The New York herald., 1869-11-30

Wiping Out the Landmarh-Last Days
Of Ancient New York Church Street
Laid Broad and Bare TO the Battery
Worth Street Piercing tho Five
Points Pearl Street Propering
The Prospect Ahead = The
Law Tagging Behind.

Law Tagging Behind.
The process Of Haussmannizing New York h to all
Appearances going rapidly forward with the esssn-
tlal difference between the French method and our
own or widening the narrow aud strengthening tho
crooked wayn that the former prefers one directing
mind ana We prefer several. the power TO extend
streets is about a. absolute in the one case IL in
the other. few railroad corporations have only to
ask that dozen blocks oi houses-big houses, that
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars were lavished on
be removed for the accommodation Of their lines,
and stralgntway, "a though by . harlequm's wandA
tho towering walls Of brown stone and brick disap-
pear like tho mist Of the morning. The intrinsic
value OF the extension Of Church street may be an
open question: but few wlll be reluctant to yield
their mite OF admiration TO the bold ana mastery
manner In which 1t was pushed through from Fulton
street 70 the Battery. To drive q clean gap 100
feet WIDE through the heart OF an old, solid
and densely built up neighborhood, through
great ponderous warehouses, and in the midst
Of thronging trafnc, SO long distance and in SO
short . time, was feat Of which even our friend
Haussmann might be proud New Church street
makes gallant show. There Is breadth Of sky
above 1t OF which its paternal relation can never
nowadays catch q glimpse. Standing on Fulton
street. at the southeast corner Of old st. Paul's
churchyard, and looking towards the Battery, the
spectator sees but house or two standing on the
newly created thoroughfare 10 obsruct his view OF
the blue waters OF the bay and the interesting loaf
ers on the grassy margin Of Castle Garden He
must confess, In spite OF every insinuaton to the
contrary that great i'm provement is this same ex
tension. True, 1t has sacrificed many . noble and
costly pne. with stout imposing fronts Of embroid-
cred MARBLE but 1t has also wiped out an acre 80
OF the sin and 1lth-denled buildings OF the olden
time, letting In the light the air and the smiling face
OF heaven where oil three were strangers before.
In slicng down the space for the Church street ex
tension some warehouses were pared away to Q few
feet, and the awkwardness OF their present atten-
uated appearance s easily realized In looking at the
ridiculously shallow depths OF the new fronts put
up ON the extension. Between Dey and Cortlandt,
on the west side, o six story range OF extremely
plain brick warehouses is nearly completed. 1t Is
almost q inisnomer TO cell them warehouses, as Q
man might reach with his arm from the front door
TO the back wall. Turning around In the rooms up
stairs must be done by pivonng one's self on his
heels. At the opposite side, however. much
greater depth has been secured, and more SNOWY
diversified class Of buildings has been erected. At the
west sde between Cortandt and Liberty, all is blank
az bali alley. The shaving process has been clean
as sawed log leaving the corner stores intact and
much OF the wall plaster perfect. Across the
site Of the old carriage factory, corner OF
Trinity place AND N away a1se, sns rear Of
noble amplitude OF width holds lts way 10 an old,
smoke Degrimed brick building at Rector street,
which stu stands as an obstruction. but sweeping
past, the extension cuts through and cuts down
hundred old rookerles all along to Morris street.
structure several hundred feet long, formerly Stood
and, close beside IT, the highest brick building in the
oppeared. but in the place OF the former an enar-
nous iron edince has been erected, with high
Mansard roof resting upon beams, winch IN turn rest
upon pillars or limbs OF iron Of truly colossal pro-
portions. II Is very near completion and Is really
gigantic ping up Of metal WITHIN its walls United
owner owner, Tnc!s Sam win pay rent Of many thou,
The Church street extension, then, is an accom-
pished TACT. The length and breadth nave been cut
carved and cleared. Next summer the street cars
starting from tho Park will bear the passenger
ng the glorious bosom Of the bay clear down the
cottonwood shade Of the Battery, where he can
feast nls eyes the dark blue sea, the sailing ships
into Greenwich with o tolcraDy easy curve but It
would be still easier the southeast corner OF Morris
street was sliced OH, and thus nearer and clearer
glimpse OF the Battery BY the approaching passen-
gers would be secured. Yesterday the work Of
on m yery sSouS Mis
alter 80 much has been already well and
quickly accomplished In the entire yawning
space, with It's mountains OF rubbish be-
tween Dey and Cortlandt, only two Irish laDorers
were visible, and these were away down In sand
pit, apparently searching Tor CLANS However, the
street car people can afford to walt can the pub
lc. Church street. however, Is Q success. the grum-
blers against the extension are those who own pro
perty on the route and considered themselves Ill
recOmpensed In its disposal. 10 the general public
this matter OF small consequence. or course the
r0gues that latteD on every municipal Improvement
viii get their slice out f this also; but this and
trrepresslble community which mas stood IL long
uilmate and permanent convenience New Church
street, from its hne width and central location,
should be lined with the best class Of wholesale
stores, but SO far buildings or the meAnest and
nimsiest character have been put up with
but one exception. In the instance OF the
really splendid and substantial structures. BY rea-
OF the little space left at the sides to build houses
nave justly 5 and necessarily been very light ana SO
Inadequate W the expenditure involved In the I'M
proyenent that property holders as far up as Four
deray the expense
WORTH STREET OPENING.
The opening OF Worth street from Chatham square
to Centre street and thence Broadway Is perhaps
one OF the most interesting, satisfactory, wise and
needful improvements that has been made N many
years. The work involved was OF the simplest kind,
and must have cost specifically and comparatively
but . tribe. But look a. the results and look
by on Chatham square or Broadway. Behind
that screen, II we may e,. So cal The the few lew
on as p 81 1ne
was hidden and to him who walked along down |
from the busting Bowsry % no a glimpse = was Z given
GUS vista of Baxter or Cherry street. Tne view |
from Broadway was equally Indefinite. Looking |
OOWn WOrIu btrces uppcdTcu CtIt We sac, OE tS0
labyrinth OF streets and alleys, with clear means
OF egress on the other side. stranger who mlght
be told 1t was the notorious leprous locale OF
the citys abandoned childen would certainly show |
little disposition 70 explore its topography. But
there 10 no need for apprehension now; for there
goes . street. straight as an arrow, through the
heart OF the ctys ulcer ana lets in the light from
the blue sky beyond. The tmid and fastidious can
now pass through Worth street from Bowery TO |
Broadway and Utce versa without fear or |
trembling, and surely that alone Is Q |
great triumph. The opening Of Worth street |
has something like resemblance to the |
moral exposure of privately bad character. Al long
a. none but policemen or citizens Of adventurous
tastes, bus very fearful steps were ntruders the
society of the Five Points felt Indifferent criri-
cism; but when the curtain at the end Of Worth |
street WAS drawn aside and the great bulls eye lam
tern of day turned in upon II there was no |
fellow here on the corner, who keeps the whskey
nosnn nnantg makes money OF the Eorlorn Hretchea