section" ends in a network of railroad tracks, restricting expansion in that direction. Lake Michigan on the east completes the barrier.

There are, on the map of Chicago, 24 north and south streets in the mile section between Halsted Street and the lake front. Only four of these streets run through the mile breadth of the city's heart. The great north and south sides of the city, with their more than two millions of people, are shut off from each other in the central area, with the exception of the Rush, State, Dearborn and Clark Street bridge connections.

There is 16 per cent more traffic from Michigan Avenue on the Rush Street bridge than there is on London Bridge, long known as the most congested vehicle bridge in the world's metropolis. Sixty thousand vehicles of all descriptions traverse Michigan Avenue every twelve hours of

south of the river. Forty-five thousand trucks, delivery wagons and automobiles.

level plan, the river to be crossed by a double-deck bascule bridge. This mammoth bridge, the first of its kind to be constructed anywhere, will have a span of 210 feet and a width of 90 feet. Light traffic will take the upper deck and heavy traffic the lower.

The two-level extension of Michigan Avenue is proposed solely for the purpose of separating the north-and-south from the east-and-west traffic. North and south approaches to the upper level will be on so slight a grade as to make the elevation almost imperceptible.

The significance of the Michigan Avenue improvements in the Plan of Chicago is best seen in the fact that it forms the eastern boundary of the "quadrangle" in the Plan. This "quadrangle" is bounded on the north by Chicago Avenue, on the west by Canal Street, and on the south by Twelfth Street. These four streets are destined to bear the heaviest traffic of any four streets in Chicago. The development of the "quadrangle" will complete the foundation of the street circulatory system in the Plan of Chicago. No improvement is needed in Chicago Avenue. That thoroughfare is now 100 feet wide.

The widening of Twelfth Street, from 66 feet to 118 feet, has already been approved by the people. Bonds have been voted for it. Administrative procedure has been com

plied with, and the assessment roll in this case will be filed in court this November.

Canal Street, which is to be widened from 80 feet to 100 feet, from Twelfth Street for a mile northward, will be continued on the two-level plan, crossing the river to connect with Chicago Avenue on the north side. This improvement is entirely provided for in the Railway Terminal Ordinances, passed by the city last March and accepted by the roads. The single remaining work on the quadrangle is the great Michigan Avenue improvement.

On November 3 there was submitted to the people of Chicago on referendum for their approval a $3,800,000 bond issue for the city's share of the cost. The result of that referendum vote was a plurality of 80,000 votes in favor of the bond issue.

This splendid expression of the people, so bountifully favorable to Chicago's plan work, is the more significant when it is understood that the finer physical development of Chicago has for years been hindered by sectional prejudice and personal selfishness. There are still the throes of court proceedings to contend with. The assessment roll will soon be filed. Condemnation proceedings will then take place. If no appeals are taken by objecting property owners, within a year's time work will actually be begun on what is destined to be the world's most famous thoroughfare.

T"

HE Chicago Chapter of the National Fire Protection Association gave that city a practical and valuable object lesson on Fire Prevention day, October 9. In view of the fact that an ordinance extending the fire limits is pending in the City Council and is to come up soon, it was decided to show the aldermen and property owners generally, on that very appropriate day, what fire would do to the type of buildings which is prohibited within the fire limits, but abounds outside.

The coöperation of the building department, the fire department and the fire prevention bureau was readily secured, as all are deeply interested in the extension of the fire limits. Permission was secured from the South Park Board to erect in Grant Park opposite Congress Street two cottages of the type occupied by workingmen. These structures were appropriately labeled, as is shown in the pictures, and between them was a large sign setting forth the fire pre

vention lesson to be taught on Fire Prevention Day.

The cottages were designed by Frank D. Chase, the architect, who was formerly chairman of the fire prevention committee of the City Club. They were identical in size and arrangement, except that one was built of brick, with fire-resisting roof, and the other of frame, with shingle roof. The cottages were 26 by 18 feet, with four rooms partitioned off but not finished. The walls of the brick cottage were 13 inches thick, as required by the city building ordinance, and the chimneys on both cottages were of brick 8 inches thick and lined with vitrified tile flue lining. The frame house was ceiled inside and out with 5-inch siding. All the interior partitions of both houses were 2 by 4 stud partitions, ceiled on one side only with 8-inch siding. The ceilings were covered with approved wallboard, securely fastened to the rafters. The frame cottage was sheathed open for

THE FRAME HOUSE BURNING

shingles with 8-inch sheathing, and the roof of the brick house was sheathed with 5%-inch sheathing laid tight for ready roofing. The frame house was roofed with wooden shingles laid 51⁄2 inches to the weather, while the brick house was covered with "ready-roofing." The windows in both houses were glazed and doors were hung, and the exterior woodwork was given a coat of paint. There was very little difference in the cost of the two cottages$629 for the frame building and $640 for the brick building-while the advantages of the non-combustible type, both for living purposes and in case of fire, were evident.

The erection of these houses on the lake front park attracted wide attention. Their burning as a feature of Fire Prevention Day and a test of the various types of construction had been widely advertised, and it is estimated that 25,000 people were present at noon of that day, the time set for the demonstration. The city firemen placed

THE BRICK HOUSE DURING THE FIRE

a bale of excelsior in each building under identical conditions, and at 12.30 o'clock both were set on fire. In a few minutes the alarm was given and the fire department made a spectacular run down Michigan avenue, attracting thousands more to the scene. The interiors of both buildings were a mass of flames when the department arrived, but the flames were entirely confined in the brick building, while in the frame building they were coming through the roof and around the eaves. The firemen turned streams on the buildings and soon extinguished the flames. The fire burned less than ten minutes, but the frame structure, as is shown by the cut, was a total wreck for all habitable purposes, while the brick cottage was structurally intact. The door and window sashes were badly charred and would require replacing, and the interior partitions and trim were badly burned, but the essential features of the brick cottage in substantially as good a condition as ever.