, 1874-06-05
day, kept strictly In tho limo Of routtno' ana~8o'
on tho Bonoh Of tho Court of Claims.


|
London, Hamburg, Rome, and othor Breas
oities Of tho Old World, had to DO burned down
several timeB before thoy could DO taught ho" to
build houses. Tho people Of Chicago and other
American cltteB alao appear to be utterly inaen-
stbo to tho oxporionce Of tho past. II oil tho |
fros of tho Inst twenty-five yoars could bo prop
ory mapped ont, md plaood aldo by sidc, 1t ia
scarcely too much to asaort that Chicago bus
boon entirely destroyed ut loast twioo within q
quarter of q century. And yet, with tho horrors
Of our eroat calamity still virtually be-
fore our eyes, Chicago entirely diaro-
CARDS tho first principles Of safoty, viz:
that protection from lros must begin either by
uaIng lttlo wood In tho structure Of buildings
or by building 80 that tho hromen can
easily get at tho fro to put It out. Though
| using wood aa freely as boforo tho groae flro,
| oyuors and architects neglect to provide those
meaus for e1tinguishing hroa which our Oft
ropostod and coBty experience has shown to DO
valuable and effective. Ono Of thoso. especially
In heA buildings, Is placing In ths out8do walls
iron pipos, to bo connected at the bottom with
tho steamers. aud having aro-plngs with hose IN
eacll story. It Inns boon proved ovcr and again.
oyon IL tho engines lavo tho powor, that 1t ta
elmost inpo8eihle to mike 1oxible hose strong
enough to throw watcr to tho tops Of moat Of our
buildings. Hence, whom fire geta started neat
tho roof in auy Of thon, tho entfre store Will
its coptouts is most commonly destroyed.
OF tho truth Of all thia ownora and insurano'
comnautca had a lcseon, to tho a,1m Of s96o.ooo
LOST Monday morning, in tho loss OF tue lare
Wholesale boot md shoe atoro of H. D. Wells
TO. Tho lire was discovered at its very com
noucomont in tho roof or uppor story, and til
, Department was promptly on tho spot With
engine, Comprohauding tho dangor, tho ohit
: Onicar at oneo summoned tho entire Dapar
>. mont; but, With all their boBt machines, tt
building mud It's contents wero burned to Il
:. ground The steamers could not throw 6ut
: cicnt amount Of wator on the fro to put 1t on
- Had thoro been iron pipes In tho walla, az abo
:. suggested, to which ono or moro 8toamc
could have boon attnchcd, probably e3oo,o
- could tavo been saved at this very fire. 1t
- stated atgo that tho atairways Tero so narro
~ y. and inadequate TINT tho Aremon could not 6
up them with their hose. Thasa and 9th
, :, faults iu construction should bo prevented
atringontlaws. Underwriters should make lar
~ anl Just determinations in favor OF buildln
-. thus arc properly constructed. This would "
, eoon bring owners aud architects to torms,
We should not bo likely to Bao AL ontlrc bulo
49, again burned down with the whole Departm
-, On tho ground worry aoon after the fire o'
menced.
The tire Of Tuesday morning docs not aug
very choorful reflections. There was scarcely
wind aud ono naturally inquiries, 1t the vi
so' Department could not put out ono build
~ wIlat would 'havo been tho cxtent Of tho diRa
-" il tho wind had boon blowing gale, or If t"
three fires had started at the aane ttmo7
me '''.-. .-------..-----