The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-14
April 20, 1870, TO April 2l, 1871.
DEPARTMENT or PUBIC PARKS,

DEPARTMENT or PUBLIC PARKS, !
NO. 265 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. May !, lSTl.)
10 the Hon. A. oAKEY HALL. Mayor Of the City OF
New York.
Pursuant to your requirement. the Department OF
Public Parks makes thus. It's FIRST, annual report.
1t is proper. at The outset, to trace through the
various laws on the subject the powers. duties and
jurisdiction OF the department.: and to present In
digested form, all those parts OF the laws which re-
main In force, and control affect the department.
now organized. aud which hitherto have not been
presented in an analytical form public considera-
ton and official information his analysis Is now
submitted in an apr ropriate ap pendix
These laws vest IN the department q jurisdiction
IN the county OF Westches ter, which extends from
the village OF YonkerS to the Harlem river; also
which embraces the Improvement of that river ana
all The public squares, parks ana places IN city
OF New York. In eject, the Central Park Commits
sion-whch had been State organization and inde
pendent Of the city goIernment-and The municipal
bureaus winch relaieu TO The several lands ana
places We're consolidated, ana this uepartn ent sue
ceeus 10 all their powers
ine present commissioners entered upon their
duties on the sd day OF May, 1870
The Commissioners, upol organizing, INN ediatey
proceeded to inquire inLo and amlliarlze selves
with the system Oh organization OF the late Central
IarK comm So Oh, ana especially With the methods
by which the several works under the control OF
That BODY hau bee. carried on. Upon investigation
IL appeared that there were no rules or regulations
controlling the various employees Of the Board,
one or tho members OF that BODY, with some what
limited control exercised over HIM by the other
commissioners. There.o the present Commissions
crs forthwith organized the department. INTO sepa-
rate bureaus, assigning TO each bureau specific
work anu uuteS. and colndlng Its control to lndl-
viduais VINO might De selected with reference To
ther quallncaton for the particular work to be
done.
THE BUREAUS.
The department, accordingly, created seven
bureaus namely
Fp'st--A Bureau oil Accounts, the chief officer OF
which was denomlnated sine Comptroller OF Ac
counts" u whose charge were entrusted all the ac
counts oil the department, the control OIL clerks en-
pioyed therein, incluuing a purchasing clerk,
payllaster anu also property clerk.
Atcond-A nre;la or construction and Repairs,
the head OF which was dcnonilnaled "Tne Engineer
in-Cnel'' with Il duty o directing and supervising
all work To be done In the construction OF buildings
ana improvements ana OF making al necessary re.
pairs thereto under the direction and control or the
Board There were ana attached to this bureau
experienced eng .neers and capable assistants EN-
ployed III performing the important and responsible
dutles required from lhem
yhud-A Bureau OF the Central Park. The head
OF this bureau Is cenomlnated 1.-THE superintendent
OF the Central Park ana his duties consist IN su.
perlntenaing that park and Mount Morris square
ana the employees tneren.
fotT,i.-A Bureau OF Landscape Gardening the
head OF which Is denominaled "Ihe Chiei Land.
scape Gardener whose duties consist III devlsng
ana preparing plans Tor ornamenting and embensh-
Ing Tie PARKS and places under the control OF The
Board aud, win The aid OF assistants and skilled
gardeners carving into effect The various plans
proposed and WHOA may be approved ana adopted
by the Bolru
F.lh-A Bureau OF Public squares and Places In
SHc Iliy Ol NEW 10TH Dtc neat Ol WHICH Is uclolu-
mated the SUI erniendent OF Pubic squares and
Places, whose dulles consist IN experimenting those
squares and places ana the various employees con-
nected herewith.
.sigil-A Bureau OF Police the head OF which Is
rhe Captain oil Police whose duties consist in direct
Ing ana contro lng the parkkeepers aud gatekeep-
ers Attached 10 tins bureau Is lieutenant, and
sufficient number OF sergeants OF police 70 assist the
captain in the executive direction Of. It's Import
.Ssceah-A Bureau OF Civil and Typographical En-
giDeerlng, the chief oilicer OF which Is known as
.'Tne Ciyil and Typographical Engineer This Du-
contains four.subdiyisions .LrsG. 1.-THE West side
New ork extending rom Fifty ninth street west OF
Eighth avenue to The Harlem river ana spnyten
siiylsion' including that aud Spuyten
Duyvil creek ana 50 far upon both sides thereof as
may be necessary IN carrying out any Improve
ments In connection herewith; third, 1.-THE
Westminster dWsion,' incuding all the
county or westchester under the control OF the
Department located Forth OF the Harlem river aud
Spllylen Duvyil creek; fourth, tne East Side div-
SION inducing ai ,hai pai 81 e saa 81 Mew
avenue ana OF Eighth avenue, north OF the Central
Park TO the Harlem river. Ihs bureau has charge
OF gall streets, avenues. roads ana public squares
and places and establishing the grades thereof;
other means oil communication between the coun-
lies OF New York ana Westchester together with
any Improvement Of Harlem river and Spuyten
UuyyiI creek which by law Is or may hereafter be
directed 10 he carried into e1ect
.archtect-in-chiel' ana a experimenting architect
were appointed to supervise and superlntend all the
structures and buildings belonging To The Depart
ment
The subject which next demanded attention from
1he present Board was the condition OF the roads
ana drives In the Central Park. The roads required
immediate care. they had been very much worn.
constructed in order to adapt them TO the then I'm
perfect condition Of the roadways. The roads were
crown Of the roads restored to its original state
All tins involved much time and skilled labor. Be-
fore laying the gravel there was removed the
large Quantity Of protruding pebbles winch had
become fir lily imbo,ldcd In the roadway and gave
q dlsagreeaDle roughness to its surface. This slow
and tedious operation will not need to be repeated
inasmuch ~ the gravel now used Is all properly
Complaints that the gravel used upon them was
mingled with large pebble stones. underwent care
ful rcparatlon, ana were placed 10 thorough con-
''''' - " ShSIkiI Park Walks.
The ws n the sa K asp"s asS S Ss
Of order in many places, with lilmerou. cracks and
holes made by the weather. aud many places where
washed away. These were repaired, so far as was
practicable ut That time, with tho best pavement
which could be tnen pr ocured suitable Tor the pur
pose.
The West Side boulevard had then been In pro-
cess OF construction for nearly two years and no
part OF IL had yet been opened. 1t was obviously
important TO TINS road completed for business
travel ut the earliest day possible because II fur-
nished the only means OF access from the upper to
me lower end Of the city for all the traffic OF the
island, ana It's speedy construction was imperative
Therefore directions were at once given 10 have all
the force put on II that could possibly be worked
with advantage In the month of September free
and uninterrupted travel was secured on that por
non OF the Boulevard roadway between the Circle at
Fifty-ninth street sevenlyrsL street. and on the
list day Of November those portions OF said roadway
seventy.rst street and Eighty eignt strees
and between 1J3d street and 10sth street were or
lered opened for the public use. thus alfOrdng To
the residents on the upper portion OF the island aci
.es for access 10 the lower part oi the city superior
10 ANYTHING that had been or enjoyed at any time
heretofore. $3.50 80.
In addition to this Boulevard II was considered
material to complete the Sixth and Seventh avenues
anoye 10Th street, that access 10 the PARK could
lie conveniently had from the upper portion OF the
isiand And this work has been energeticay prose-
cuted with the elect hereafter more particularly
it was also considered advisable 10 pursue, with
like vigoI, the working OF lhc avenue 81 Nicholas.
then IN part under contract and which had pro-
crossed very slowly. Before tue season closed
road .ytending from Rreakneck Hill mai been