, 1874-12-06
INSURANCE NEWS.
Report Of the Special Committee Of
the National Board.
What They Learned During Theil
Stay in Chicago.
Tho Opinion Of the Citizens AS
SOciatiOu.

Tho Opinion Of the Citizens AS
sociation.
The New York Tribune Of Frdny contains the
report OF the Committee on Inspection Of the
National Board Of Underwriters On the condition
OF this city. It is as follows:
The Special Committee appointed by the Exeeuttvs
Committee, at Its meeting 1u New York On Nov. S, beg
to rrport that they visited the City OF Chicago, reac
lug there Nov 20, and remaining till the afternoon
present except AIr. Lockwood, detained by Illness and
In whose place william Il. Ross acted. The Commit
tee pursued ts l4bors diligently, Meeting At various
times with the Mayor Of the city, the BOard of 1bljc
Works, the poard Of Police aud Fire Commissioner
the Cktzeus' Association and la1g number Of
chants aud others interested in property in the City Of
Chicago, by whom every facility placed at 1hejr
dposa for obtaining information relative to the pree
ent condition Of the city a. compared with that Of
July H. 1884, the result Of which observation they beg
to present you herewith. They will consider in detail
the several subjects which formed the report Of the
Special Committee Of this Board the 9th Of July
List, taking them up in the order which their i'm
portauce seems to demand.
FIRE L1M1rs AND wATEn-surPLT.
An ordinance fixing the dre-mits Of the city, cock
teusiye with tlle corporate Hms, passed BY the
Council At regular meeting Sept. a. 1874.
low In full force aud effect. Your Committee hare
tue Of the Mayor and others charged With
tts enforcement that the same s now Icing. aid Will
hereafter be strictly enforced (Ihe text of the or
nance is here gven.l
The careful examination given by your Committee
showa that much attention tls been given to tEis sub
ec both BY the authorities and citizens This depart
1nent being under the charge Of the Board Of Public
Works, that body has shown comrneudabe zeal in
rying to the full extent Of their ability complete
system Of wnter-works. Tho tunnel, which is 7
feet in diameter Ia completed It extenda from the
crib in neary parallel line With tho old tunnel to the
Shore and from thence through the city distance Of
ues in 3 southwest direction, having its terminus
ut Twentysccoud street and Ashland avenue, in the
nj ~ tha1r 1HrS
proposed to erect pressure engines fer the equazing
Of the pressure throughout the entire city ThcFe
gines ROW being built III the City Of Now York.
but ceuuot he made ready for until The fall Of
One valuable fixture in connection with this tunnel
Is the introduction Of wfAt are termed fEeshafts
In which the water riEe1 to level with the lake, which
be made available for supplying tie engines,
either by the Of the suction pEeA Of the Steamers
or better still (which your Committee ur1v-by sue
uou Aydrauts erel with the streea- These Shafts
are sxtoeu in numler-
It il expected that the two tunnels will be connected
during the month Of December, Aud thus the
ca fsr these Shafts concerned be relied
upon for fire pur poses. TIE depth OF this tunnel be-
low the lake Is " e: It It's greatest deh and Il feet
it, lowest. Tha following Is tue amount Of Watcr
IS, 1871:
s,124 feet Of finch pipe, s,32o feet u s-tnch pipe,
loJa feet Of l6nch pipe 2,s4 feet OF 44-irh PIPE, all
In the South Division.
032 feet OF 6-uch pipe 227'S feet Of 8Eeh pipe, l:o
feet OF 10nch Iire I'll feat Of 1oinch piEe 5,9A
fee. Of l8iuch lle. ,2.3 feet Of 2A-inch pire.
The II, 49, aud - inch pipes mains, while the
larger part Of the Binch pipes have been used to
pnce those OF smaller size taken up They have also
Thr:ynintl street: Is ia West Division, and is in
North Divi1ion-in al 138 ; but h-ga number OF
these have been placed in the parts Of the city,
in which the water IipeH have been Laid 5o1 tue rht
time this year It Is expected that the system OF wafer
circuits will be completed before the close Of 1875 and
eas .pd rc there pees to b
reasonable doubt, will afford full, reliable, and
adequate supply for 10th fire and domestic Purposes
The Committee beg however, to diacr from the Board
OF Public Works to the size Of PIPE generally to be
employed, and urged very strongly upon au the
ofhcinls the adoption Of 1e-inch supply pipe ~
minimum in au busiuesk and exposed sections OF the
city II Ia prorer to add that no sufficient protect on
exists to prevent hydrnts from being frozen daring
ject Your Committee were earnest IN calling a:ter-
ton to this want which all underwriters know be Of
such grave Importance to their Interests
FIRE DEPARTMENT..
The statement matte in the report presented 70 the
Executive Conmitts July IL, she Of this
T:re Department. it's discipline Organization, and ap-
para,us proves to be true in every Particular a. your
Committee verified from the statements Of the COM
1nisbouc:s themselves in tue course OF several inter-
ytews held. The ouly change n:ds in tits
o four enes ns II the ' ssy ths paefa ea
trosary): two Of these are stored, there being
neither houses companies for them. Two hook
hose carriages car.b1e Of holding 1GU0 feet Of hose
each. The complement Of hose to engine is from
soo to $40 feet tue kind used being mostly leather
tiveed further amount of hose has been ordered,
say feet one~haf OF which will be delivered be-
fore Jan. l. The of leather hose in city where
the temperature Ia low that Of Chicago In winter,
Is to yoor Committee Of doubtful expediency.
The Committee here give Gen Sh1le1ss first
report and then proceed as follows:
Another series Of recommendations will be made for
the Western Division Of the city the present week.
will go great way toward reinforcing the Depart
neut and giving It reasonable chance OF protesting
the CITY, The want Of proTer equipment Of thsappar-
one thing that impressed such Of your Com
mitee ~ visited the, several stations. Your
Gomi'tse 15gsa With great earesnsss upon The
necessity for the adoption and immediate putting
into operation Of all these recomrne ndations- Ths
immediate compliance with them but attention to the
discipline and orats Of the force be effected at
once. We await With much interest the action in
gard to these sugeestions.
Chicago N you are arsre, covers nearly half As
much again territory ns the City OF New York,
with the addition Of being surrounded @ M on two sides
yet, to defense Of II steamers, 18 trucks, and
chemical engines in al 65 compantes with force Of
and md s trucks. including tbs new ones since
ordered, two OF which, before stated,
are not in commission, and force OF 279 officers and
men. The Department retains no dnplic.'cs G. o.rts
of Steamers and Guy accident is sure to throw out OF
commission the injured engine for weeks at time,
thus lessening the force command In the opinion
OF your COMMITTEES as stated to the authorities hele
should not be ess han forty steamers and eighteen
trucks to enable the Department to cope promptly and
efficiently with fire iu the extensive business and
wooden localities One useful addition has been made
By the FIRE Department in the lumber district that
tie building Of eight Underwater cisterns placed 1t the
head Of the slips marked the map. As the supply
of wa.er Ia CONSTANT tueir great utility cah readily oe
seen.
F1nE-1ELE0RAPu AND pC1LDrSa LAW.
Tho full Information obtained and examination
given y your Committee to this important br-n c Of
protection enables them to state its condition With
entire accuracy The system in use is called +" The
American or t'Ga1nswcHs-" 1.-The best known; the
boxes used are of the automatic pattern. OF these,
there are 275 street~boxes up, about twenty
dre to circuit, Of whi"h there are twelve; 200 addi
t1ona1 boxes hare been ordered BY the Common |
Council, and will he erected ut once. substitution