The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-22

Present kxtensleu, its Condition and PFos-
peets-I.egaI Controversies, with ssnsetIstna
About tho Harbsr Commissioners and Conn
missioners Of the Sinking Fnnd.
A profoundly mythical problem over which many
have long ana patiently pondered, and with very
little show OF satisfactory solution is the subject OF
the Battery enlargement or all matters under
control OF the city this has certainly TO the great
mass OF citizens, been one OF the most complex.
About oil that is really known is that the enlarge.
ment OF the Battery Was agreed upon years ago;
that there have been prolonged ana expensive nti.
cations In connection with t.; that there have
been beginnings and stoppages In the work; that
there have been large payments from the city
treasury on account VI " the same OF
course, coming out OF tho pockets OF the
taxpayers and from oil this the general deduction Is
that the time TO look for Its completion is about az
remote as that prophetic period when the famous
New Zealand traveller from OF the front windows
OF the HERALD building, shall sketch the ruins OF St.
Paul's church.
Through long years the Battery was the chief
pride OF our city; IT looked out upon our splen
did bay and its moving panorama OF passing
steamers and sailing vessels. From the broad
bosom OF the ocean was borne bitner the invigor.
ating breeze, with health its wings. granite
promenade ran along the water front. A beautiful
iron fence encompassed the other Sides Magnificent
trees, the glory OF the prmeval fOrests-when only
were to be seen here the dusKy faces OF Indians
reclining under their deeply outrageous shades or
In their hght canoes swiftly gliding through the
waters-arorded luxuriant protection from the
blazing MONDAY sun. IL was %ayersed by gravelied
walks IN all directions. Every pleasant afternoon
our wealthy citizens resorted here for walks and
chats and TO smoke their pipes aud TO In
hale the invigorating sea breeze. II was the
favorlte promenade or our most fashionable
ladies' and Il was perpetually noisy with the wild
gayety OF children. on every side were the finest
houses in the city. Here, as Fifth avenue is nov,
was then the grand centre or fashion Castle Garden
was the resort OF the wealthy and gay. How greatly
Is it changed Our people OF fashion live up town;
Castle Garden IL an emlgrant depot; the granite
promenade aud sea wall have disappeared; the Ron
fence, In many places, is broken and fallen TO the
ground; there IL no longer any SOFT green turI and
even the trees look drear aud desolae. There IL a
broader area OF land but the extension Is treeess
ana a barren waste ike an Arabian desert. Newly
arrived emigrants, forlorn and ragged, rowdy
and drunken men and miserable and degraded wo-
men sit under It's good old trees. We give below .
history OF the Battery, the progress OF the enlarge.
ment, and legal ana other interruptions hinderinH
the prosecution OF the work and also It's present
to the narrative we also have gone at con.
siderable length into the subject Of the
ground ana water front reserved for barge
Office for the Custom House, and at the same time
exploiting the title vesting the ownership IN the
United states. showing up an attempt by the COM
mon Council TO permit the illegal uslrpation OF some
OF the ground and water front for private bathing
establishment is feature OF interest 10 which we
have given passing notice Az the conclusion OF
the whole matter, 10 Is gratifying 10 know that the
epochs OF jopbery aud legal qulnbng in regard co
tnia extension OF The Battery have passed that IL is
in earnest and reliable hands present and that
few months hence tue extension VIII be completed
and the old trees trimmed aud new trees set out,
and the whole turled and new grayeled Walks ana
ne fence made, and tue place he made TO bloom
with beauty and become JOY forever but never, OF
course, The popular resort Il was the Qood OLD
times OF our foreiaers
THE ORIGINAL BATTERY GROUND.
As is well known, the original Battery ground was
part OF Fort James afterwards called Fort George
The ground occupied by these forts or rather lie
one fort having these two names excepted from
the grants contained the earlier charters under
The colonial governors to the city OF New YORK. All
Inns ground, therefore, upon The termination OF the
Revolution and establishment OF American lnde-
pendence, vested absolutely In the people OF the
state OF New YORK. The land under water I'm front
Of the Battery all then below low water mark;
the title to which, between Marketiied street. now
Battery place, on the north TO Whitehall street the
east also vested In the people of the State, the
same being likewise expressly excepted from the
early colonial charters. ON me 10Th or March, $780,
! ACT was passed by the state Legislature giving
all this excepted land and the water fronts 20 the city
II is unnecessary 10 recite the familiar details 0f
| how, stl retaining the old military name OF Bat
terry 1t was converted INTO puoiic park. Parapets
and guns and epauetted officers and sentinels on
guard disappeared. fine sea wall was built; new
trees were planted 1t was laid out with abundant
walks; a massive but tasteful IRON fence was built
about IT, ana II became general favore resort of
the public. AT length Castle Garden was built, con.
nected with which there Is also Evolutionary his
tory OF the deepest interest but Which, interesting
as II is, ~ foreign TO our purpose 10 enter upon
al present our noole PayK Is great feature OF our
present CITY lie but II become the general
puoic feature aud the universal resort that tue Bat
terry was IA The palmy period oits golien prlue and
pride.
FIRST BATTERY EXTENSION
FIFTY years ago It was little thought that the tide
Of Trade would ever set In with the tumultuous
strength 1t mas, carrying everything before it that
ali the lower part OF the city would he given up TO
business warehouses; that the people OF fashion
would lily IRON here from y pestilence. and that
their ancestral has their Old a0odes OF colonial sple-
dor would be converted into steamship Offices OF
| low corner groggerles, or nlhy tenement abodes.
The Battery WAS found too small and, under the sup
position that 1t would remain perpetualiy the popu-
lar resort IL measures were taken TO secure its
enlargement. Application MAS made 70 the state
Legislature. and the result was that on the 2Itn OF
March ISL an acs was passed giving PERMISSION to
and North rivers distance not exceeding 600
feet. IL was expressly specified in the act however,
that the extension should be Tor the purpose OF sx-
tending the Battery for public walk and, II neces-
sary for the erection OF public buildings and works
OF defeDce but with no power 10 dispose OF the same
any power Or ssn i Of any part o. The sc,
also authorized the raising Of sum OF money moi
exceeding 500 0G0 by tax for defrayng the expense
OF tne extension. Under this act the Battery was
extended TO its present linethat Is the line known
as the main line previous to the present extension.
PRESENT EXTENSION BEaUs
IL was not the same public spirit that led 10 the
present extension the one made above but
theless II was considered great advantage to the
city In giving additional territory for It's uses. In
the first place IL was considered that the extension
would be no serious encroacnment upon the waters
OF the harbor fortunately here both wide and deep,
and in the second place II was well known that
the necessary material for rling II up could easily
be obtained. Instead of dumping the debris of the
streets and ashes ana other refuse matter VI the
city ut the dumping grounds on the two rivers, and
thus oostruct their channels, tney could be thrown
here at very trlning expense. The Battery already
contained twelve acres The extension was 10 be
six acres more Having obtained proper authority
the work or further enlarglng and ning In the Bat
terry was resumed in November, 1883, under a con-
| tract made with Henry Conklin. The work, how
ever, proceeded very slowly, and In June 1858, the
| contract was transferred TO George Law who con
sinued the work at intervals until January, 1865,
| when 1t was finally stopped and abandoned. --,..
HARBoR COMMISSIONERS.
Meantime on March 80, 1865, the State Legsla.
| ture passed ao act appointing Board OF Hatbor
Commissioners, to make surveys aud report TO The
| Legislature plan for permanently establishing an
exterior pier and bukhead line all around the city,
outside OF which no erection OF obstruction OF the