The New York herald., 1875-12-27
THE ANNEXED DISTRICT.
The Improvement Of the Twenty third
and Twenty fourth Wards.
THE VARIOUS PLANS EXAMINED.
How the Work Has Been Delayed Through
an Official Deadlock.


ing the district known as tho Twenty third and
Twenty fourth wards the city considerable trouble
has existed 10 tho Department Of Public Parks II being
the duty OF the Commissioners to prepare and adopt
suitable plans for the laying out and Improvement OF
this district and to carry and complete necessary
work for this purpose Shortly after the passage Of
the Annexation act the Commissioners directed their
civil and typographical engineer, General George s.
Greene, TO make thorough examination Of the now
district prepare the necessary plans for sewer
age, drainage, construction Of streets &C
Since 1878 the work 81 surveying and laying out this
district has been steadily prosecuted at very great
expense the engineer department being occupied
with this matter nearly the whole time The plans
for the proposed improvement were eagerly looked for
by the property owners Of the district, as, owing
to the uncertain condition OF affairs in relation
TO the cost OF the work and the amount OF
the assessments, II was difficult TO find pur-
chasers for the land at any fair pricc. The
plan OF improvement at length finished and sub
mtted to the commission in the early part OF the
present year, General Greene having adopted the
rectangular city plan for laying out the entire
district This plan soon as submitted to the Board
occasioned considerable difference OF opinion among
the Commissioners as to the system Of improvement
best suited 10 this portion Of the city. One side hold
ing that the district should be laid out the cty
O'4ASA
soe OF the house believing the 'park" system and
holding that the adoption plan that simply followed
the natural features OF the country was the only class
or improvement worthy OF consideration An estimate
having been made by order Of the Board the cost OF
the Greene'' plan found TO be about SIS 900 per
acre. and the district contained IL 500 acres the
total cost OF improvement would reach the modest sum
OF sos 400 000 The cost of street and road
ton varying from $21o, 600 to $3.50 900 per mile
These startling figures brought the commission TO
sudden halt in their operations and the serious question
at once presented itself of adopting this plan, costing
more than twice the value OF the property, or the
preparation of new one on the park system, which
was believed by some members Of the Board TO be much
less expensive and better suited 10 the district Aeon
siderable amount of trouble and delay was caused in
consideration Of this question, the Board being
equally divided the subject. This condition OF af
fairs lasted until the "Greene plan finally rejected
by the Commissioners for the following reasons-
First in consequence Of its excessively expensive char
acter second, because the plan an adoption OF
system OF parallel Ines rectanges and level grades to
q hiy region, taking up q large area OF land for
streets-about thirty-6ye per cent-dimin!shing
seriously the amount left for occupatioE third that
the system left the property cut up into too small dtv
sons and that the lines Of streets left the adjoining
land either high above far below the grade,
drainage and productive Of malaria, the
proposed plan for the construction Of streets endangered
the future sanitary condition OF the district The
fourth objection the plan that estimate had
been made in connection with the plan OF improve
during its preparation the time-honored practice
the department Of carrying out work and preparing
plans regardless Of wishes Of the property
owners being fully adopted in this case.
For the foregoing this pan prepared at avery
great expense and outlay Of time and money had TO be
abandoned, md although the commission rejected il
on these grounds action taken on this impor-
tant subject beyond referring the entire matter to Com
missioner Martin. This gentleman in communication
TO the Board the adoption Of the 'park"
system Of Improvement best suited to the OF
the locality and the least expensive the cost being es
mated al about s 600 per acre the present value Of
the land No action taken on this communication
for several months and the entire subject renamed in
abeyance until the present month, when, by resou-
ton the Board the landscape architect oi the depart
directed 10 prepare plan for laying out the
annexed district
made by the architect, Mr. omstead, still the general
system Of improvement has been decided upon, aud IS
based on the report OF Commissioner Martin in favor
OF the 'parkn system OF laying out the district
A glance at Typographical map OF the new region
shows that the country Is separated into three distinct
natural divisions the hrst being the swamp and low
lands little above the water level the second division
including all the tabelands ana rolling country from
twenty TO thirty feet above the level the higher
lands steep hills and rocky eminences being included
10 the third natural division The new system OF i'm
uroyement Il 10 treat these three different areas on
and separate principles and II is claimed that
by doing the expense Of the entire work will be less
than half the cost OF the "Greenen plan Of improve
DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE.
The principle on which IL is proposedto drain this
region TO treat the district large area Of country
land which at the present time IS decidedly unhealthy
and productive Of malaria The natural water
courses OF the region are TO be opened and de-
veloped and included in the now sewerage system
wherever practicable The swamps and low lands
are to be interseeted with drains the deep and
surface drainage being tapped by the construction
OF the necessary OF outlet All large under
surface collections Of water caused By the basin like
formation oi rock are TO be drained and the after ac-
cumulation Of water prevented by the connection Of
these 'water pockets with the system of sewerage
Where springs found they VIII be treated IN ike
manner. BY these precautions ana the use and de-
velopment Of the natural drainage of the region in
connection with proper system of sewerage Il IS be-
leved that the entIre viii be made perfectly
healthy and all sources for the production Of malaria
removed
The sewerage system in the 1rst two divisions OF the
dstrictthe low lands swamp and fiat lands OF higher
elevation-wl be the generally adopted all
large cities as ii is believed that these portions Of the
district will be occupied soonest and chiefly used tor
business purposes and the erection Of dwellings cost
ing under S. 600 The water fronts in time viii be
tirey used aud occupied by factories coal Yards build
ing materials, &c, and manufactures requiring by
the nature OF their work good water front Hence by
the construction Of regular system Of street con
struction and sewerage IL is propose 10 render this
portion Of the district ready Tor immediate occupa
ton
4
portion Of the land, VIII follow the natural surface
Of the ground aud Will simply be the construction Of
good road sewers Of proper dimensions 10 relieve and
carry Of the surface drainage AS the natural drainage
OF nearly inc entire area Of the annexed dstricg fI1s
% .n' *. &c .lafem Hive. ts@ cQnstreetog o large col
eclng along the bank Of that river II proposed
TO intercept the and carry OF to the North aud
East rivers this way preventing the hng up q the
Harlem River, and also us means o. rendering the
locality healthy The Improvement Of the
HARLRM RIVER
has been the subject OF considerable attention, II IS
proposed 70 make a 400 foot way through this
rivcr The surveys plans ard estimates have already
been made by General Newton, of Tie United States
Engineers and the Park Commissioners urgn the
Congressmcn from this city the necessity Of procuring
appropriation or g. 900 900 from Congress for this
purpose
For the crossing Of this river several plans have been
proposed, The propriety 81 tUnnelng has received
considerable amount If attention but the immense
OF the work-it being estimated 81 600 900
the lowest amountand the permanent obstruction TO