The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-05-06
PROTECT US!
A Suggestion to Our Board of Alder
men, to which their Attention
is Called.

10 Ool1Cus
In the opinion of many of our citizens
among whom are some of the heaviest
tax payers-the time has come when the
protection of the property of our people
calls for the establishment of fire limits
in this city; and while the prescribing
of a limit within which no finder box in
the shape of a frame building shall lie
erected may be hardship to some, we
hope our new Aldermen will take hold
OF the matter and push it to a successful
issue without any further delay. 1t is "a
notorious fact that there are now in this
city whole blocks of buildings in which,
should a fire break out during the prev
alence of high wind, our fire depart
ment, perfect though it may be, would
be entirely inadequate to check until
great portion of the city was laid in
ruins, and the danger is daily becoming
more imminent by the construction of
frame buildings where nothing but brick
OF stone should be allowed And as it
is now, no man who, through pride for
the appearance of his city goes to an
extra expense and puts up a brick bust
ness Or dwelling house, derives any adj
vantage from his enterprise, for some one
may buy the lots adjoining him and put
up structures which, In their destruc-
ton, would totally ruin the brick walls
adjacent, and thus the desire to improve
the looks and add to the substantial
sohdity of our city is retarded.
1t may be added, in urging the es-
Enlistment of fire limits here, that
when a man is compelled to put up a
fire-proof brick building he saves in in
surance in short time the difference of
cost between frame and brick as the
material used, and also the fact Learned
from prominent insurance AGENT that
some of the best insurance companies
have utterly refused to issue policies
here on account of the danger appre-
hended by the proximity of frame build
1ngs IN many parts of the city. And
the most forcibie argument which can be
brought to bear in support of the neces-
sity for prompt action in this matter is
the lesson taught by the sweeping con-
fagration in Oshkosh last week, where
millions of dollars in property were
swept away in day, and an allusion to
the fact that Oshkosh, like Manitowoc,
contained numerous wooden buildings
huddled together as they are here. It
is not for the safety of these who now
own buildings in this city as much as it
is for those who shall in future build
here that fire limits should be establish
ed and maintained, and it is apparent to
all that beginning must be made ere
long or it viii be IMPOSSIBLE to get any
insurance at even exorbitant rates. By
specifying certain portions of each block
IN which nothing but brick structures
should be erected the new order of
ohiiASo ooheA NC CdIIISu lHGO oIecG WlGn-
out seriously bearing upon any one, and
| IN view OF the actual danger in which
we now are from entire destruction by
fire, we sincerely trust our Board of AL
| dermen will use the power vested in
them and see to it that fire limits are
established. This question has been
discussed here for years, and we would
Like to see it definitely settled, believing
that what may result in a hardship to a
few will eventually be to the best in
terest of every one who has money in.
vested III buildings within the limits OF
our city.