, 1874-09-07

+
Chicago Exposition. :.
uR1uau0 AND THE INSURANCE COMPANIES.
In an artiolo In tho Now York Nation Of sopt.
Q, on tho sab1oot Of " Chicago and tho insurance
Compauopn NO mud tho following extraordinary
aeanrtion. "Bo far as can bo mado out, they
ftho poopIo Of Chicagol hayo built up tho city
since tho great conlagration Of 1871 In very |
much tho samo condition In which tho fire found |
IT," Thia ia an extremely reckless and Injurious
staton,ent and ono which dcservea to be an-
awored. It is impossible to suppose that tho
Nation las any malice toward Chicago, b'tt it IL
cortainty ignorant Of tho character Of tho old
city, OF tho new ono. or both.
THO President Of ono Of thu largest fro In"
surauco companioB ut tho East, nfter petBonaa
inspection Of that part Of tho city which tho
Nation considers 50 wrotohodly constructed, hna
recontiy pronounced the buildings In 1t
among tho bes. risks an insurance COM
paay could tako He know Of no place
in tho country TINT afforded bottsr risks. htsRs
in st. Louis wore not, ho said. as good by oo
nor cont. And eyon III Now York and Boston |
risks woro no bottor,-i,nsdly az good. Ills To-
marks, Of courso. did not apply to tho wooden,
outlying districts, but to TINT portion OF the city
J in which nino-tonths Of lis wenlth Is conceu-
trasod. II tho editor Of tho Nation should 90 |
| to tho trouble Of sonding competent 'nvcs-
tigator loro to inquire into tho matter, ho would
find that Now Chicago is at proaont botsor
fitted to Withstand a great conflagratlon, SO
far as its buildings aro concerned, than
| oven Now York. There aro, wo bollovo, more
firo-proof buildings on gison area OF tie
panin business portion Of Our city than on m
equal ares. Of any city in tho unitod states.
Many Of tho now buildings arc provided with
steam ro-ougines. Tic amount Of oonabustlblo
natorial tn many Of thctn III 30 small thus It may
bo dierogardod altogether. Wooden cornices
tl1oro aro almost nono+ What tho cinraetor OF
tho rebuilt portion Of tho city ia the Nation may
learn from tho fact thnt, whom tho great fro Of
July II rcnchcd It, it waa almost immediately
checked No tiro could possibly ont its way any
great distance through tho solid walls Of tho now
buildings. No lro TINT has occurred in tho now
portion haa gone beyond tho four walls in
which It originated. During the State street
; fro, which occurred about q month ago,
the hoat from tho burning building was 80 in
teuse % 10 crack tho glass plasos IN tho pallo'ng
on tho opposite alda Of tho wide street, but hach
was tho excellence Of tho tire walls oetweon II
and she buildings adjacent On aach atdo that sheY
escaped with aa little injury "a Il they wore q
Il milo away. The Width OF Chicago ssseete IN tue
: business portion, aud which colncidos "1tn GIG
u robullt portion Of tho city 1s far groases snao
it that Of Htrooss in tho corresponding poFtfo@ o'
ia Boston aud OF No" Yosk, with tho SOLO o1cep'
d Hon Of Broadway' Tho chaFactef OF tho ouao'
# iuga bning tho sao IN tho three cities, It s eSa
"a dent that Chicago is by far tho bettes r'sk.
aa It ia truo that tho insurance companies nave
9, Increased the premium on certain buildings II
d. tho Eebls diatrict but this was only booauso tn
IT, proprietor neglected to put iron shutters On TIL
T. roar windows Considering their 1of'ssAl to nc
ar cedo to go reasonable request on tho part 0
ha tho insurance companies, II Eaa proper tint tho
should pay an lnceoesoa pFlco 'os 'ncso''aoo s4S'
ol- Runnfng through sno "s'o'o ol sA'o a<$''1a y
Of tho Nation on " Chicago and tho lnouraneo Con
lot panics F" is q voin Of mlsin1ormat'on as TO I'll
at real state Of tie question It is truo that muo
Tn moro ought be aono for Chicago by ats C!ty to'