, 1891-10-21
CHICAGO LETTER.
A MAGNIGICENT PUBLIC LIBRARY
AND OTHER MATTERS.
Edison.s New surprise in Electric
ity-The PostOfftce to Topple
over The Chicago

pecial Corregpondence to the Tribune

Oyer-The Chicago
Fire.
Special Correspondence to the Tribune.
CHICAGO, Oct. 16, 1891 Chicago is Il
have a new public library, a magnifcen
structure in which the room for books il
to be practically unlimited, 100000 to b.
placed on the shelves at the start. Tht
cost Of the building, floors, roof and inte
rior decorations will be about 81 200, 900, tc
which must be added over $780, 900 for ma
chinery, lighting and heating apparatus
and furniture. The architects selected
rank high in their profession and will pre-
pare plans for the exterior. AS men of theil
stamp would not consider the matter with.
out assurance of remuneration for theil
time, the committee will pay each of the
five architects, three in Chicago and one in
both Boston and New York, $1,000 for Their
plans whether accepted or not. For seven
months of careful study the committee
have had in charge the erection Of this
building and the blue prints have been
spread on table in President ]. g. Short
all's office. Let us hope that the name
may in no sense typify the work or be
Ominous of its proceedings. Mr.. ShortalI
says in ninety days from now the plans
must be returned to the committee; and
another ninety would be consumed in per
fecting the details and in letting contracts.
We have not a moment to lose if the cor
ner stone is laid six months hence-say
April 1, 1892. If the roof be on by Sep
tember /, 1898, a magnificent piece ofEWork
will be done, with tne characteristic enter
prise of Chicago. Then will come the in
terror decoration and finishing, and [ haz-
ard the estimate that the building will be
ready for occupancy by October, 1895. 1t
will occupy the entire block bounded by
Randolph and Washington streets and
Michigan avenue and Dearborn Place.
THOMAS A. EDISON,
it is said, has another. surprise in store for
US, the practical line Of rapid transit, a
new system of applying electricity to
street railways. The cost is one-third that
Of a cable road and it performs every fune-
tion cheaper and better. 1t is not trolley
system-not storage battery system, but
asystem where the current is taken di-
rectly from the rails-quite safe, as the
current won't escape at all and is not liza
BILE to the objections in a large city, Of the
current over the wire. He continues Il
am building a large electrical locomotive,
several hundred horse power, and have de-
vlsed a system of conduction without troll
ley, for big railroad for Henry Willard,
q small section of which has been laid.
411' f1A1tbIu . pISSGIlC6 JuSG NOW LII CulCd-
60 may be In connection with this scheme.
Time will tell, for now he denies himself
to all visitors, and refuses to be inter-
viewed.
SUPERINTENDENT BELLS REPORT
received at Washington by Supervising
Architect Edbrooke states that the post Of
flee is liable to topple over at any time and
that it is serious matter and one of great
responsibility to further jeopardize the
lives of the employees and the public who
are compelled to transact business within
the walls of this building
He recommends that provision be made
tor an entirely new building which, when
completed, will embrace all the available
space now comprising the postoffice site
In view of the settlements that have oc-
CURED since the building was first occu-
pied, there is no hope Of a cessation, and
while these settlements continue the ques-
ton Of safety to the occupants must neces-
sarlly cause great anxiety. These settle
ments will continue unless arrested by
new foundation under the entire building.
which would involve an expense estimated
at not less than $500,0C0 Should this ex-
pense be incurred the question of the mad
equacy as it now is would still be without
remedy.
Yesterday the ways and means commit
tee decided to torecommend that20, 900 square
feet on
THE EXPOSITION GROUNDS
be set aside for the purpose of an exhibit of
a Javanese (not Japanese) village, on
which Leigh Lynch wishes to expend
$50,000 The exhibit will include repre-
sentation of life in Borneo and the Philip
pine Islands. Mr.. Lynch is the represent
atlve of firm which had fine exhibit at
the Paris exposition. This display will in
clude JaYanese costumes, music, dancing,
houses, customs and the peculiar habits Of
the people to be represented.
The city council are divided in opinion
as to the advisabiIity of erecting any more
s'sky scrapers." Many among them with
the mayor, consider that 1--WE should stop
erecting such high bulldogs; first, be
cause their safety is questionable, and
second, because it would be better for the
city to have business spread out over more
sanitary grounds. Twenty years ago, on
Oct. 8, 1871, occurred the great Chicago fire,
sweeping on from Sunday evening until
the following Tuesday, until 2, 100 acres of.
the heart of the CITY had been reduced to
ruin; 17,450 buildings leyeled to the
ground; 98, 800 persons renderad homeless;
2C0 lives lost; property amounting to up
wards of $200,000,000 in value and repre-
senting about one-third of the entire prop
erty in the city had vanished, and a popu-
lation of 100000 had become the objects of
sympathy to the civilized world, with an
extent of charity rendered which has had
no equal IN its warmth and spontaneity.
G. i. III.