4 jpttajga |rilumc. Terms ol Subscription, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE: Dally Edition, per year, by mail Tri iroekly Edition, per year, by mail.. Sunday Edition, per year, by mail Weekly Edition, per year, by mail. Parte olayoaratthe same rate.. To prevent delay and mistakes, be sure and ffivc Post Office address In bill. Including State and county. Postmastets are allowed 10 per cent commission on yearly subscriptions. Remittances may be made cither by draft, express, Post Office order, or in registered letters, at our risk. TERMS TO CITY SUIKCIUHBIIS: Daily, delivered, Sunday excepted, £5 cents per vreck. Dailv. dcliverod, Sunday included, 30 cents per week. Address THE TRIBUNE COMPANY, TIIVRSDAY, NOVEMBER IC, IS7I, THE FIRE LIMITS. The vital question before the people of Chi cago. to-day, is that whether tho city shall be rebuilt upon the plan of being burned down every few years, or upon a plan of perma nency. On thebth of October we sold out, un der previous contracts, the most valuable property in the .city to tho insurance com panies, and didn’t get our pay. There is no insurance so good as precau tions against tire. But it is impossible to prelect valuable buildings so long as inflam mable structures can be erected all around them. t _ The argument chiefly relied on in defence of the conflagration policy is, that many per sons who own lots can build frame houses, when they cannot build brick opes. This is another delusion. No more bricks are made here than there is demand for. If bricks were in greater demand,—if they were the general material in use,—tho production would increase, and Chicago would become as great a market for bricks as it has been for lumber. The materials for making bricks being inexhaustible, it 7/ould be as impossible to cause a scarcity as it would be. to produce one in grain. The av erage life of a frame house in this city is. short. Every insurance, company knows' that the destruction of each frame building by fire, sooner or later, is a certainty. Insur ance Kites arc framed accordingly. These frame buildings add to tbe cost of living of the occupants. They-are hotter-in summer and colder m. sinter than brick buildings. They are expensive in’fuel; they are never finished. They arc a constant and heavy expense for repairs, and finally burn down. Each one of these houses destroyed by fire is a tax, to its full value, upon the public. If it bo insured, the company has provided against the. loss, by excessive rates on other property, Thpimblic, therefore, pay, during a certain period, in tbe way of excessive tax ation for insurance, the full value of all the frame buildings in Chicago. The owners of property in this city pay, every ten years, more money in this way than every frame building in tbe city is worth. As a matter of economy, it would be cheaper for the city to purchase all the frame buildings now hero than to permit* their continuance. When it is remembered that each is certain to he destroyed by tire some time, and each conflagration liable to destroy other and valuable property, can the Common Council, or. any other body of rational men, hesitate about enacting a prohibition against any increase in the num ber? How often must the city he burned down before we. adopt tho precaution that exists in every other large city in the civilized world It is argued that if this law be adopted poor men will move outside of the city, and the city will lose the taxes. This complaint coincs.fioin the speculators in lots on the prairie. These men are selling lots at a profit ofsooto I,oo9per ceiit.to “poor men,” and then urge the “poor men” to put up incen diary buildings on which they pay treble rates of insurance; or, failing to insure, are homed out, and sustain a total loss, once ever}' six years. Once adopt this fire ordinance, and every vacant lot within the ordinary settled parts of the city will haven comfortable two-story erected on it. There will be no more dilapidated .buildings hauled from one part of the city to be backed into some other part to be burned down. Instead of rows of wooden tenements, erected to catch lire and*et other people on lire, there will be rows of substantial brick houses, built to last. The city will become compact. Instead of straggling for miles in every direction, it will become solid; block will fill up after block and the city will spread, but will do so in close, compact order, presenting a de gree of solidity and permanency not attaina ble with wooden structures. WHL THE LEGISLATURE PROTECT US 1 It i-. perhaps, risking more than ordinary courage, on the part of Aldermen represent ing wards in which brick or stone buildings are but as one iu a thousand, to vote to pro bib;; the erection of any more wooden build ings. There is not an Alderman who does not believe that such a prohibition is de manded by the interests of each one of his constituents, owners as well as tenants. Even if the ordinance be passed, there will bo a perpetual agitation for its repeal. Dema gogues will-become candidates on the Issue of its repeal, so far as it relates to theiu. wards.. and there will be a constant agitation, befoi*e wldeb weak Aldermen, and especially office seekers. will Quail, and the law will—in the future as In tho past—become a dead letter. Protection, lobe certain, must depend upon some law more enduring than a city ordi nance. In order to relieve Aldermen, now and hereafter, from all responsibility, and to remove the question beyond the discretion of Mayor, Council, and Board of Public Works, we suggest that tbo State Legislature inter vene to protect cities of the class to which Chicago belongs against future conflagra tions. and the State itself against a repeti tion of the costly calamity of the Sth and Olli of October, IbTl. The act of tho Legislature need not be a long one. All that is needed may be put in a single section, substantially as follows: That from and after the passage of this not it shall not In.' lawful to erect any building within the corporate limits of any city Having a popula tion of more than 100.000 Inhabitants, tho outer walls or I*ool of which shall be composed of wood. And the Common Council of such city may enact such other and additional provisions regulating llic manner of building, and the materials nsei in the construction thereof, within the corporate limits. All violations of this law, or of any ordi nance or regulation In relation to buildings passed by the- Common Council, shall subject the um-uou or oiCaixinrs to a Hue of SSOO, with an additional penalty of sieo per auy duriuu which the illegal structure shall continue. JVorW ciJ, That in case the owner or builder of such illegal bulldiug shall refuse or neglect to abate the same, or make thusame conform to the law, within Un days after ndice.it shall be lawful for the Board of Public Works of such city, or other municipal olVieera charged with the duty, lo cause said buildings to boremoved, and the expense thereof shall bo a permanent lien on the lot or lots of land, until the same be paid. This is all the law that Is needed from the Legislature on the subject. All else may be left .to tho Mayor and City Council to regu late from time to time, as experience may determine. All that is needed is a per emptory prohibition of wooden build ings, and, that being the law of the State, the people of this city will at once ad just themselves to the new order of things. In one year after the passage of the law there will be’a general surprise that it had ever been opposed, aud as general a regret that it had been delayed so long. The entire people of Illinois have boon sub- jeeltd to an extra tax, which tax; will con tinue for some years, to make good the loss of rcvennO'Cansed.by the destruction of Chi cago. This extra tax thus collected from tho people of the Stale/ outside of Chicago, would purchase every wooden ImilW now in Chicago. So long us the Lcgidliturc per mits Chicago to ho covered over with minai.* ture lumber yards, heated with slovos lighted with kerosene, and packed with oils benzine, whiskey, bay, straw, and everylni flammable- .thing, they may expect, to be called npomopay an extra taafctb compen sate inevitable conflagrat ions. The whole State is deeply interested in putting a stop to these fires, and to the Legislature this city now appeals for an immediate and peremp tory Jaw on thd subject. The Rev. Henry Ward Beecher has been preaching a sermon on imblic allairs. It was interspersed with laughter and applause,” which betokened the speaker’s good points. He argued that the evils which have besot our politics neither grow out of the faults of our system nor the ignorance of the mass of voters.; hut tin* Mo or laziness of intelli gent, ii third, and ivliirinus men.*’—a point vhh h ibe ive* m irVelhms p, inv Vork and* So we can have the satisfaction, of knowing that if we'do go to thc bad, politically, wo art* sent thither by the refined and. tho re ligious/' and that they, of course, will bear us company. Mr. IJceclier utters sonic true and timely words' concerning the dangers which sur touud our National Govenimont, “Oar offices,” says Mr, Beecher, “must no longer be scrambled for, but must be given to good men. Our civil service is a standing threat against our liberties, and, if the system is much longer supported, our government can not maintain itself. The administration must reform the civil service. Every Cus tom House is now a bribery shop, and nearly all the other offices arc damning and deaden ing to the national conscience. Wo must not give way to cowardice by saying that the republic is a failure. It has not been, it is not, and* with God’s hclp.it shall not he.” And Mr. Beecher might have added that there never was so good an opportunity—or lond an invitation—for the national administra tion to take hold of this work of reform us at present. The evils of tho Custom House dis ease were never so flagrant as now, and the people never expressed so positively and un questionably as they have recently done their desire to help purge the body politic of the corruptions which beset it. ....*llOO 0.00 2.60 i. co THE FLACK TEAR. The year 1871 will hardly ho considered in historyayear of grace. In point of fatality to human life, auddestruction tomatcrial values by ‘extraordinary natural causes, no year in the history of tho world can equal it. Over whelmed as wo are by our owu disaster, wo have given little attention to what has been transpiring abroad, and have almost come to consider ourselves the only sufferers. Tho retrospect, however, is a terrible one. War, famine, pestilence, fire, wind and water, and dee, have been let loose and done their worst, and with such appalling results, and with such remarkable phenomena accompanying them, that it is not to he wondered at, men have, sometimes thought tho end of tho world had come. Wo have seen our owu fair city laid in jishes. throughout almost.its entire business limits, and seventy thousand people left homeless. On that same night, the conflagration swept through Northern Wisconsin and Michigan, sweeping village after village with horrible loss of life, and ruining thousands of acres of timber, the cutting and milling of which formed tho main industry of that region. Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri, and Califor nia, tho Alleghenies, the Sierras, and the Rocky Mountains have been ravaged by lire, destroying immense amounts of property aud entailing wide-spread suffering. Chicago is not the only city which luis suffered. Posh tipo, Manistee, Cachoville and Vallejo, Cal.. Urbana, Darmstadt, and Geneva, under the Alps, have all been visited by terrible fires; and the torch of the incendiary has boon ap plied successively to Louisville, tit. Louis, Toronto, Montreal, and Syracuse. Tho pestilence has walked at noonday. The cholera hasstoadily travelled from Asia west ward through Europe, and our despatches of yesterday announced its arrival at New York Quarantine. One of the most appalling plagues of modern times, arising from yellow fever, has swept over portions of .South America, and, in Buenos Ayres alone, 25,000 bodies were buried in one cemetery. Persia has been almost depopulated by the plague, which has been rendered all the more terri ble by the added horrors of famine: aud now, in our own country, small-pox has ap peared as an epidemic in nearly every large city. Storms, in their various manifestations, have never been so destructive before. In one night, a river in India suddenly rises, swollen by a storm, and sweeps away an entire city, destroying 3,000 houses, and utterly illustrating the crops. The little French’ seaport town of Tonne lias been almost utterly destroyed by a tidal wave. The icebergs of the Arctic have caught and imprisoned within their impassa ble* walls thirty-three whalers, indicting a doss of a million and a half of dollars upon the'city of New Bedford, and seriously crip pling an important branch of industry. St. Thomas has been devastated by a which left 9,000 people homeless and its coasts with wrecks. A typhoon, hb* poirrr. has swept along the coast, destroying everything in its course,— towns, shipping, and life. A hurricane at Halifax has indicted a severe blow upon English shipping. The storms on the Eng- JUb coast have never been ao severe before, nor so fruitful in maritime (Visa iters. A tidal wave* at Galveston swept oiV all the shipping in port. A tornado has swept through Can ada, doing serious damage in Toronto, Mon treal. and Quebec. The island of Formosa has,beeu nearly destroyed by an earthquake. Add to these the unusual crop of murders and suicides in ibis country, tho alarming in crease of railroad and steamboat disasters, themonstrouß villainies which have been brought to liirht in public oflices and private corporations, the Franco-German war with its attendant horrors, and the statement of the astronomers thaj there has been au ex plosion in the sun, and that two or three comets are just now in danger of losing their tails by their proximity to that orb.—and we may be justified in assuming that the year IS7I will be known in future calendars as the Black Year. There has been a queer meeting of the Fi nance Committee of the United States .Sen ate. to consider needed reforms in the tariff. The committee is composed of Senators Sherman, of Ohio; Scott, of Pennsylvania: Morrill, of Vermont: Fenton, of New York: Ames, of Mississippi; Wright, of lowa, aud Bayard, of Delaware. All these, except Wright, of lowa, aud Bayard, of Delaware, arc opposed to any changes in the tariff which might relieve the people of taxes which are consuming their substance without yielding any revenue to the Treasury. The committee resolved that, ns the Senate could not originate reve nue, hills, they would not attempt it, hut wait the action of the House. They further resolved that they would not take any action on tho House bills already before them re pealing the duties on coal and salt. Of course, the committee do not intend to touch these monopolies, nor any other monopoly, so long ns the people arc weak enough to he represented in tho Senate by men who pro fess not to know the difference between a revenue tariff and a protective tariff. These .Senators arc undoubtedly troubled about the tax on tea and coffee, and all other taxes which are exclusively for revenue. Of all taxes those are the least burdensome to the people. Senator Sher man and his allies have no sympathy for the men and women who pay a tax of from 40 to SO per cent upon, their shirts and blankets. A hundred thousand persons in Chicago wire in one night deprived of their clothing, bedding, blankets, table linen, and carpets. These people will have to pay, to renew what they have lost, more money in bounties to private individuals and corporations than will keep them in tea and coffee for the next ten years. Forty millions of people are taxed in the same manner, upon their clothing, bedding, household linen, and carpets, in excess of what is paid into tho Treasury, to an amount annually that would purchase all the tea and .coffee they need for ten years. The Senate Committee on Finance, aud other aspiring statesmen, have tears of compassion for the man who pays 25 cents annually for tax on coffee, hut have no sympathy for tbo man who pays .70 cents tax on every dollar's worth of clothing worn by himself and fami ly. The difference between the tax on clothing anitthat on coffee is. that tho latter all goes into the Treasury, while tho former I is divided in the proportion of oue dollar to the Treasury and two to some manufacturing company. 1 before the Legislature* passes any law making abstract books evidence of title in Cook County, it will bo well to ascertain what those books consist of, and how far they would go toward making auybody’stitlo better than it now is. Wc understand that these books consist mainly of indices, en abling the abstract-makers to find the instru ments on record rapidly, and prepare tho abstracts of title speedily ami correctly, by referring to the recorded instruments. Mr. Louis D. Hoard, in his recently published let ter. says: In regard to other record* lost, the firm* of Chase Jhc-s., .Tunes vv Sellers. and Shortall A- Hoard have altogether s.ned an abstract of tho entire r«i»nls. To particularise, thev haw n V*j ie! ah?tract of every a>rnn.et»i ev*v recorded THE CHICAGO TIirBTJN E: tho nature of tho lustra mufUesrHmfnS 1 S'^ rdlnff consideration, stamp, 1V«. t of tho proiKrty convorcd: nnd thej have Wn ho arranged as to disclose tho to each lot and parcel of nhKtrnit n'f In aao, thereby seburing the absolute control of the whole line of road between Evansville, Ind.',jud Nashville. —The track of the Chicago North wcatrn Railroad, now being extended northwardUas reached Oconto, on the west shore of Grcenjby. and in a few days it is expected that rill run through from Chicago to Ocouto witlmt change. -Track-laying on the Green Bay «fc Lake Ijoin Railroad is progressing finely. Frederick Bid man, a farmer residing near Now Londoniob tained an Inunction restraining the compny from constructing their road through his J»nL A motion to dissolve the inunction was argicd at Green Bay before Judge Ellis who hold ;iiat an injunction will not lie till after the daunges have boon appraised by Commissioners urler the charter and payment of the awarded im ages refused by the company. The was therefore dissolved. —The St. Paul Frtss of tho 12th says: Cobnol John S. Boomls returned last evening from E ko ta Territory direct, where he has been spooling pome months in the interest of theXortiiern Pacif ic Railroad, of which company he is the iL nd Commissioner. Work is being pushed forwird with unabated vigor from Rod River to the Cley cunc, and the grading for fifty miles will bei| ac complished within a few weeks. There is to be no let-up whatever in tho construction ot ibis gigantic continental railway, and in order to facilitate progress, the company officials and con tractors arc going info snug winter quarters on tho Cheyenne ami James Rivers and other points, where they will be furnished with all needed sup plies, in order that work can be pushed ahead .during the winter, whenever the weather is at all favorable for the purpose. Contracts have been let all the way to tho Missouri, near Fort Eire, which point will be reached during next sum mer.” MISCELLANEOUS. Dr. Lar.kcster asserts that tho small-pox. which is now slowly departing from London, after slaying 5,000 persons, ami maitning.dMigur* ing, and pauperising 100,000 more, must have co«t the metropolis at least £IOO.OOO, a tenth part of whieh sum, judiciously expended, would have cut short the epidemic at its Commencement. —An enterprising Detroit man is taking orders for the delivery of buckwheat rakes to families for breakfast. The cakes are to be furnished cheaper than they can bo manufactured at home. —This is a cony of a tax-bill for 1871, rendered in Princess Anne County, Virginia; t-S acre of land in cemetery.■valued at §5 0.1 Comity levy oi Belaud levy.. 01 Five per cent added for not being paid before the Ist ol September Total >Ctl And yet tiic people of Princess Anne are not hap py. —A New York young Indy has outdated as bridesmaid finrteen times. —A Wisconsin lover felt so bad at being jiltci that he sent the girl some candy flavored wltl croton oil. —A magnificent solid silver composing stick Is the prize offered for the best compositor at the Montreal Printers’ Fair, November 21. A coldness exists between the King of Den mark and bis liegemen of Iceland. The popula tion.of Iceland, which is about fifty thousand, arc now in a state of intense excitement at the arbitrary course of King Christian, who has re cently overthrown their constitution and dis persed their Folketldng, or Legislature. For this summary proceeding tho Icelanders threaten to drive the Danish authorities from the island. —The Government of tho Bey of Tunis is probn-* My the most brutal in tho world. The attention of the Turkish Government—to which the Boy is subject—has been recently drawn to affairs In Tunis, and it has ordered the Bey to abolish cor poral punishment in bis dominions. In Ids re script to the Bey, the Grand Vizier says,‘‘Tins practice is brutal and cruel, and it has been car ried to excess in Tunis.’’ —An enterprising Birmingham (England) firm, which purchased for a mere snng”a great quan tity of the French arms taken by the Prussian* in the late war, has already sold back to the French Government chassopots to the value of £60,000. —Tho California papers are congratulating the wine-growers of that State on the fact that the railroad rates for the transportation of wines have been reduced to $2.50 per 100 pounds of wine in wood or cases. This rate is for all-rail ship ments through to New York, Boston, or Bal timore, —The opium trade is increasing. The quantity brought to California during the six months end ing September 31, 1871. from Hong Kong, China, and Yokohama. Japan, was 32.050 pounds, valued at $318,418. Tho duty paid on this, at $6 per pound, was $194,148. This is an excess over the previous six months of $71,000. and over the six months ended September. 1870. SIIO,OOO. —A very lino specimen of the rough diamond as found at the Cape of Good Hope, was recently offered at a jewelry salo in Loddou. Tho stone weighed over 23 carats, and appeared to give every promise of becoming, under tho cutter’s hand, a lino brilliant. It was knocked down, after a sharp competition, at $3,350. —lt is claimed by respectable authority that a process has lately been invented In this country by which all kinds of textile fabrics, also leather, wood, brick, and stone, are cheaply rendered ab solutely wator-repellant, without Ju the slightest degree impairing the porousness of the articles, The beneficial purposes to which such a process may be applied are illimitable. Tho authorities at Washington, it is further stated, are now mak ing the preliminary tests with a view of adopting the process in the army and navy. —A sewerage scheme has been adopted by the corporation of Birmingham, England, to exclude injurious matter from the sewers, and to purify the sewerage, by filtration upon an area of two acres of laud. The cost of the scheme Is estimated at $1,500,000. —The navy-yard at Philadelphia was the scone of considerable commotion ou Friday *last, occa sioned by the removal of a veritable sarcopha gus from the-hold of tho United States steamer Richmond, inst arrived from Madeira. The re ceptacle Is >aid to contain the dust and lames of the Apostle St. l*nu). Its weight 1“ about six tons; it is eight feet in length, two feet in width, and four feet high. The lid weighs two tons. On the from tablet is a representation of a trio of an gels extending a wreath of laurels and newel's to a flgurcfwhose general outline is indistinct. The chiselling and carving arc generally excellent. The foot of the tomb contains no inscription or device. In fact there is nothing about It calcu lated to lead to the supposition that it Is sancti fied by holding the dust and bones of tho Apos tles. The sarcophagus is said to havo been dis covered at Myoenir, and was purchased by one of United States Consuls for the Metropolitan Antiquarian Society of New York city, whence it will be sent in a few days. —A despatch from San Francisco, November 11, says: The Wickenburg and La Paz .(Arizona) stage was attacked a few days ago by a band of fifty ‘Apache Mojaves, about ton miles from the former place. The driver, John Letx, otherwise known as Dutch John, and two passengers with him on the box, were killed at the first fire. In side weto five passengers, three of whom were ’killed. William Kruscr ami Miss Mollio Skcp pan), of Prescott, were wounded, but escaped by tbe chapparal. and finally reached Wickenburg. The names of the passengers killed aro: Fred Shohohro, F. N. Luring, A, P. Salomon..P-W. Hamel, and C. S. Adams. Loriugandllamel were of Lieutenant Wheeler's exploring expedition. Adams was scalped. The mails and luiggage were plundered. One report fays that the attack v.*:> :e;;dc by highwaymen ;»ud Uc; Indians." fRSDAYi NOVEMBER >lB, 1871; THE ACADEMY OF DESIGN. One of the Victims of the Great Conflagration. A History of its Destruction-Letter From Alvah Bradish, Esq, To the Editor of The Chicago TriOnne: Sir Among the more recent and cherished In stitutions of Chicago that fell a victim to the late fire none will he more missed than the Academy of Design. The artists of Chicago had been or-, ganized for several years, and wore steadily ad vancing the cause of flue art. Within the year, they had planned, up under their fostering cure, a most beautiful edifice, almost wholly devoted to art purposes. It was situated on Adams street, between State and Dearborn, near by the Palmer House, and three blocks south of the Crosby Opera House. The academy build ing had been constructed especially to meet the wants of the artists. It comprised eighteen studios, all of which had been engaged before the building was finished. It was, indeed, a beautiful home for the arts, and for those who were making art a profession. The gallery was spacious. For fine* proportion, for a tgje elevation and clear light, it was not surpnsSWin this country. The lecture-room was ample, and the handsomest in the city; the reception-room and studios, the staircases. approaches, school rooms, were all fitted ,up m a stylo o! elegance that speedily won the popular favor. The academy had been thus founded by an en lightened body of artists, who were animated by, the true ambition of adding the glory of art-oul turc to the other distinctions of the Harden City. These artists arc mostly men of reading ;mdcul ture. They foresaw the three essential conditions of a permanent and beneficent Institution of fine’ art,—ah Acadcmv of Design founded on princi ples that would insure growth, durability, and lonnlnr favor,— schools, life and antique, for the thorough discipline of students; a gitilerj/, open at all times for the display of the best worlcs. pictures, and statuary; and lectures, both special and general. No academy can stand long with out the full recognition of these three conditions; and they had been abundantly discussed, recog nized. and established. During the past twelve months,—tho brief existence of their beautiful home,—the artists had given numerous public re ceptions. and bad varied their collection of pic tures. They had offered to the public many rare works of the best modern masters, l*oth Ameri can and European. Already the academy had become the centre of art-attraction and art-culture In Chicago. Her schools, conducted by competent professors, had attracted a largo num ber of pupils. Applications from tho country and from the city were numerous for the coming winter. A centralized home had united the artists. They were workingin good faith. Mem bcrslol Council had, with unselfish-enthusiasm, devoted u large portion of their time and thoughts to a wise administration of their trust. The younger members were making rapid progress in their studies, and felt tho influence of a generous competition and the example of such rare works ns the gallery contained, always open to their inspection. Already the academy owned some good pictures; some others had been generously given. The Scanmxon colloctlonof antiques was fho gift of a gentleman of taste,—an example that would soon have been followed by others. An art library was In contemplation. Tho artists were proud of their success. I can U.clnro that no institution in Chicago had so speedily won such general favor. Its influence on public taste, and on tho life, labor, and future ot tho artists, was so manifest and so admirable that it was uni i versally recognized and acknowledged. Mr. Eothennel’s great picture, the Battle of Gettysburg,ordered bytheStatc of Pennsylvania, hud been oil exhibition for two mouths. It was an immense canvass, sixteen feet by thirty-three, and was drawing crowds of admirers to tho gal lery. The attendance, had been on tho increase for two weeks past, when, on the Saturday pre vious to the destruction of a great part of tho city, the visitors numbered ono thousand. The comiug winter would have witnessed one of tho rarest ex hibitions ever seen west of Now York, Many pic tures had arrived. The schools,thoroughly organ ized, would have been full; special lectures would huvt.bcen enlarged and continued; and the course on the theory ami history mf the line arts, first opened at tho inauguration of tho academy, would have been given during the season. The leading artists were preparing pictures for the coining reception in November. It shjold bo observed that Mr. Potter Palmer was putting up an edifice neM to the academy, with an iron front, of an elegant design, to be constructed especially lor art purposes, studios, music rooms, Ac. Most of these had been already taken. The struggle which the artists had thus made in tho noble cause of art in Chicago would he crowned with suece-s; for this new building would be opened through to tho hull* of tho academy proper,—thus concentrating the entire art-inter est and artistic genius of Chicago on Adams bti'cet. At this time there were a great many valuable works of art in tho gallery and scattered through the studios—Drury’s large and precious 1 oolhclicii; Ford's beautiful Ohio wood scenes; Delhi’s careful studies and designs; Jenks’ eon- Additions labors; Elkin’s world of Kooky Moun tain studies; Brodish’s popular Leather Stock ing.” hi* mil-length portrait of tho late Douglass Houghton, and numerous smaller works; Pine’s attractive group of children; .James Hookin'? charming Fairy Wedding.” a gift to the acade my. Cogswell*.- studio contained eomo of his best portraits. Heed A Sou’s .studio was crowded with picture.- and studio*. Pebble’s studio con tained numerous work* of high promise. Other young artists, or student-, occupied rooms and pursued their studio* in tho building: so that, with these hundreds of pictures ami out-dom* studies, the academy was emphatically the centre .•>f art-interest and the cherished homo of the artists. On that memorable morning, the Oth of October, that witnessed the most dreadful con flagration of modern times, some of the artist.* were at the academy by l o’clock. The great lire had only reached Clark street at 2 o'clock. The artist* were not yet alarmed. At :t o’clock the fire had advanced greatly northward on La- Salle and Clark; the wind was sweeping through the streets, and carrying the three element to ward the Chamber ol Commerce ami the Coail llousf'. By 4 o’clock the great Ancitie Hotel and the Bock Island Kailroad Depot were enveloped in flames. Would the new Bigelow Hotel and the Houore Block be saved? The artists,gather ing on Adams street, waited in painful suspense. Would the wind, now more terrific and pitiless than ever, lull for a moment, or would It veer a degree north, and thus save all this portion of the city These thoughts flashed through our brains or quivered on our lips. Soon the Pacific Hotel— a magnificent structure, and nearly finished—was in ashes. Tin* forked flames, made irresistible by the hurt icmie of wind, had struck the Bigelow Block, standing on Dearborn street, and wrapped it in a red winding-sheet in a moment. The at mosphere was tilled with brands, cinders, com bustibles. all on fire, careering through the air. The splendid Houore Block was seized by the devouring clement, tho unfinished roof furnishing *ho ready kindling, and these two stately blocks—the pride and ornament of a now street-faced with new marble, fl\e or six stories hlfch, were all envel oped inn few moments; were penetrated and swept by the fire fiend. Though wc knew tint on Adams and Quincy, Monroe and Madison streets, west, to the river.thc. finest structures lud sunk before the blast of lire, wg still clung to some hope. But the wind was o» tho increase, if possi ble. The writer stood for an hour close bv, and witnessed the approach of the awful tornado, advancing rapidly and with Irt-esistiule strides, north, lint with less violence east, and at times hesitating to cross a broad street or strike a new victim. But what power could resist this hurri cane of tire that came, as it were, in isolated ehicts of llamo through the airt Tho interiorof these two noble structures were like appalling volcanoes, that swallowed, from moment to moment, heavy timbers, walls, col umns, as they fell inward. It was a sublime sight. Before this awful conflagration. In which already some of tho most ticautiiil and costly structures of the city had melted like soft metal, the artists stood helpless In their an guish, but still hoping, praying that they and their cherished homo might ho spared. A slight change in tho wind would do this, for ns yet not a building cast of Dearborn had been touched. The academy was still safe; tho cistern walls of tho two noblo blocks, though nil luminous with inte rior fires, were still standing. Especially tho 1 Hrnorc Block, with its colonnade of white marble gliil linn, seemed to offer a solid bulwark to de fend the more eastern portion of this part of the city. Po intense was tho heat of these edifices, all on fit o from tho pavement to their roofs, that thcaiti&ts and groups that pressed forward to ward Dearborn to witness tho sublimo spectacle were obliged suddenly to retire and cover their faces. The south end of the Honoro Block, struck and torn by the blast, would give way. It bent, swayed, and surged for n moment, and finally, twisting round, as it were, by tho insatiable embrace, toppled over, stayed a second, then fell.'withthrcc upper columnar stories, carrying roof' and cor nice, crushing over into Adams street, shaking the earth for many rods about. Then shot up from the wreck a column of flame, through black smoke and cinders, that lit up the Palmer Hotel and threw a ghastly light on the facade of the academy. In half an hour these volcanic fires had perceptibly decreased.goud the artists wen; greatly encouraged. But soon the Bigelow Block became the centre of tragic interest: for here tho fires, sweeping over from the Pacific Hotel, now in hopeless ruin, seizing every intervening building and every combustible obicet in its vay, had acquired a ve hemence and violence most appalling. Now seemed the moment of greatest danger; for tho Bigelow was directly west of our block. Be tween us was one brick tlve-storv building; the others were low wooden tenements. They were like ovens, but covered by a ho»o In the hands of two colored men, who, with unsurpassed hero ism, stood their ground. For a long time, by moistening tho sides and roof? of these two buildings, the fires were kept at bar. They might burst into flame nt nuv moment! Now tbo lofty walls of the Bigelow Hotel were all aglow with the Arc inside, that seemed to crackle and roar with a triumphant sound, as everything was devoured; tho win dows and archways belching forth tongues of red and white flame that reached nearly" acro« Dearborn street. But, oven up to this moment when wc saw the walla of tho Bigelow ami Honore Blocks still standing firm, though .greatly shattered, tho prlists took courage. These walls, that had risen like a dream of beauty under tho eye of their architect, who stned now m our midst, seemed to offer a solid bnlward to Uic advancing enemy, Tnaood thro was almost a shout of gladness heard from the group of artists that gathered In front of theSa lorn and shattered battlements. There was S moment—one short moment—of congratulation and joy. It was 3 o clock—not quite The wild ocean of Are had gone far ofTnnrf The awful detraction, the rui*?hodroadtSi havoc that followed that fierce march cannot bo told. Wo did march, of its extent; wc "mMit hmw» drcam beneficent power would amStlts promos. Sffil!? SS? phony, all near sounds Tlds anblhnfi°V tans^ni Z dense blocks north to the pit**?. Vf* tl 0 were ton f r hi 2*- Some of the artists &T 1 H!;U t.. u atcPWrvH 1 u KU\mn-lna .Ib-t'l Dearborn,'alontr Jackson—the -wind unchanged, and Wowing with all Its untamed violence, and rolling an ocean of Ore over whole block* of wooden, dwellings, devouring everything it touched. No human power could save now the blocks south to Van Huron street, and we had be come directly in range of this new (hingor for ud abatement could bo seen, but, if ouythlng, more llereo, more Insatiable, thin heated tonm Jo canted whole roofs, planks, windows, all on Are. directly over the Intervening tenements. And tho Palmer House stood In range of this flu} storm, and the academy but twenty fcU from its walls, and overtoppedbv its stitcly Mansard roof. What pen shall depict the scene thatappearedto our view? Every street and alloy crowded with crazed, helpless fugitives; Adams and State, Quincy and Jackson, nn Buren and Wabash, one living, moving, screaming ma helpless families; dccrcpld old age; infants on pillows in tho stigota; sidewalks crowded with furniture, chests, glasses, bedding, horses, wagons —all in confusion, without order, without kind ness to neighbor, and none to direct or advise, but nil fleeing from the brands and cinders that filled the annosphere; rushing from block to block, weighed down by household goods; driven from house to house, tul they reached the lake shore beyond Michigan avenue, where hundreds of loads had been left or thrown on the sands. A few hours after this every tiling along the water’s edge here was on tire,—the poor, desperate own ers escaping only with their lives. Tho artists had stood bravely by their beautiful temple, ready to aid if. by any chance, hope could come through any efforts or sacrifice of theirs. Up to this hour, when the llamcs crossed Dear born street, the Palmer Douse and the group of buildings near by could be saved; but when word was brought that State street was threat ened south of us, all hope was abandoned, and the artists were obliged to look for personal safe ty. In the meantime, long before this hour,—by 7 o'clock,—Mr. Eccd. our Secretary, had given or ders to have RothermclTs great battle-niece taken from its stretcher and saved from tho ap proaching flames. There was ample time for this, though, in taking it down, it has suffered serious injury. Its great weight required several men to carry it out, and, in a bent, broken condi tion. it was taken to the steps of Trinity Church, Jackson street, and afterward to the university building, four miles south. Its subsequent for tunes for two weeks, to tno time it was deliv ered to the distinguished artist who had designed it, may be given to the public by Mr. P. F. Reed, In whose charge it was. The academy had a pol icy on it of §30,000. Such of tho other pictures as were not carried by hand were placed on carriages and wagons. These were tied to gether. and, tinder the guidance of one of tho ar tists, were moved by hand, by slow degrees, through the dense crowd, through Adams street and Michigan avenue, often blocked and arrested by opposing teams, and .the suffering, crazed fu gitives, but from time to time making progress, until, after infinite difficulty, the precious loads reached Harmon court, out of danger. By 8 o’clock, the wide area, from Harrison street south, and Dearborn street west to tho lake, was all threatened with destruction which a few hours after witnessed. Tho writer of this, as ho saw tho five or six vehicles loaded with their precious freight of pictures, frames, books, trunks, and boxes belonging to artists and others, did not feel too sure they could make their way through such a confused mass of human beings in a state of. indescribable excitement and Irenzy. When the cortege passed tho superb block known as Ter race Row, feeing tho lake, little did he tnink that, within two hours, all those beautiful homes would be levelled to tho earth. Here lived Gov ernor Bross, Mr. Griggs, Mr. Scommoa, and other gentlemen of wealth and culture. The block was much admired for its stately grandeur. Tho next dav its location could hardly bo identified,—a shapeless mass of undistinguishablo, smoking ruins. It might be o o’clock, and the Palmer House was still untouched. An imposing edifice, surrounded by an ocean of lire, its lofty, three-storied Man sard roof, with five stories beneath It. rose su pieme over all other buildings near by. But, scon after this hour, from pavement to roof it was one sheet of llame, Its walls swayed and trem bled as the wind roared against its projecting portico, its wiudowsanl doorways belching forth to the north long spikes of red llame, forked, like ten thousand serpents, reaching out and looping the walls of The academy building as in horrid derision. The hotel thus covered with a sheet of llame,—its interior all red and dazzling with in extinguishable fires,—the walls of tho academy, only a few feel off. were heated, and the lower windows and doorways penetrated by an element ns irresistible as fate. Was there any hope now left for the academy? Soon, through its broken windows, down through its noble expanse of sky light, came the whirlwind of flames and murky elements, down crushed timbers and walls, stair cases, pictures, casts,—all the precious works Miat filled the studios of absent artists,—now all on fire, ami adding intensity and grandeur to the whirling volcano of the interior,—a blackened, burned mass of art ruins -or one moinuit. then shot up a sharp, dazzling spire of red llamc. far into iho impending smoke-cloud that rolled like a pall ever tho expiring structure, ns though to proclaim a savage triumph over tho fond hopes and labors of genius. Thvttpivhhed the Chicago Academy of Detain, But. thank Cod! not the courage or the hopes of the Chicago £.rtists. For the moment they are disheartened,—they sire not dismayed. Tliegreat calamity has destroyed their art business. Many have families; and tno citizens of Chicago are not able now to buy pictures. But the artists do not ask for charity they need and will accept orders. There can bo no more suitable occasion to pro mote tho cause of art than liberal offers to Chi cago artists. This winter willbe a severe one for those who must remain there. But already the burnt distiiets five* alive with Iho pleasant sights and sounds of busy artisans. A great city still ex ists another one, as Imposing as tho first, will soon occupy the desolate places. Within the past month, mure than 3,000 buildings have boon erected. A generous people, enterprise, genius, credit, in domitable. spirit, the free now or Kastem capital, the outburst of universal sympathy,—nil llie>c give assurance of the rebirth of Chicago. And speedily will bo seen n new edifice, a now Temple of Art, not less beautiful, that shall continue to be, for the coming years, tho home of art. and the cherished abouoof tho stricken artists of Chicago, Respectfully yours, Altah Bradish, Vredokia, N. Y. GOVERNOR. AND MAYOR. f.’orrciiponrtenrc Between (Jorcrnor Palmer nml Major Illaßdn in Itelution to the lillli tnry Occupancy ol* the City After the (heat Fire The following correspondence between His Ex cellency John M. Palmer, Governor of Illinois, and II9U. IX. 11. Mason, Mayor of Chicago, will explain itself; fciAiT ov lu.iNois. ExrrmvE DF.rAni.trNT, t £l’litX*iFlELl>. Oct. 2', tin. 5 Tv Ifi ii. li. JVlrwoM. -Va./or 0/ SPJ: Tho General A— emblylins now. bynmpl.*ap prop) ia! ions. provided for tho supi*ort ol a police force m Chicago that will be adequate to Hu* protection of petvuriHaad property In tho city, and I ini-t no lime will be tost in making ail needful preparations for re lU-vingthemilitary lonv now on duty mnhr the or ders of LieuteiiHi tGeneral Sheridan, It excited tho greatest surprise and has occasion* d mo the motonndcst mortification, that you faded to In lomi me, as you could easily have don-; by tele, graph or through tuy confidential Secretary, who reached Chicago on the l*th of October, of t!io accessl ty, in your Jmlgiuent. for tin; eniployiuent *d military lorce tor the nioiection of the city; and it has pained me quite as deeply that-yon shmihl liavo thought it proper, without consulting with mo by telegraph or ethenvb-o, to have practically abdicated your inac tions as Mayor. Happily, there is no necessity, either real «r Imaginary, for the longer continuance of lids anomalous state of things. The Putted states troops arc now in Chicago in violation of law. Every act of theotreers and soldiers of the United states Army that operates to restrahi or control tho people la Illegal, and their presence in the city, except for the pnrrosesnftbo United States, ongiit to be no longer continued. It is due to you that I should confess that, under the circumstances that surrounded you on the recaslon ol the late disaster, it was natural that you should incline to necept aid from any quarter to enable you to atford protection to persons and pr»»i*- rlv In ym;r city: but I regret that it did not occur to vou that your own powers, under the lavvs.wefe inadequate to meet thecmcrgeiicua.und that vim were entitled, unou notice to me, to the snp port of the wln-lcpowerof the State. Fioiu infornm thm that 1 have not. been offered an opportunity to ac quire ollielallv, I havclearmtl that Lieutenant Gene ral Sheridan lias rendered valuable services, for which he deserves the thanks of the people of Illinois; but It would have been more satislacjory to them If he. as a citizen, had given to you the assistance of his eminent abilities to organize the people to act In conjunction 'with the civil officers for their own protection. That course would have been far preferable to that of con c. ntrntinga part of the Army of the United States tn Chicago, and the assumption by him of the substantial military control of the eity. I hope vou will at once Infonn lieutenant General Sheridan of your readiness to resume tho complete government of the eltv. I have the honor lobe, very respectfully,your obedient ser vant, John m. Palmek. THE MAYOR'S REPLY. Match's Office, City of CniCAr.o.) Oct, 21 1871 i 7D Iltt Excellency John -If. mlmir, alccrnor "of the Mate vf IlUnoi* Yonr letter of date of IStU Inst, has been received. Had your Excel!* ncy, when lu Chicago on thanth and 12th of this month. Informed me or Bcmonln General Sheridan of your disapprobation of the course that 1 had thought proper to pursue In bavin" on the ICth inst., solicited his aid in preserving tlie onlcrol thecllr. andpn.toctlng th.-ffi tyof its inhabitants, satisfactory reasons could have been given yonr Excellency -for so doing, many of Which it would even now bo unwise to nuke public In the performance of my official duties I believed that the emergency required me to take the Rtmi that I did. Ido not believe when the lives and pram erty of the people, tho peace and good order ofa larie cu v. arc In danger, that it Is the time tostopand cun. Ksn ,u of poUev," but that if the Unit***! states, by the strong arm of its military, can give the -r 4VV- v i r Ml V r con “"Ration with other OffiCera, decided t*» dispense with inllitarr aid iu a flay or two; and l am happy to inform vourKvcclleucv W instant y°nr ‘Excellency will b* reliev ed of all anxiety on account of the nssNtauce *.f the mibtan;ju protecting the Uvea uml property of this people. Very respectfully, 1 It. D. Masox, Mayor. Building material*, Tj the Editor of The Chicago Tribune: Sir: Much has been said of late hi repaid to building material, and how to ovoid a like confla gration, as the one through which Chicago has just passed. Will you permit a stranger in your he such, a few sugges c°huniis as to the feasibility of mak ing the Chicago that is to be, a thoroughly llre i>r®of <‘ity. And, first, can such a thing'hc done is the natural question which arises in’the mind el every candid thinker. Second, Is it advisable in our American cities, whom arc congregated so many people, each having Ids own fancy as to arclutecturo and convenience of arrangement, to oolige the owners of land to build some, to them unsightly structure though it may be of bcncht to his neighbors. In such an event, what is to be the course pursued In regard to the land of those to whom I refer I a man having a lot of land situ ated to hi?* liking, in any part of the city. Is able only to erect a house or moderate cost, bill ono 'which will accommodate him and his, to all in tents and purposes. Now, liaviug lost his house in common with thousands of others, what shall he do I Ho proposes to rebuild with a wooden struc ture upon the same spot; hut. say the authorities. You cannot rebuild with wood we forbid it. Well soys he, what shall I do I Tne answer is. You must rebuild with iron, stone, and brick, or in other words, build tire-proof or not at all. Can such n law as I have seen advocated by so many write** iu your columns be framed in Justice to the parties concerned, without provision in the aamo to compensate them for their land by giving them them its full and fair cash value I This is n grave quest ion, and, to my mind, requires careful Inves tigation ere It bo settled. As’tothoflrst question,— that of dre-proof buildings,—my answer Is, what ever material enters into the composition of a building, aside from wood, may be made llre preof. wood in 7/ burn whenever heat cnougli ccincs in contact with it to cause ignition. As to the feasibility, ono of the first things to bo done is tl o isolation of buildings, especially wooden ones, which were so closely joined, ouo to the other, as to be the prime, and. I might say. the si lb cans© of Chicago’s ruin. Then, by imug slate for covering roofs, and tin or iron for luy w ludows. and iron for cornices mid projection*, there would be very little dilllcmly or danger frem lire taking upon the outside so ns to cause any considerable conflagration, especially with mi efiUl. Nt Fire Department, composed of trusty u.cu. with an adequate supply of water. lh‘* present style of warehouses may also l*o ma*.o «i on flit* oulm.U- iu the same maimer. 1 Nov. IX ,Bt a murcimurva r»T? "WO THING, bhfof two full seti of macUnorj-. What u SOIOITIIIXiV7 Vlv JXV/J'ilixiVi* requisite •to have a largo stationary engine is this: Street males and till conuedim* lliat 'tvill stand 120 pounds pressure to Iho iueb, because the bursting of one four-inch pipe w;p fleatro}* twelve fire streams. If you want twemr lire streams, ono inch in diameter, thrown too feet high, yemr machinery must pump vtio gallon** penuiiiOTo. against ofoopoumLi to the inch, or isrt feet head. If your pipes and machinery are of capacity and strength to do this, or more, you can havn the direct lire protection you want by closing top of.vourstnnd pipe, mating it the required strength, and governing the motion of the engines by the pressure- of water in the pipe.-*. As m pounds pressure constantly on the. pipes and machinery would be destructive to them, a pres, sure of 40 pounds is sufficient except during tin*, which pressure is increased to 80 or more pound* by the tire-alarm telegraph connected with the pumping house. The expense of the Fire Depart menr hero has not been decreased, but its Vfli ciency has been increased by increasing the num ber of hose reels. J- H. Bxlslev. Visit to Anton Itfocbka* the Fire- Proof Man* An Unsuccessful Attempt to Obtain Informa tion About His Important Discovery.” A communication signed by Anton Mochlm, resident at No. 110 West Twelfth street, was pub lished in The Trirune, under the head of Al leged Important Discovery,*' The writer an nounced the d ecovcry oT a preparation for ren dering buildings fire-proof, and evinced such immense faith in his invent ion or discover}*, as a protection against fire, and claimed so much merit for it that it was determined to inter view*' him upon the subject, and obtain from him as clear a statement as possible. The result was not a complete success, but as it established the existence of the writer, as well as the theory of his invention, it was not a complete failure. On visiting No. 1M 'West Twelfth street, one would not be struck with the idea that the possi ble celebrity was a person of refined taste or princely opulence, though he might be a respec table laboring num. The locality did not possess the brilliancy of a palace, nor did the prevailing darkness suggest oven the secluded habits of the student. The bar suggested beer and spirits, and tho smell of cabbage the hour of dinner. It Is possible that those suggestions of beer, cabbage, and tobacco may, In the not distant future, be in separably associated with fire-proof building, and some new and distinct beverage or edible com pound peculiar to West Twelfth street, bear here after tho name of the distinguished inventor. An Inquiry for Mr. Anton Moehka produced an expressman, who wore the badge of his order, mm a black, short cropped head and moustache. This was not Anton Mociika.but a man who knew him—a man who boarded in the same place with him, and ventured to express on opinion about him. Ho said Moehka was from Austria, and worked in a lumber yard, probably Hearson Payn’s lumber yard. He was a little short man, who didn't know much about anything; whose time was divided between going to dinner and working in the lumber yard. When asked if ho was probably the author of tho communication the expressman smiled contemptuously—an operation for which he gave several re isons, to wit; that Anton Moehka never invented any thing in his life, and therefore could not begin to invent now: that Anton couldn’t write English, and lastly that it was probably a mistake any w ay. Probably tho landlord would know, tho ex pressman thought. Tho landlord, airily attired m his shirt sleeves, an old man of good natured appearance was called. He look ed at The TaincxE and then at tho reporter, as if striving to establish a connection between the two, but apparently failed. He then mournfully put on his glass*** and read tho sig nature over several times and gave it as his opin ion that Anton Moehka was probably not Anton Moehka, but that he was evidently somebody ebo. This doleful state of affairs induced the reporter to wander to tho planing mill, whereof a faint hint had been given. After many inquiries for the owner of the name, the. reporter was told by one of tho firm that a man named Anton was working for them, and possibly he was the man. The gentle man smiled at the thought of his being {in inven tor. At last the great man was found. Physically he was Insignificant. He was not unlike the ex pressman. but his eye twinkled. When found, he was piling lumber near the dock, and replied to an interrogation as to his literary efforts, by saying ho hoped his contribution had been published. He said he had struck something which had promised well in his discovery. He had been working for some years upona dis covery he expected to make, which, if it laid succeeded, would enrich him rapidly. What that something was he refused, naturally enough, to state. During his experiments he had evolved si Mibstanco which was in no way susceptible to fire. It could not he heated above a few degrees. It was composed of certain ingredients easily obtained, and when made, is about tfte con sistency of mortar, and as heavy as brick. It would not absorb water, nor could it bo burned or cracked. There was neither oil nor other in tlammable ingredient in its composition, and its defiance of tire was complete. When exposed, it became as hard the hardest stone. He could apply it to the rooting of homes, amt so affix it that it could not be re moved. He could pur it on a two-inch plank, and subject the plunk, or the coated side, to tho Si verest tire tost, and yet the wood could not bo brrmd. He proposed to cover wooden doors with It, and put a little sheet iron over it. to make the doors look like s.oiid iron, with infinitely mere resisting power. He would not have ir put 011 a frame house, because the expense would not warrant it, but on a brick house it would be invaluable. He repeated his offer to build a little frame t-hcd,o.\C feet, stock it with the most inllammable material, cover it with Ids prepartition, and heap all the faggots and lumber upon it that the incredulous might demand, and light the pile. Ho maintained that the goods in side would be uninjured. What he wants is a couple of partners, one with capital and the other a good machinist. He avers that the material has to bo constructed,” and that only a good machinist under his direc tion can construct it properly. He has alroadv spent S7OO on experiments, ami. like oilier experi menters, has given experiments up. He ha 4 in vented half a dozen things, but a lack of funds has prevented his bringing them out. The pres ent discovery was made three years ago, and but tor the present demand for fire-proof mate rial. would never have been divulged. He is a shrewd little man. and appears to keep his own counsel. He says he would not think of telling every one round the hou.-o what he could do; hence the compassionate smiles at the re porter’s questions to the expressman ami land lord. Uc required legal assist nice before he emiM “cor.stxmt** bis cumiumnratuiii. ami as a certain portion thereof suggested that jus house could not ho burned down, the reporter a.-ked him If that habitation had been subjected tea five-proof ing proves*. Anton said No: it could not be burned down, because he had no lonise. The re porter thought that-a little ‘‘thin,** aud>aid so. Anion said his legal adviser was responsible for the error, but if he had a house. It would be fire proof. which amounted to the same tiling. What inundation his claims have.the future wi-1 disclose. The Restoration of the Records. M.VH>OK, tVIs., Nov. 13. To thr lull for of The Chicago Tribune Sin: The subject of the restoration of lost evidence of title to real estate, though of paramount importance to the people of Chicago at this time, is one ot great interest to the whole country; and the earnest discussion of the subject by the press must bring the matter homo to every reader who own? a foot of laud, or a dollar secured by mortgage. 'die most common error into which the partici pants in this discussion have fallen, is in con founding the titles themselves with the mere eri dcurrsot those t.tlos. Th* tire did not in any wav alTe-t the title proper of any realtv—onlv de stroyed that which cho lav had mauo proof of title, and cn the abstracts of which property owners relied to defend their rights a gainst am* adverse claimants. This being the case, what necessity can there be of any de crees quieting titles that liavc not been questioned, that did not obtain with equal force before tho lire t That such remedies should be pro posed for tho existing ctilliculties. by eminent rnemln r« of tho bar, ebow? conclusively that they are under the misapprehension referred to, or else that their training as lawyers leads them to prefer the most cumbersome, red-tape or litigous course out of the difficulty. The remedy I would suggest is briefly a? fol lows Let the same authority that made the copies of instruments affecting tlu title to real estate made by tho Recorder evidence of title go a step further, and say that, in case the whole, or any part, of such copies maybe lost or destroy ed, the proper court may appoint a Commission of experts to inquire and report to the court, as nearly as thev can ascertain, what these copies contained. Bach Commission should have full authority to take testimony, and’scml for persons and papers, and also to take possession of, for the jmblie use, and make a part of their report, anv books, pnpcis, or maps which they should And. in the course of their investigations, to be trustworthy evidence of what tho lost records contained. Certainly, tho great necessity would warrant the taking «>t these documents, as well as the taking of lands Jor the use of the railroads or other public uses, under proper restrictions as to tho compensation to ho awarded to the owners of tho same. Let this report ho confirmed, and, being em bodied in a decree of the court, placed m the custody of the Recorder, ns and for the original and full faith and evidence be given it In all respects as to the lost originals. Here, then, gentlemen of the bar, you have the combined authority oflegislative enactment and judicial decree, not strung out through the slow length of unnumbered thousands of chancery suiTs with endless opportunities for wrong and oppression, and tho hardly less great burden of the law's dolav; but. in less than sixty days' lime such o commission could select from tho pre served abstract offices a set of digests of the records or “original entries" which would be amph* evidence of the contents of the destroyed rrf-flrde, and vou would have just as good facili ties for showing in whom rested the title to any i(articular piece of land, and the quality of that tide us vou had before tho fire; certainly as good •is was 'used before that event—for, as is well known, tho abstracts of title, on the faith of which nil real estate business has been done for venrs are but the arrangement of Mien portions of these digests as relate to any particular tract. No one searched the record itself. C, P. C. Coins Slone or [Brick Work in Cold Weather. To the Editor of The Chicago Tribune: Sir: I have seen inquiries iu to-day’s TRrnrsr. wishing to know if a good job of stone or bride work can bo done in the extreme cold of winter.* 11 cply that It is so; and, for proof, will state that during the winter of 1900-7,1 put up a mill-tower, six stories high, for John H. Poet, Esq., South Glastenbuiy, Connecticut. Tho walls were two fc ot six inches in thickness*: and the cold was so intense that wo had to have a pall of hailing water near each mason, to dip his trowel into scon the mortar from freezing on it. During the fallow ing summer the work was mck-pomtod. ana it looks us well, and is as good a job as any that I have ever seen done in summer. In putting up brick walls in winter, rare must he tanen not to let the brick gat u ct before ui> mg or immediately after laying. Chicago, yov. 13. Xlic Holly System of Wmrr Works. Davt.s. 0.. JTov. 12. To the Editor of The CMnujo Tribune: Sin: I SCO an article taken from year paper, speakingof a better ■water supply foe your city, and mentioning tbc Holly system. ilavin" been connected with the Dayton Mater Works for eighteen months, as Trustee. I can say Ibis lor It: It is nothing more than a largo steam lirnen-mc. capable of throwing eight or ten one neli 8 mams of water too feet Sigh for an indef te hugUi of time. Eighty pound? of pressure o the inch will throw one A-a hundred streams mn feet high. provided the mains are large enough to allow the water to How freely to tfie iivitrantp. There sliould he no pipes laid of less Interior diameter than six inches, except those connecting the hydrants with tho mains. M'e find that a four-inch pipo connected with the main at cue end only will snppij* lint two good tire streams: where connected at both enits.no mure than four. As the eirirens ami ni.tiiufae te.rics get their supply from these pipes, the en gine t ahaot slop ol:i* minute withou: .-tapping tl.e tnpp'y to the s I "ie rite., ll'lle'.- til-,* tv.x-eg* REPOETS FROM THE COURTS. SUPERIOR COURT. REAL ESTATE. A bill was filed; by Richard Mason and others against Henry Witbcck, to redeem Lots 1 and!!. Block 79, School Section Addition. —An action of assumpsit was commenced by William If. Levy against Steifel and —Schall, in which damages arc laid at vj.ono. —An action of assumpsit was commenced l»v Morris SeU and others, against Samuel Goldman, in which damages an* laid at ->i,ooo. CIRCUIT COURT. A RANK SUED. All action rf assumpsit was commenced by Francis M. Corby against the .National Loan and Trust Company, in which damages are hud at 513.C00. DIVORCE, Anna Bentley vs. George W. Bentley. Bill for divorce on the ground of cruelty. Married March 27, INW. COUNTY COURT. ADMINISTRATION. Tn the matter of the estate of Joseph Brown, letters of adininsstratlon were issued to 3Lina Luck and Joseph Brown on bond of $22,000. —ln the matter of the estate of Gustav Dorater letters of administration were issued to August* Dors ter on bond of $20,000. ln the matter of the estate of Henry Hartman letters of administration were issued to Su&tmu Hartman on bond of sl2/00. guardianship. Charles ConycU was appointed guardian of Lucius TUmnviileou bond of SIO,OOO. REAL ESTATE. iDMirmnentH filed for Record on Wednesday, Nov. 13. CITY rBOI’KKTV. Washington av., between Paulina st. and Ash land av., n f. 25x123 ft, with building; dated Nov. 11. Consideration, $3,000. Lot 13 in s w I*l of Block 25, .Sheffield's Adui Uon dated July 6. Consideration. sroo. Lot 150 in Hull’s 9 3-2 acres in o 1-2, -s w i-i. Sec 4, 30,14; dated Nov. 14. Consideration, $509, Lot 9in Block 23. Elston Addition; dated .“opt. 20. Consideration.sl6o. Lot 3 of Hagorty's Lots 1 and 2 of Throop’s lots 12.13. and 16 in Block oi School Section Addition; dated May 0. Confederation, $3,000. Lot 7 of Lot 2 of Seaverns, w 1-2 Block 8, See. 33, 39,14: dated Nov. 14. Consideration. S7OO. Lots." and 6in Block 4. in Hubbard's lot 14 ot, Block 24. See 29, 89, 14; dated Nov. 9. Considera tion. si,eoo. north of errr limits. Lots 13 and 14 in Block l in Keeney’s Addition to Bavcu>wood; dated Scut. 23. Consideration. Si,ceo. SCMMARY. Real estate mortgages and trust deed*, l.i; quit claim deeds and releases. 15; other instruments ocnvcyiugproperty in Cook County, 5: chattel mortgages. 12; together with 107 documents which were re-recorded by reason of the the. PERSONAL/. A farmer lately died iuEist Prussia who i-*s:» d to have attained his 130 th year. Down to tlm time of his death ho was in the enjoyment of the I>est possible health. Ho was six feet one inch in heigbt.aud serve! as body-guard under Frederick the Great. His sou, who lives 011 his father's jiroperty, is 109 ycsirs old. He takes long walks ©very day, can read without spectacles, and is an excellent companion. Tho nephew of the u!.l man is employed on the East Prussian Railway, and, though ho is 72 years of ace, he i- able punc tually to perform his duties, which include the* laborious night-service. Ho has twentyvue chil dren, sixteen boys and live girl*.. —The Empress Eugenio has just soMsorno prop erty which once was n part of the national do main of Spain. The Empress proposes to leave for England on tho 26th Inst. —Anexchange says: “The fearful mortality which has n\ged for the last fifty oraixty yearn among the servants of George l\*asuingo»n and Andrew Jackson has at length attacked the nurses of our late Noses—Andy Johnson. It is pre dicted that in another hundred years .tk* re will not be a half dozen of them h ft.” —Two young ladies from Boston d>-*ributeil Labor Reform ballots at Brighton, at the eloctio'i on Tuesday, but succeeded in disposing of but 12. They were treated with great gallantry, but tho voters were very shy of their tickets. —The Luke de Montponsl'T is now r-*?idim' :n Geneva. Switzerland, under the name of Count da ifar. The Hartford (Conn Cournnt chronicles tha death of a Mr. Gilktt. of Torrington, who had been a subscriber to the Coitruul for forty-six years. Tlic father oft lie deceased livst Mibser bee for the paper hi 1773. and continued as such sub scriber for tlfty-thrce years, whin he died, and t*:o son commenced his subscription, the paper thtw havlnghecniuthcfamilyf.tr ninety-nine years. All the numbers of the paper an* no.v in posses sion of the family. —The son of tile Rajah of Etawah liu> been sen tenced to thirteen years* rigovou-* imi>ri.-onm id and a,(03 rupees hue for hanging up a native nm:i and woman by the heel? and i!ageing them till llei man died. —Mr. Howard Crifti mien. a son of thel.de lion. A. V. Crittenden {killed by Mr*. Fain, died very suddenly at Tort Ross, Somalia County, Cali fornia. on the oral of October. of congestion of the lungs. Young Mr. Crittenden was j? years of age. —All the money Alexandre Hutua* had with him when he died was a single gold piece. Mis sou is a millionaire, and his daughter Is married to ono of (he wcaiticst lauded proprietor:, in France. —The Prince Imperial is studying mechanics iu King's College. London. —An imposter, pretending to be no less a per sonage than Andrew Johnson, cx-l’rcsideiit ot the United Hates, has been arrested and sen tenced to one mouth’s imprisonment at Ancona, in Italy. —At tho last sale of the ox-Emperor Napnlcjn’-* horses, the Princess Mathilda purchased Tam bour. the Prince Imperial's fivorite pony, aad sent It to Chisellmrst. —Mr. Cowasjee Jehangicr Readymonoy, of Cal cutta, whoso charities already amount to nearly A*l■o.ocu, is to have a statue. —Mr?. M. DeWolf Rogers has given a collec tion of mre boohs, valned at §u,ooi>. besides in money, to the Redwood Library at Newport, Rhode Island. —Alexis willl>e the guest of Mrs. Colonel Colt at Hartford, Conn. —Eliso Walewski was recently married, fu Paris, to Compto de Rourqucnoy. who has l*ecu appointed to a diplomatic post at Washington, young Countess will accompany him there. —General Crcracr. named to that rank by M. Gambetta, and to whom the committee for the re vision of grades assigned Jus old grade of Chef d'Escartron.lms addressed a letter to the Minister of War, in which Uc tenders his resignation, con tenting him ß clf,'*hc says, “as a recompense for fifteen years* service, with having seen his t>roper ty confiscated; his father exiled, his brother kill ed and his native province ceded." “3o much happiness," he remarks. leads me to doubt what the future which you provide forme may produce, and I prefer to wait ns a simple citizen the occa sion of again making war against the Prussians,— —Kate Field is slowly convalescing in London. Mr. Chamberlain, a depot master at Medford, Massachusetts, died on Sunday, from the poison of diphtheria in his linger, taken from the throat of his daughter. —Kossuth, It is said, has issued a manifesto de manding the separation of Hungary from Aus tria. He appeals to the Magyars, Croats. Walhi cliians, Moldavians and Bulgarians, to establish, a Danubian Confederacy. Molly Neptune,** the oldest living member of tho Papsamaquoddy tribe of Indiana, died at Pleasant Point. Maine, a few days ago. Tier ago is stated at 112. Tins tribe of Indians Is growing less in numbers ercry year, and will probably be como extinct before many years. POLITICAL. The Sau Francisco papers of the Oth publish tin* olliclal vote of the genera! September election. Booth (Republican) was elected Governor over (Democrat) by 3,010 majority. —The total vote for Mayor of the city of Towa Falls, lowa, this year, was nineteen. —Tho Democracy of Tazewell County, in this State, were muddled considerably on election day n regard to tho name of their candidate for Cou grcseinan-at-Large. One town sent an express to V«.orla on clcotion day to lind out hla teal name, and in that town there wore forty-six votes *-ivca forSamuelS. Hayes. Snowdon S.. Hayden gob eL\ty votes in other parts of the comity. \rliib» Snowdon S. Hayes got 1,4153 votes, —The elections of 1871 have been held in the fol lowing States, to which we append their electoral votes, classifying them according to the majority recorded by each on its popular rote: JfcpttUiean. JJemotratie. Connecticut.. a No xr Hampshire s M«6snchm:etts 12 Now Jersey 7 Rhode Island Maryland...... T York 33 Virginia m Pennsylvania 2s Kentucky u Carolina a Texas Ohio 21 WVnt Virginia 1 Mis>l»Nipi>i 7 niinobf... 16 .Maine 7 Arkansas- b Wisconsin 1 7"wa j* i'alUt.iuij* 3 1 ?iiuc(*na il u