, 1875-03-14
CHI Gbre1syp Ufibu11e
euoaay Morning, March ID. 1878.


6NoTHEa COUNTY JOB PROPOSED.
VIC understand that the Committee having
the matter in charge Is being strongly pressed
and urged to recommend to the County EoaSd
that ths county sban rent some building or
buildings in the city, or portion Of several
buildings, at 4 rental Of not zess than $o5, 600
q year, for the accommodation Of the Circuit
and Superior Courts.
This is job. The Courts are now located
in the City-Hau, where they have been since
its construction shortly after the fire Of 1871.
Ths ground and building belong to the city,
which has charged the county only
noninel rent for tho largo amount
Of room it occupies. It is not pro-
posed to advance the rent. The fact Is
that the property belongs TO the Taxpayers
Of Chicago (who constitute both city and
county practically, and it is used for their
benefit It is now proposed to abandon this
property, which would be useless for my
ctho. purpose, and compel the taxpayers to
pay $e5, 900 q yehr for the next five years,
besides large incidental expenditures which
might be saved.
The reasons assigned for the proposed re-
1noynl ere bud ventilation and insecurity Of
tbs vaults from possible fire. If these objee-
tons really existed, and wera insuperc-
be, they would justify q removal, even
at tho great expense involved. But one Of
them does not exist, and the other mny
ba overcome very easlly. The vaults are
1ot only not insecure, but they IRE probably
the best vaults in the city or State, and are
certainly tho most spacious They are formed
from the walls Of the old reservoir, around
which the City-Han IS constructed, and are
of immense thickness; they we7a built orig
innl;y to sustain large end heavy body Of
water, and are consequently altogether more
solid and substantial than the ordinary vault
walls Of Erst-class business blocks. The
space within these circular walls has been d.
Vidod into segneuts, and number Of very
1Srse md convenient ynuits construct
cd, which arc easy Of access from the
different Courts and Offices using them. No
matter how much combusible material may
be in the City-Hau itself, end around and
about these circular walls, no fire could ever
reaehct4 icto tho vaults if the doors we're
y closed There is certainly no business block
Yin Chicago, tenanted or untananted, which
contains vaults that are as large, as substan-
Ga1, or IS convenient Of access; and to COIL
strnct them in another building would cost
from $4,000 to $4,000
As TO ventilation, we have tho testimony Of
competent architect, and one OF the highest
reputation, and who has constructed some Of
The finest buildings in the city, that
good ventilation can b provided ct
cost Of $1,000. 1s it not better
to spend 5000 in this way, Or
ice OF thrice TINT amount, than to pay
e25,oGo year for another building? Be-
sides, the same expense would have to bo
incurred IN providing proper ventilation for
any private building that might be 1eased.
Buildings not constructed for public pur-
poses and 1a.ge crowds hive no better vent1a-
ton than the present city-Ha1l; most Of
them not 50 good. The Gty-Hnn is build
ing 200 feet each way. The larger court
rooms ETC 4o140, and the smaller 35x40, feet
in dimensions. AL Of them ore fifteen high,
ga high as any Of the rooms in private or
business blocks ANY need for ventilation in
the City-Ha1l would also be felt in equal de-
gree in any building the county could posi-
bly, rent, and it viii cost no moro to vantilate
one than tbs other.
The present location has great ed7an-
tagcs over any other that could be selected.
10 building could be found that would fun
uish tho same amount Of courtt-zoom in two
stories. It is more likely that some Of the
Courts would be located On the third, fo1utth,
and perhaps the fifth stories, in new build
irg. Judges, jurors, clerks, lsvyers, and
Giants would have to climb several flights Of
stairs, instead Of one or none ss at present.
No private building, constructed for Offices or
s!ecping-rooms, would furnish ~ much Light
es tho present courtrooms have. Any TO-
moral will necesz:tata the purchase OF new
he.ting apparatus, boilers and machinery,
sse-axtrres, deal<, furniture, ETC., ETC., which
vn rsquins Gon $4,000 to 9eo, ,ooo aose.