The New York herald., 1876-07-15
7ONPKIN'S SQUARE.
A Crying Disgrace to
the City.
Deplorable Condition of a Once
Noble Square.
WHO is RESPONSIBILITY

| mon and children on the east side OF town
They were accustomed to here from all terri
tory north OF street. south Of Fourteenth
and east OF Third avenue Women and children predom
mated They entirely OF the working classes and
their homes those tall brick tenement houses
whero lie the heated torn Is wearisoms burden
Here thoy thronged till every ard bench hsd
hundreds content to sit around the square
the adjacent curbstonos Children great mulntudea
romped and ran about the broad area devoted the
parade ground. row OF fine shady elm trees encir
cled the quadrangle and strip Of green sward ex
tended from each OF the four sides
PuNy sIcKLy CHILDREN
brought out here by their tired and tollworn
mothers and 1t q blessed sight 10 see the great
gathering OF sury afternoon in July out in this great
playground delighted heart and soul to have such
place escape from the heat and misery OF their tene
ment quarters IL was in fine spirit Of philanthropy
that the Tompkins family whose estates the stuy
vesants have succeeded, bequeathed this property
the city that it might be devoted place Of health
and recreation for the poor aboring people Little
Dir. Tompkins dreamed that his splendid gift would
have been abused in tho manner 1t has been. Little
did he think that the beautiful grove Of elms would
remorseessly down and that the prmeval
soil would have been covered with that abomnabe
composition called Tweed's tar. Could he rise
from grave and the condition OF
the property ho generously wiIled for the
health comfort Of the poor words would but i'll
portray his indignation. more disgraceful sight
than Tompkns square presents At this moment 1t
would be impossible TO find in any capital OF civilized
Christondom. Not solitary seat or bench has been
lett and the whole OF this once noble square has
been ripped and torn up, II two contcnding armies
had breastworks from its soil and fought
its surface year HERALD reporter. detailed to
make inspection OF the square, went lesurey over
il yesterday and after that he took the views OF
OF tho people who occupy places Of business In the
neghDorhood The view Of one might DC saia .a 10 %
ponsbe for the present state OF affairs deserved little
less than hanging.
THE FEELING OF INDIGNATION
was bitter in the extreme, and was shared 10 by all
classes from Mr. F. Reinhard, who keeps modest
beer saloon the OF the square, TO
Dr. Simon Sutana who lives in a spacious mansion on
the north side The women were II possible, more in
dlgnant than the men. Mrs Humpsunt, comely Ger
man woman OF highly vigorous expression, who was
running saloon in the absence OF her lord said "a
the reporter, II thinks dey are shust tam lot Of toeiA
here cutlin' down de drees ana pun' eferyting
beeces You shust look out dat window derc and
and md dats s''s shuss Dc M way dey hat Been dom
for de last six munts" Hore Mrs. Hump
s o o. e
park foong with tape and chain measures, theodoes
aud other surveyors instruments She grew fairly
wild with indignation when she surveyed ihe wreck
and front Of her door and then gaAed at the
feeble attempt in corner with about seven eight
aborers and restore the thing that had
been destroyed
A MoNsrRous ExcREscExcE
The reporter, on hls VISIT wa: nrst struck by the
corner OF the square, 1t was 20 high that stand
ing opposite TO It avenue A he could only see the
spires of Father MONEYS church. the other side Of
the square. 1t looked monsr0us excrescsncs and
tull OF miniature ravnss, which the heavy rains
had ploushed out
1t was as shapoless as q dung heap and little moro
attractive up ragged sides two women, pale and
Suo Containing s%.
hopes getting resher breath oil air than the streets
afforded Curious 10 know what that huge heap oi
earth intended for, the reporter accosted Oicef
Stewart whose beat has been on the east side OF the
square for many dreary day. "wc," said he, "a
understand 1t is intended as reviewing stand for
General Shaler and the staff officers OF the National
Guard 1t will be tivatcd on and terraced and pa.
vilion put top for tho ladss" '.rel me- officer"
said the reporter wnat is intended to be put this
opposite (southeastI corner where so much earth has
been excavated ana where The boys playing in the
puddlesS" ''fhat think, 10 intended to contain q
fountain The water you notice in the excavation gave
such q stencil few days ago that never could
dry days and when little wind is blowing
INV uniform looks like bakers suit and all the people
the ride have to close up their windows very
tight or smothered with the drift Of dust blown of
the surface of tho square, In tho this sidewalk
(he east sdewak utterly impossible, because they
raised the centre Of the square, and all the thawng
snow keeps running out here They sunk hole 70
drain the square far down that below tide water
ebb, and on tho flood all the filth OF the East River
comes up In that corner pointing TO the northeast)
they havo sunk basement to hold working tools over
which they intend to erect the music stand It
sunk without any attention being paid to the drainage
and now II Is
that sends horrible smell when the shines.
Over there pointng 10 the northwest corner they
putting down foundations for closet deep and
solid enough for the Capitol at Washington. Go
and the engineer and he give you further
Information The reporter the near distance
MAN IN GRAY
OF tweed and . straw hat. rolling and unr0llng map
that contained plan OF the grounds He also pulled
out tape at intervals, and, with the assistance OF
aborer measured off distances with great gravity OF do
pertinent.
The reporter looked upon him with the same pity he
would upon blind man endeavoring the dark 10
decipher the uninellgbIc hieroglyphcs OF bygone
ages. He spoke English poorly and gave his name In
q tone OF voice that utterly baied com prchenson II
sounded like Foury He said about this and no more-
"Shust what We done We I'LL In here AID dere and
when we ls IN hero and dere and put dree here and
dere eferyting will be all right" The little gang OF
laborers and the muddIed engineer working without
any clear idea in one corner OF the great square, while
all around them chaos and confusion worse con-
founded was provoking spectacle. Scattered all
long blocks Of granite that made the foundations
the digmancd iron fences, and tho latter ay II
careless heaps here aud there,
THE ARABS
OF the city spashing around in the rain lled
cavations or climbing over the piles OF prosrate iron
ratings running ana down the hill OF earth in the
southwest and pegging stones at each other
thousand iron tree castings were scattered tho
ground should have been used protect young
slms from destruction, all Of which ruined by
practice Of the boys in pceng oil the bark suck
In their mouths Mr. Renhard said he should sue the
city 900 for the dest of his business His
customers no longer nger his saloon TO inbibe the
gentle lager because smell from the pools within the
park opposite his door startles the oacorss and sug
gcsts typhoid fever Mr.. Charles Schuster on the east
side OF the square, plains that real tho
vicinity OF the contemplated terrace has deprecated
hty per cent Mr.. John Shell, Mr.. Volnacker, Mr..
Reilly and other householders around the square
greatly complain OF the square and It's condition.
THE PARK COMMISSIONERS
were all absent from their Office on Union square
when reporter called to learn at whose door the re-
sponsbity for the state OF things related should rest
Mr. IRWIN, Secretary OF the Department. however, was
on hand, and OF him the reporter asked, "why is
TompkIns square as II Is and who Is responsble1"
'rompklns square," he replied, ''could have been
finished last TALL according to the plans agreed upon
this department had been furnished the moang From
the beginning Comptroller Green has been constantly
obstructing us As long willing to put on
our payroils such men MS he sent all we'll but
the moment we refused to employ any more Of his ap-
pointments he stopped payment Of our bills and Comp
troIer Green Is today responsible for the condition
OF fompkns square,"
"e says. Mr. Irwin. that II is the fault of the Com.