, 1874-09-20

the arrangement al tho and cities which
destined to the Wldo regions now lying Va
can't between the Mississippi and the Pacific?
The subject is too vast aud important to DC
In nero cssay, and have cnly altdea " ~ tils
evening aE mems Of Introducing single one ol the
principles which I think the experience OF Chicago
has established sufficiently to warrant its application
violent snd iong-contnued winds as prevail upon
tho prairies. 1 sllude to the construction .11 81
broad, open arsas planted L with tres, a eau ean
Vii. in,ess.ctne the city in different direc.
TONS and aordlns lines Of dsfense against tho spread
Of condagrations from one section TO another am
cspcciav iucted to speak OF this subject by the fact
that the discussion Of it in the public prints and the
measures proposed for It's apriie7soa mere seem 10
aud sn iniudcious method OF attempting to profit ~
them.
Th. fact is frequently cited that in the Great Fire
Of II tue iners were carried i'll quantities far ~
tho crib and that 10 width VI boulevard which any
city could afford would suffice to stop the spread OF
nre when borne upon the wings ot ne W,na TO sneh
which the experience OF both our great tires
has proved-that 1t is ho7eless to attempt ,.to to
st,eS saeS T.'' rale. ~ until Is It is reducea to
great body Of fire as .ls spray which e' over tao
which beat against it, i IL tnvnrlbie when II ad-
yancea whole blocks at time in vast pillows Of fame,
before which I'LL human defeuscs must 60 down in
utter neplessnoss. Before any successful head c'I be
made against it by the most efficient fire department
and the best appliances Of modern fcience, NC must
to ekrUish. and this be dune. aud can only be
done, by the means have suggested.
II Harrison street had been 2o feet vide at the time
with broad-1-ayed and tAiek-toliaged trees Like tue
horse chestnut and hard maple, tie hrenen could
easily have worked on the north side of M .he
street, while the flames were raging on tue
south, and the hru would have been ataycd
that hnc. On Wabash . avenue; -, between g,tsa1
Peck and Hubbard courts the west side Of the street
entirely destroyed aud the buildings we're CT such
character as to make very herco conh: :gration Al
the trees that sds Of course destroyed, but
those opposte-el,ns maple. ssh, AMI cottonwood
wers not eYen stripped, though all their eaFes wero
killed and shrvelel, but they saSe tne houses oehna
them with the exception Of the one On the corner et
Peck court which took fire from the one On the corner
south OF -aul III instances maple tree which stood
Inside Of an elm WAS injured ohiS on ono s,1e ute
III view OF these facts assert that while the measures
for extending the tire limits, and getting rid Of wood
en- buildings, aud increasing the efficiency Of the hrp
department. arp all good they will prove Of little avail
until we aeparate ourselves from the combustibe Ha-
teral which surrounds by an open space OF kuch
width will be beyond the span Of the surgtng blo~H
Within the ares comprising the principal business
district OF chic'o is contained "a aoun o. wealth N
large thu. the statement Of its amount in figures lks
that OF tho distances Of the sars) would convey no
to tho study Of comparative values 1t is enough to
state IS we all know. rha it ranks in magnihcence and
wealth with the leading cities o. the ~oE!d.
Immediately adjacent to au this wealth, and espe-
caly on tile side which is exposed to the terces and
most pro:rac.ed prairle winds, lies resion extending
for miles upon miles, which III completely coy4red with
wooden buildings Of the most himey and coInpusible
charactcr,-housea, barns, sheds, carpenter-shops,
and manufactures Of every conceivable
description. .....
There is no. moment Of day night when a1l
the wealth concentrated the business portion Of the
city not in danger Of being SWEPT III by the careless
ness Of drnnkarI, or the hend!sh spirit OF such
Fer,nin as reylI iu The opportunities for robcery
afforded by great conhagration.
Ne have seen On two memorable occasions that
tOnf
3us:ible districts and comes rushing down upon US
before southwest wiu, gathering headway Us it ad-
nces It is idle to hope than its onset can be resisted
until said before, NC eau weaken ita force by the
nterpositlou Of space Of scient wid til fur the fire.
operate While the fcrceness Of the flames II so
reduced that it may be controlled .
The uf safety, therefore, should be to
surround the business portion Of the city with such
ue Of deferses which may also bc made to minis
Ter largely TO the beauty and health Of the city.
The boulevard system is necessarily y costly ono
costly that The first impulse is to shrink from its con-
l,atluu and declare it impossible But We are III
be condition OF with highwayman's pistol at
1is head The question OF cost the question Of the
rue Of existence Tor involves the life or death
If tho city. 1t should he borne in mind, also, that the
Of boulevard guarding the business
portion Of the city would increase the value no.
9nly of property on tie boulevard taei. nnt Of all
luce the rates OF insurance 50 much that tho original
outlay would lie very greatly reduced. if no: fully
osssneed osss IN culS,eo md 0 nsston e;ls me-
hat he p.ys si.ao on sluo for Insurance
Chicago precisely the same kind Of property FOX
which be pays lat Gu cents i'll Boston, moments
reelection upon tine amount which would be saved 1y
such reduction all the property included in the
principal business d:sris OF cn.caso will enable any
1ne to perceive that it would form important item
IN the credit sid of tho improvement.
The question Of immediate aud imperative interest
is. How tho object be affected in 4 reliable and
satisfactory manner, aud at the least e1nense2 Tho
following proposition, which cut from The TR1nUsr,
les been offered in Council:
ORDERED, Th1t tic Board Of Public Works be directed
=
convenience estimate Of tue eost Of and
ion Of tbs business portion Of the city from tire,
Ths pst prevIdes fos bonlesard go foot vide follow
'tFeet' north oa PeoEia to Chicago avenue
Aay who will e1aline the length OF the route in
lic1ted and the character Of large portion Of the
district it inc1ose~. will perceive that outlny
xould be needed for its execution, for which no
.dequato return would be secured, siuce i very
arEe portion Of the region iB covered with just |
such inaa,nnlabe material as wo wish to
cct the vast wealth which is accumulated il the prIn-
ipal business district Of the city and to do it with the
ea.t unnecessary ou.y If the ns Of Taylor OF Or
Twelfth, the cost would te very much less, since
property Twelfth street has aEcsdy attained high
saue iu consequence Of its occunaton for business
while Taylor and Polk sire cts have only been
occupied by Tre;chta class Of DWELLINGS, largo
portion Of which DESTROYED in tho fire Of July H.
Let either of these streets be widened proposed
md made into fine boulevard extending from the
lake the river, and then let all ltnberyarda aud
com buEutle pu1lul1Rs Auu H1a<eIht3 oG re-
moved from tho east bank Of the river |
below tina: poiut,-so that ths river Itself
tuay become the line OF defense the
west, and it will be that the whole Of the most
valuable business portion OF the city will be isolated
md much e1ecualy protected than is possible
by the extended and costly lines Of Twelfth and peoria
streets- There will still remain within tue thus
nclosed aufciency Of yzAint space to supply the
demands for building for number Of years-for it s
obvious, not only that hut brick stoue, or iron
buildings should be allowed within these limits, but
that property would be enhanced in va!nc by the
protection thus afforded that only those branches Of
manufactures could avail themselves Of
it's advanages whose profits warranted the erection
Of costly for the storing Of goods and tTas
action OF business. The effect therefore, would be to
attract aud concentrate within this all such !
branches of business especially require protection
account Of the gre1t raue Of material 10 volycd in
their prosecution and there cannot be doubt that a
growth would be OF the most substantial and enduring
charLcter.
1t needless to enlarge upon the Value to the city
Of such ornament III the boulevard alluded to |
would form. Tne value OF property on it's SIDES aud
Eu its vicinity would speedily become enormously in
creased, and firm in the conviction that il very
few years the advantages which 1t would secure would
be obvious that extension Of the system would
be impcrativcly demanded in other sections Of the
city. Ny present Object, however, has been only to
show that the protection OF the richest portion Of the
city may be much etIectually secured in this |
economical manner than by
tended and costly system.
Such line hive indicated II all that is tnlnledi
n44 h5Jff HIS n TTB1f