, 1874-09-06
Oak: st.


| ]. i: :......." 1. -: ):
| Chicago az.
s ;:''''''''''''''''''''':
| TIE BOUNDARY STREETS
nre wide, but III the intermediate ones the dis.
| tance from sidewalk to sidewalk is not over 81
| feet. It viii be noticed that White street is the
! only one that runs east md west, aud that ouly
| to an alley between Townsend and Bremen
| mentioned streets, aud between SedyWick anc
| Townsend aud Bremen and Wesson, but mono be-
| tween Wes6on aud Lar7gbeo. Tho blocks from
| Chicago avenuo to Oak street arc nearly quar-
tor Of mile long, ard vary in width from go to
! ego feet.
TIL; STREETS THEMSELVES,
| except Chicago avenue, are not only faced with
| franle dwellings, and shops, but there arc shan
ties in tue rear IN which people live and, back OF
| these, barns, which front on the alleys. Every
| lot is occupied By at least two houses, and, ia
| many instances, By three and even four, close
| up to ono another. insress beng had
from the siaes. This utilization Of
'*philantilropic individual named Hull,
in whose subdivision the district a located His
object Was to provide cheap homes for the poor !;
he accomplished it, but at tho Same time was in-
strumental in establishing u tire-trap" which
may at any moment sweep away the larger por-
ton Of the North Side.
TIE GRADE OF TIE srnEETs
was raised by the Board of Public Works after
tho FIRE Of October, 1871. this territory having
been flied, except here and there, and Town
send B1cmer, and Weasou streets arc excellent
places for ccastins in the winter time The
sidewalks arc irregular, EoEuc being Oh 4 level
with tho old graae, and others 10 feet high, so
that in walking ono block as much physical force
is expended as would enable ono to travel four
blocks. Mnny Of these elevated sidewalks are
above the entrances to the houses, and used for
"coal sheds" =; the people have no other
place to stow their fuel, n backward
store keepers On Weseon street arc obliged to
leave their wagons in the roadway, there being
no nean5 OF access to the stables il tho rear;
and, to get the horses into the barns tunnels
which the animals arc led. When this street ia
filed up, the horses Will hare to be taken through
tho dwellings,.
THE POPULATION
Of the district which numbers nbout 10000 ia
composed of 5wedcs, Norwesians, Irish, Poles,
and Germans. Children are as thick as black-
berries in Virginia field, the ceiebrated Canal
port avenue nursery being az uaught beside this
ono, The experience OF these people in Oc-
tobor, 1871, has made them careful and watch
ful, aud under ordinary circumstances q fire
would not get beyond the control of the depart-
ment- But should half-a-dozen houses ignite
they would undoubtedly gather up their honse-
hold goods and neo to place OF imagined safety.
TIE WATER-eUpnLT
is adequate for domestic purposes, but in case
Of largo fire totally insufficient. Tho pipes ns |
will be eoen below,~aro very small, aud five or
siS engines could not pump at the saIno time, !
since ono would draw from another, and tho |
average quantity Of water obtained would bo so |
little TINT tho whole Elk would bo almost useless
Even we're an ample supply available, in the |
present condition of things, with no cast aud !
n Some parts OF the district, particularly ono in
,hc centre OF Wesson street. Tho hose would !
1avo to be led in from Latrabce or Bremen
'treet, and the stretch would bo so long, owing
% tho distance between the fge-hydrants, that
lot moro tfau two, or perhaps three, insignificant
streams could DO brought to bear upon the
lanes.
Tho sizes Of the pipes on tho different streets
nc as follows: Chicago avenue, 24-inch main,
q part of the general system, not connected
t one point by the 24-inch pipe which furnishes
he fire-pluga Oak street, 2l-tnch main, With
G-inch Pipe alongside, the latter feeding the
ydrants; Scdgwick street, Inch pipe;
n 8-inch pipe, lately put in; Weason street, q
Inch Pipe; Larrabeo street, {: G-inch Pipe;
White street, 4inch ripe. Running to Sodgwick
t'eet ato plefson, Hinsde1e, md Whitney
trects, eech having 4-inch pipe: and into Lar
abee street, Hawthorn avenue, and Crosby
treet, with o G-inch and 4-inch pipe respect
rely.
EXTENDING STREETS.
Ii Plcrson, Hlnsdnle, and Whitney streets |
ere continued to Larrabeo tho territory would
Q divided into ordinary blocks, and every part
T it be accessible. Even with White street cut
lrough aud it's finch pipe connected with tho !
inch pipe in Larrabee street. the property
ould be much better protected than il is now.
ut, it the Council wouh order the opening the J ,
card OF Public Works would substitute an 8-inch
pe, and put in an additional number Of irp-hy-
ANTS.
At present there are three fre-hydranta On
a1rabee street between Chicago agenue and
ak street, four on Oak between Larrabee and l
.dgwick, none on Wesson. four On Drcner,
10 on Townsend, and four on SedgTick-four-
en- in = district over quarter of mile square.
There is only one steam fire-ensine within :
llling distance, but two others ara housed !
thin mile, and could reach any givon point, +
the streets were passabie, In from tire to ten
iuuteB. |
THE REPUTABLE INSURANCE. COMPANIES
Il not Writo any policies for property situated |
this vast lunabetyard, yetit is not difficult to
t all the insurance one wants nt from 81 to
.25 On the @l0o. Whether the face OF the r
lcy eau be collected after the destruction Of
q dwelling or chop .s another matter; ii the | /
'ucr Of 4 house eau get policy at treason
. " 1ato he never ssks about the Eoupdness Of | =
q company which l63ued it,
Tho sections north aud east, while tho blocks n
D Of the Esnal FiZe. ard the ground moro
arsely co7czed with houses, arc no better OF =