, 1874-09-26
FIRE PROTECTION.
tyor ~ 1!Ls f1hf+tnn T-thnY,n.


61n Now that tho question Of fro-liulitB has
boon settled, tt becomes OF great Importance to
decide what wo shall do at and within those
boundaries to oxtinguial or ro!ard tho spread OF
contlagrationB when tloy threaten Us.
Aud first, as to tlre bouloyards. approve fully
Of tue proposition to first mako our rich and
beautiful business centro safo by Widening Quo
OF our Gust asId west Htroos from tho lake to tue
river, planting It with trcos, and clearing NIL
lumber yarda and similar dangerous business
from tho banks OF tho river within ouch
limits. Innscna Of making this broad
barrier aa far south as TwolfIh street,
I would suggest tho limo Of, say, Harrison
st1cct. Nearly all tho buildings Of nry value on
this tlorouglfaro woro destroyed by tho fro OF
last July, and tlo ground could DO had at low
price, whilo it is sufficiently fur Bouth to include
all Of our present chief business quarter, aud
oven portni. us 10 add to Il our third. Tho pur-
cAnso OF 75 feet On each silo Of Harrison stroot
would givo an ayonue OF between 200 aud 80
foot in width which, with limo Of largo trees ut
each eido Of 1t, wonil make grand barrier to
tho aprcad Of npY iiro, while tho river would DO
almost III equal protectlon on tho north mud west
sides.
would further suggcst TINT tho city place on
evory tug belonging to thiH neighborhood n
powerful stoanl-pnmp and sufficient huso NJ that
in case a fro approached uoar to either side Of
the river, orory tug in the harbor could be con-
vortel Into q powerful and objective ateam dro-
cnsi4e, and, Ia wintcr, arrangements could DO
made for the tugs 10 bo placed all tho waw nlonE
the river and IT'D branches, 30 that. when ffozonn
in for tho Season, they would DO distributed
"wllcro they could do the most good"
Tho cost Of all this would bo moderate. llar-
rlgon ntroot from tho river to tho lako is abou.
tlrcc-quartors Of mile long, giving on hoth
sidoa d frontage Of say G,000 foot, oil OF which
would become t1Bt-clnhs bs.Biness-propcrty.
Fronting oil auperb md tnoly-planted street.
lily 10 worth far moro than twics its prceent
yaluo. Between it aud tho main rtyor on tho
north and botwaen tho lako and South Branch
ihoro arc probably 100000 feet OF frontage.
How, auppoao tho total cost Of tho improvement
should ho 81, ,001, 900, which ia In my opinion un
outside value, asacss $50 por foot on tho Iarri-
property north Of It to South Wator street, al! Of
Which would ho equally and immensely boucllt-
cd. nnd tho necessary cost Is provided for.
but would not rcat satisfied with only our
buuinosa centro thus mato safo. For tho future
it would bo wol! to look to n similar safeguard
for tho ontiro city, aud such "Wnll OF cllcuns-
valuation" already oxiSts III o11r. parks and tho
boulesar'ls now connecting them ~ VIII eacl, =, 7,
limits to tho Filsy-iifth stroot boulevard on tho
south, and tho propoaol Divorsy avenle boulo-
yara on tho north, and tho erection Of ANY more
wooden buildings III all thB spaoe being prohil,
tied by law, would, in timo. givo us an oxterior
as we'll Oh interior barrier against general contla-
grRtlonB.
property on Hurrison streos would boforo long
tnmp proporty-ow,'ors to lay out similar ayonsles
other throughout the CITY, but tho twu circuits
I have named should DO mado, aud ut onco, by
tho Legislative authority Of tho city.
Eoxt, ! would say fow words with regard to
our supply Of water for fire p,lrposea. And
would rofer, in doing TO- to . l'laa proposed i4
eBs notice thNn it deserved. That III, tho
laylng Of largo pipoa through all our
AtrontB below tie level Of Lako Michigan,
connocting With ono anosl.or at all straot inter
SECTIONS by cisor1la OF sufficient capacity to giyo
! an ample supply Of wnter to moot al>y possible
don,and. Iharo ia probably no other oitJ In tho
country 30 hltuatod ~ to command huch au i'm
mo,ae, roaly. mud conviont supply, aud, Us their
ohonp pipes Of co,nent o. slsnilar materials could
10 uAcl, 10 aB to mako tho entiro coat compara-
| tivoly light. Dosrlng to make this cum,nupica-
tion 10 brief ~ possible, Bhall not oniargo on
| the advautnEoH Of this suggestion. which 1ntat
| 10 manifest to my ono silo giyos 1t moments
on tGo Bub]oct or roofs. It hua boon proEosod
| ju Bomo quarters to nbolIah not only the fur
| ther construction Of tar aud gravel roofs, but
ovon to orlor tho romoya; OF those "lroady in
|
loaHt niapteon out OF every twonty huIidinsa in
tho city. Now, II wo do thia, what can wo got
in p,aoo Of thpsn3 Though loss dangerous III
great tlso than composition roofing, tin roofs
aro not uB porfeot II protection to The bat'dingn
they cover, w'lio they aro twioo nj costly aud
B'ato, tilos &o., roqlailo pitch Of roof aud m
extra Btropgth of wasls TINT would demand tho
romo1eling Ut almost oyory house in tho city,
| Colnent roofs-I mean mortar comon-]ayo
bcon toated aud found TO crack 10 lnlcl AZ to DO
| In our climate unreliable in thnmBoyos. hut, AZ
Tho only complaint against folt md gravel roofs
a toir tom'onoy 70 groat tre to fly off In large
lakeu and carry fire to y tliBtauco, how would it
do to coyor our prcsent fiat iroofs with, say halt
an inol, to all lnoh ot good comont mortar, which
might DO furthor and ohoapty protected from tho
weptl,or by vanishing Of aspl,altu1n7 Ii tAo
co1nont Should Then crauk, II would do no groat
hurn, nj thoro would be nu!ficiont and reliable
roof underlying It, while III oaae Of fro tho
wotght Of tlo mortar fostinB upon md forming
luto the building, nnl 10 loprlya it Of lta dat,-
gosotla qualitlos.
III making tho foregoing suggestions, do not
present tletn aB original witt. lnynclt. boHt Of
them layo boon nude bofora but bolloye ali