The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-16

an abstract Of the Same nom January to May !,
1872 win be given in the report OF the Department.
when the changes of administration occurred, the
liabilities Of the department amounted to
8, $40, 0S9 70, the bills due and overdue to
S44S,S53 49, and its bank account was overdrawn
sea- ST. IS through the courtesy of bank officials.
The greater part OF the funds available to the de-
partment since November have been necessarily
applied to the liquidation OF its previous indebted
ness-an Indebtedness incurred In good faith, but
un%expeStedly confronted BY deficiency account "a
projects had In view by the department In 1871 has
been suspended, and one under which the work Of
far-namely, that OF transforming the north meadow
OF the Central Park into geological garden-has
which had been partly built, has been demolished.
The only other important change OF plan decided
upon by the board under Presidency of Mr.. Ste6-
BINS has been In relation to the buildings to be
erected for the Metropolitan Museum OF Art and
the American. Museum OF Natural History, re-
spectlvely. After consultation with the trustees
OF each or these institutions 1t has been determined
that the site for the first shall be fixed upon
missioners OF the Central PARK in 1859. near Fifth
avenue, between Seventy-ninth and Eghty-fourth
streets, instead of on the ground formerly known
as Manhattan square, which Is set apart as the site
OF the Museum Of Natural History. Buildings Of
great extent and considerable elevation may be
erected In each OF these localities without breaking
the principal landscapes or interruptng any i'm
portant line OF communication upon the Park. The
to be their distance rom the present centre of
population OF the city; but, after prolonged and
earnest discussion 1t was concluded to be npracti
cable to secure sites OF sufficient extent to which
this objection would apply In muc h less serious
degree, without too large sacrifice of other public
interests. Plans for both Museum buildings are
preparing and their construction is expected to be
soon undertaken.
The plans adopted last year for the smaller parks
OF the city were found generally SO far advanced
that though in numerous respects not conrornable
to the ideas OF majority in the present board, no
changes In them have been determined on. The
pleasure ground OF Union square, however, was in
process OF being dismantled for new works, but
not SO ar reformed that any notable modification OF
the first plan would necessarily involve large
waste OF work already executed. few changes
the desired purpose of making passage through
the park In various directions less devious and
curing broader verdant surfaces.
Harlem River and Vestchester.
Considerable work has been done during the
year in the matter of examining the bridges across
the Harlem River and making sOundings, borings
and plans for new structures.
The bridge at McCOmb's Dam, having been found
to be In an unsafe condition. has been rebuilt, ana
the bridge at Third avenue repaired and put in
complete working condition.
preliminary plan for q tunnel under the Harlem
River, at the head OF Seventh avenue, has been
prepared and several plans have also been received
from bridge constructors, in pursuance OF in
vitat1ons from the department., for iron draw
bridges.
the cost OF building tunnel and draw -bridges
me ,soundings OF the Harlem River and Spuyten
Combs Dam bridge to the Hudson River, defining
the boundary line between New York and Vest
chester county and establishing connections be-
tween the surveys and improvements on the New
YORK side and those in progress in Westchester
county.
Plans have been adopted and filed for the laying
out OF about three thousand linear feet of streets
in the immediate vicinity OF High Bridge
me surveys IN Westminster county under the
control or this department are being pushed rap
idly forward to completion.
The department had during the last two years,
laid large extent OF concrete pavement for walks
and roads. Various patent compositions and pro-
cesses had been employed for this purpose, all Of
come Improvements upon the ordinary stone and
gravel roads and walks previously used. On inspec
ton at the close OF last winter the condition of nut
to be satisfactory to majority Of the Board. The
surface OF tire walks which had been laid more than
one year seemed disintegrated in whole or in fre-
quent patches Ito u great extent by the action Of
the extreme frost), and 1t was evident that an
tensivc reconstruction or larger repair was lnlme
diately necessary.
A number OF gentlemen connected with the pub
lie works OF Philadelphia, Washington and Brooklyn
animation and study Of the subject, and report of
certain conclusions reached by them has been made
public It was ascertained that over one hundred
patents for bituminous cOncretes especially de-
signed for the surface of walks and roads had been
issued from the United States Patent Office, the
specifications OF most of which provide for an adj
mixture Of substances, the only effect OF which
would be detrimental to the purpose in view. The
reason OF the failure of others is found either In the
fact that the bituminous substance used contains
different and unknown proportions OF accidental
impurities, some positively harmful and some sim
ply useless or in the fact that greater Judgment
and skill is in some cases exercised by the work
men engaged in the manipulation Of the combina-
Character as those which have s''e Been me ! s
not doubted, but as yet no method by
which an equally valuable result can be
its general application. has been completely estab.
lished. great deal OF enterprise is now directed
to the Determination OF such method, and in seve-
raj cases with results which at least promising.
IL Is believed that, as experience reveals the
Of imperiection, these win be gradually overcome.
the trial of this class OF pavements with
that caution which experience justines. Thus
majority of the board that no satisfactory roads
or walks for pleasure grounds have been found, at
all events, less expensive In original construction
twelve to fourteen years ago on the Central Park,
and which were composed solely Of broken stone
Meteorological.
The report Of Mr.. Daniel Draper, the Director OF
the Meteorological Observatory, contains very full
tables and charts showing the temperature and
pressure of the air. the direction force and velocity
of the wind and the amount of rain fall from the
beginning to the close of the year 1871. In addi
ton to the registration Of these statistics Mr.
Draper has undertaken scientific inquiry in regard
to two questions of popular INTEREST,"
First, as to the influence of the clearing OF land
on the increase or dimnuton Of the rain fall. and
second. as to the change II any In the climate OF
New York or that Of the Atlantic States. The de.
are based not only on the observations made under
his own immediate direction but on an examina-
ton Of registers kept in Boston, Philadelphia,
Charleston, Great Britain and other parts of Europe
during a long series OF years.
Mr.. Draper's investigations lead him to the con-
cusiOn that the clearing of land does not diminish
the volume OF ranall that change in the climate
of the A tlantic States has occurred within a GEN.
fury; that. surface changes through agriculture,
drainage, &C., give rise to no appreciabe meteoro
logical effect, and that the popular opinion which
supposes that such influence exists Is altogether
erroneous.
Most OF the instruments OF the Observatory have
been SO arranged as to be open to public inspec-
tion and Ii is satisfactory to learn from the Director
that nearly every day several hundred visitors to
the Park find intelligent amusement in watching
their indications and studying their construction.
AS in former years. the records have been employed
In the courts of law for the determination of various
questions of facts in dispute.
The Museum of Natural History.
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