, 1874-08-23

| eerles OF Years = particular city proves un-
| pronlabfe Insurance mauagero must ask tnen-
! serves whether continuance in such held ls
consistent With their duty to their stockholders,
and particularly 80 il the existing hazard Is evi-
IDENTIFY and dangerously great.
! Ihla question now confronting the companies
! is one OF paramount Importance to our cltizcna
themselves. The business Interests Of Chlca 90
| rest upon tho basis Of insurance, aud hence the
pefpetu1ty Of the city prosperity would seem to
bo nlcasurablv involved iu the continuance here
OF Sound underwriting capital: insurance
we're Withdrawn, merchants could not buy goods
| Oh credit, mortgages ON houses mud lands would
ba - drug On the markell" fire aud bankruptcy
[ would so hand in hanl, and the empire Of trude
| would pass to other cities. Whatever may
! be the views Of those who ignora thls
ISSUE. aud acquire picayuno stock in trade
| by tho abuse OF insurance companies, every
| taoughtful citizen knows tue foregoing state
Ineut to be true, aud reallzcs that companies
can hardly ba expected to continue in city TINT
has reduced misfortune to daily "WaIk and
conversation. In Cincinnati, ST. Louis, and, for
the most part, Milwaukee, ne find solid and snb~
Etanta1 brics Cities 81. Lou1s has not in 1t
single mercantile Irame range, but IN Ch1cago
tho situation ia anamolous. Milwaukee and
Blue laiand avonnes, Vest Madison. West Ra!i-
dotpl1. and West Lake streets, are largely madc up
Of por'lous frame ranges standing like 50 many
tiles Of aoldlefs- When the order comes they
Will march down upon uB " more terrible tAan
an army With banners," The great lumber ro-
gions Of the southwest intersperSed with box
factories, p]aning mills, aud sha1itca are simply
'.biding their time," and'we all knowit. Beside
the hazard from the houses On the street !iue Of
the dangerous reyious the alleJs are III fearful
condition Of littos, and will abunaantly spread
any tire Whicn may arise. In many Of these local
tiles the size OF the service pipes il too small,
aud in event Of considerable supply OF water
being needed would hardly be nole effective than
the appliance ueed by Gulliyor in behalf OF The
Iiipnt1an palace.
;. We ale then ,menaced by great danger, aud
it is very desirable something should be dono
aud ut once. For having made the lire limits CO.
extensive with tho city limits tho Council are to
TO commended. Now, having discharged their
duty to roster.ty, canuot something bc done for
liz. 1t would eeem 20. 4 series OF brick walIs--
say three or four in block, IS or 30 feet high
II inches thick, aud long enough to protect front
md rear Of buildings, aud placed in tue spaces
between buildings "in long franc ranges,
would add very greatly to the safety
Of the city, and il the system were
thoroughly carried ont, aud dangerous roar
buildings condemned aud removed, Chicago
would be a. safe TO lire in, insure in md do
ba=iuess III as any city on the Continent. Three
million dollars would place in the frauue regions
probably 7,UOD such wals. Our last ire cost us
that, and our no1t, III our present condition,
may coat liz ten timea that au1n- Such walls, if
built, would hold fires jn check until tho Flre
Department could be brought to bear success-
fully. The writer has Just lad m illustration
arose in frame range in al Ohio village, ut
midnight. The range was divided by
12-iucL dre-va!L thus wall held tho fra in
check until tho occupant OF h store projected by
it had removed S15, QUO worth of groceries. The
building itsel! could have beeu easily saved but
for the eutire absence Of both engines and water.
The wall WAS Ell imperfect one, aud cost perhaps
$500. II this city we're protected by we'll
disested system OF fre-ualls it would at once
restore the confidence Of the East; would re-