The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-09
CITY IMPROVEMENTS.
How Commissioner Van Mort and the PARK
Commissioners Are Progressing.
Work On tho Boulevard, the Avenue st. Niehst
las and Other Uptown Streets and Avenues
What Has Been Done This Season and
What Win Be Dons-The Grand
Circuit Drive Of Ten kiles-Ths
City Parks and Square.

City PARKS ana bqu3xo.s
The Commissioner Of Public Works, Mr.. van
Mort, and the Park Commissioners, Messrs. Wales,
Stebbins Williamson and Hall, are busy at WORK
in their respective departments in pushing for,
ward the improvements In the city. In Mr.. VAN
Norris department the work thrown upon his
hands when he came into ONCE was OF gigantic
nature embracing the development OF all the upper
part OF the city and the completion Of projects
which were grand In conception, and which, wheK
they have been fnlly utilized, will place New YORK.
among the foremost Of the great and most beaut$
full cities Of the world. Few people not IN th&
habit Of travelling in the upper region OF the city
have any idea OF the magnificent proportions OF
the improvements that have been for some tim4
past and are now In course OF progress. Peopia
have been 30 long hearing Of the laying out Of
grand boulevards and avenues and streets uH
town without ever hearing of the completion Of
any Of them that the hope deferred easily became
settled conviction that all
THE GREAT CONTEMPLATED AUTHORIZATION
had no further purpose than the serving OF the
schernes Of conniving politicians. Only the feW
whom pleasure brought to the old Harlem lane, OF
who could afford to drive in carriage or wagon
around the upper limits OF the city, were aware
how steadily for some time past the work has been
progressing, and with what long strides Commits.
6lOQer van NOrt, VIII Ills OduOS VI ndnOlCraIC
was stepping from place to place, in wild and
almost desolate region, smoothing the stubborn
hills and hollows into streets of level grade and
grand dimensions. Now, however, as the work Isl
drawing to a close in many places there seems
likelihood that the end has come OF all the old
stops and bitches and that the grand streets and
drives boosted of for so long time shall soon BE-
completed. Below will be found brief account Of
the progress made on all the uptown streets and
avenues upon which the Department of Public
Works Is now bpsily engaged.
THE BOULEVARD.
The Boulevard begins at the circle at Flfty.nlnth
street and runs to 165th street. 1t Is 15s feet IN
width and about five miles long. That portion
south Of Manhattan street has two carriage ways
each 40 feet in width, with centre strip between
of % 1eet. North Of Manhattan street the centre
piece is omitted and the carriage way is lo2 feet
wide The Boulevard at this point is one of the
finest drives in the world The superstructure Of
the entire street Is Tilford foundation pavement
10 inches In depth, covered with a Macadam stone.
surfaced, graveed and rolled. The regulatingr
grading and superstructure are complete. The
only work that remains to be done Is the tagging
OLA half mile of sidewalks. The sewers are Id
progress from Sixtieth to Sixty fifth street; also
In the vicinity Of Eighty-nrst street. at Ninety.
sixth street, and from 1929 to 136th streets. On
these sewers a large number OF men are now emy
ployed. AS to the planting on the sidewalks de-
lay must necessarily arise in consequence Of the
work on the sewers, but all the planting has been
done from the circle to Seventy. street,
The regulating, grading and superstructure WIN
be finished this month.
SEVENTH AVENUE.
Seventh avenue, as 1t falls under the Dos
ment, extends from 10th s ste, to the Harlem
River, ann Z: s"Svur one hundred and fifty feet In
width, with length OF about two and two-fftlt
miles. The whole work OF the regulating grading
is on the Tilford and Macadam planehas been COM
pleted this season. About one thousand feet OF
nagging yet remains to De done but this win be-
il is expected this work will be finished before
the present season is over. The planting must.
OF course, be delayed until the completion Of the
sewers.
This avenue runs nom 10th to 121st street, on
the line Of the old Harlem lane and thence, follow
ing the line Of the old Klngsbridge road, to 155th
is 100 feet in width and two and onethird miles In
length In width the carriage-way is fifty feet its
twelve inches deep and covered with six inches Of
the best ROah Hook gravel, rolled. This makes q
Macasam GAM surface Il is now open rem IiOsa
street to 12lst street, and from l3oth to 155th
Streets is Being rapidly Constructed and It is be-.
lieved will be opened early next month. As to the
superstructure, nothing remains to be done bus
the tagging OF the sidewalks, which Is being
pushed as fast as possible.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIrTY-FIFTH STREET.
This new street extends from Ninth avenue to
the Hudson River: The fag9ing, regulating and
grading are being done BY contract and are 50 far
em to s sy S e to snc
Boulevard on the soutnerly side: This work win
os % aG% Of the
from Fifty-nin street, at Fifth avenue through
the Park, along the avenue st. Nicholas to 165th
fhonn and nuYra I'm
the Eighth avenue and Fifty ninth street Park
trance, a distance OF about ten miles. The regu-
drive shorter but similar to this, taking in Sixth
avenue and the Boulevard. This street, as well as
ss ~ street Is 100 fee feet In h carriage
145th street from Seventh avenue to the Boulevard
are nearly completed.
Tenth avenue, from 155th street to Fort George,
at 194th street. is miles long and 100 feet broad
structure is mostly Of temporary character, nav.
ing two carriageways, each twenty feet In width,
adjoining the curb, with an earth road Of twenty
feet between. The One Hundred and Twenty-fith
street Railroad has tracks IN this street and by ts
charter can extend them up the avenue, and for
Se ROAD Is
from sth street to above MR n Bridge , ~
season.
The regulating and grading OF this street. which
the avenue st. Nicholas, have been completed this
season. THIS street, In connection with i25th
street. which 1t ntersect5 near Ninth avenue, will
probably by reason OF Its easy grades and location,
become one Of the great thoroughares OF the upper
part of the city. In connection with 125th street.
into which 1t easily glides, there Is clear roadway
from river to river The width OF the street Is 100
feet with a carriageway ofseventy feet. The pave
along the centre Of the street. large outlet
sewer is being constructed which will be finished
this season.
sBvENTY-sECOND STREET.
:, Seventy-second street. from Eighth avenue to
Hudson River, BY an ordinance Of the Common
Council passed in October, 1872, is to have Tai
ford and macadamized road. The portion OF tho
street between the Boulevard and E.oht1
avenue, at the Central PARK entrance, has
been opened for the past four weeks, and a
portion from the Boulevard to the Riverside drive
will be completed by the end Of October A nor
ton west Of the bukhead line depends for complc-
ton upon the placing Of bridge over the Hudson
River Railroad tracks and the construction OF a
buikhCad by the Department OF Docks Commia-