New-York tribune., 1873-08-02
BEAUTIFYING THE CITY.
PROGRESS IN PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.

Few people who have nOt recently traVerscu
that part OF the city lying above Fiftynnthst nave
much conception Of tho changes which are taxing place
I'm the appearance of that section under the busy hands
of the Departments OF Public Parks and Of Public WORKS
The former though formerly having charge OF all street
improvements above Fiftynintt-st, has OF late been
confined in Its operations to the various pars ana mas
directed its toward adding to the ornamentaoh
OF the city by increasing the beauty OF these popular
resorts The work OF the latter, while In part Oh al
ornamental nature, too. in the construction Vi
bouleyards and pleasant drives has been rather
more practical in character, consisting mainly
in the opening and grading OF avenues ana
streets the building OF sewers the laying Of waterppes'
&c. Persons acquainted with the topography OF tne
island around and above Central Park few years ago
will recall the rough uneven nature OF much Oh tue sur
face and remember how Ill adapted 1t was to the erec
ton OF dwellings and other purposes required In the
near future through the rapid growth Of the metrop
oils To such as have viewed the great transforma-
tons already effected and the works In progress to
make this section attractive and TO render 1t more
available for general residence, considerable surprise
will be caused by ride over the upper end OF the
island In adding thus to the beauty Of the city, and In
increasing the value Of property, these improvements
possess an importance which will render Interesting
brief description OF those completed and now in pro-
ress with sketch of others that are as yet In
embryo. - - - - .. ..
The work OF the Park Commissioners being places OF
public resort continually brought into notice while IN
progress and everything Of Importance becomes wen
known long before completion that 1t remains only to
tell plans arranged for future operations or measures
under contemplation. or the former, 1t may be said,
that the Commissioners having hardly organized as yet
intend first to push forward the improvements set on
foot by their predecessors before undertaking any new
ones OF their own. Among the principal OF these In Cen
tra Park the construction OF the Merchants Gae at
the at Eghthaye. and Fifty-nnth-st when Is
expected be- when completed one OF the handsomest
sruotures OF the kind In the country Tho piers Will be
formed OF combination OF red and gray granite the
shafts OF the columns of which will be OF polished Scoch
and black Russian granite and the riezes and archVoS
will be inaid with knops Of polished porphyres lhe
capitals bases and finals are 10 DO vi
standard bronze tipped with gliding "ho
the railing and gates will probably be In iron pronzeu
the gavanic process, though they may be OF standard
bronze The design OF the made under the d.
reotjon of Messrs Yaux Mould architects OF the De-
parment and has been several years In preparauon'
No work yet been done on this gate beyond laying
the foundations but number OF bids are under consld-
eration and is expected that the contract Will soon De
let and operations begun it. About three years VIII be
reoured to complete it, Another addition to the orna-
mens conveniences OF the park VIII be an nscope
arch built under the drive from the entrance at Fifth
ave- and Fifth nnth-st near the southern end OF the
museum, which will afford more direct passage from
be 100 feet in length feet wide and 13 feet high, and
will be constructed of rough Passamaquoddy and West
erly and Quincy granite combined 1t is already under
contract and it's completion Is promised by Nov l.
wall Is also being constructed along the Eighth
ave. side of tho Park, Of which some 6,oOo
feet remain yet to be finished, while the
entrances on Eighth-ave. at Eighty-hfth and One
hundredth-sts, to be graded for pubic use, with
various improvements Of lesser note.
ruy sx,rrrp p.pus
On Manhattan square, where it is intended to erect
number OF public buildings very little has been done as
yet workmen are engaged, however, In grading
the site OF the proposed new Museum OF Natural His
tory the plans for which have been prepared but not
fully decided on The Riverside, Mornngsde and High
Bridge Parks sti remain untouched, though numerous
designs for improving them are under consideration
and in preparation, upon the approval OF which the
work will probably be prosec uted actively At the va
rous other parks throughout the city, the operations
are conducted energeticalIy with a view to complet-
ing them as rapidly possible. These improvements
comprise among other things the erection OF handsome
fountains in of the leading squares the precise
patterns being. however. as yet undetermined.
THE BoULEvARDs.
The boulevards form also important feature In the
plan of beautifyng the city, beside being useful fine
avenues for riding both for pleasure and for business
The LAYING out and construction of these which in the
main follow the lines OF regular streets, or old roads
though occasionally branching out new routes In
places have been aterly under the charge OF the De-
partment OF Public Works, with the opening aud grading
OF streets aud the laying OF and other works now
under way in this section. Tho Grand Boulevard ex
tending from the southwest corner of Central Park at
Eighthave. and Fftyninthst. along the line OF Broad
way and Eeventh-ave, Is graded to Onehundred-and-
fftyfthst and the superstructure completed, except
about 800 feet the vicinity OF
fourthst and the upper end In addition to
.aN "a tla
ing OF about threefourths Of mile OF tagging on one
side This boulevard is altogether about miles in
length and l5o feet WIDE Below ManhaJtanst. 1t Is
divided into two roadways, each 40 feet In
width by central plots "a feet broad with walks
of "a feet either side. Above Manhattan
st. however single roadway 102 feet across, exists
The supersrucre OF the roads is of Teford pavement
eight inches DEPTH covered with ten inches Of Mac
adam or broken About 30 trees American elms,
have been planted thus far, In double rows, along the
central plots from Flftynnth to Seventy but
those bordering the sidewalks have not been yet
These will TO await the construction OF the sewers
and the laying Of water pipes, which are TO be placed
under walks in order to avoid tearing up the pave
ment Of the roadbed when repairshre needed Work is
proceeding in sections these, Sixty second.
seyentieth Eighty first, and Ninety ss., aud be-
tween One nehundred-and-twenteth and One-hundred-
and-thirty -ffthsts., and will soon be finished Opera
tions frat begun on the Boulevard In September,
1868. and Its completion Is promised Dy SeptenDer 1873
Another important boulevard the Avenue St. Nicholas
which starts from the northern end of the Park, at
and tenthst. and Sixthave., and follows
the line OF Harem-laue to One-hundred- ed-and-twenty-
frstst and Eighthaye., thence extending by the old
Kngsbridge-road TO One-hundred fifty -ffth-st.,
being about two and onethrd miles long, with width
OF 100 feet IS of which devoted TO carriageway
The grading curbng OF the avenue are all DONE and
the superstructure is finished from onehundrcd-and
tantb IN Lane 4 and
One hundre land thirty-htth One-hundredandffty-
hntween which points IL Is open for use