Charactt
/ the business transported there haNn
taken root. Tuis q speuion of husiuc
i is named by residents as Ouo Vi Tic man
/ good results Of the fire.
5 Down along the lake, on the sou
side, are great many very beautiful rt
/ licences beautifully situated, but cOmpar
. with the magnilcence- of the hu~inc
+ houses, the residences are very undl
y indeed, ] have seen no rows or sing
. residences, as yet, to compare with tho
c OF New York and Philadelphia. III
+ can be- justly said Of them, however, lh
i look hOmc-.lke, inviting aud hcuutlil
{ aud that is batter than grand, If amy
these characteristics are sacrificed in
B.. tanning grandeur.
e The city has quite a number Of park
S We done thoroughly several Of the smal
e ones this morning ard speut cunslderal
n time in the largest Of them, Lincoln par
Is IL ing on the lake oil the north side.
e amuscs an Eastern man to see the trout
y and expense these good people have 20
d to, To vary the mOnotouy of their de
J. level by piling up little mounds ten
n fifteen feet high rs miniature hills. \
is suppose Chicago would give a MILL
d dollars for that Brandywlne valley VIII
le our home stupids persist in decllri
rs dear at any price.
n One of the little poCuliarilics viii
Ie strike Eastern visitors is IN. large VA
2 Der Of plank sidewalks, TO DO found
rs front Of really fine stores and rcsdcuc
They are being rapidly replaced howey
i by fine ones Of solid stone. The Woo
,e pavemenis too are cvcryW here, and
rs what you may of them they make
\ best road ever invented for pleasant III
re- ing, and they seem to last ton.
in The Lake Stems to be little thought
and we hear Of no moon light or OF
in excursions on it. 1t will probably he
o. more consequence, should the break Wa
Ak the L. 5. Government is now build
In make Il fine haibOr on it for the city.
81 But on such a theme ] could write
10 indefinitely, and as EVERY EvGNlN
40 space is limited and ii is nearly time
"a me to take train for another 500 m
y. west to Kansas City, l had as well S
< here as anywhere.
n.
Iv PROM CHICAGO wEsTwARD-THE ROLL
m PRAIRIEs or THE HAwKEYE STATE,
iv GULF STREAM OF IMMIGRATIoN.
he KANSAS CITY, Aug. "A consultai
use of time tables before we left Chic
60 showed us we could not 20 to Omi
les without remaining there over sund
us which we concluded would be too gre
no bore to.be voluntarily encountered, SO
nd concluded to turn southwark at Gre;
ks about a hundred miles east of Omaha
We left Chicago on Thursday nigh
led half-past 10, by the Chicago, Burlinp
or IL Quincy Railroad. and Immediately