The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-19
MILITIA BARRACKS.
Washington Square Now Selected
as the Site.
PROPERTY OWNERS PROTEST.
Heated Discussion Between Citi-
zens and Militia Officers.

A number oil citizens OF the Eighth, Ninth, Fix
teenth and Sixteenth wards, accompanied by Msjoi
General shaier, General varian, Colonel voss and
other officers Of the National Guard called at the
Mayors oslce At noon yesterday in relation TO the
proposed erection OF armory Washington square.
Tbis proposition has called out several protests from
a number OF residents OF the vicinity, and yesterday
the following formal document was presented "a
Mayor Ey:-
The undersigned residents property holders Wash.
learned With surprise that is to ask ths Lsrss.
ture to permit conversion OF Washington the
square Is one of,hs oldes. and In the number and
and from aud position impotsns
re D The en 70, wss% .ns
a. s: s s as sa't a.s:. & L:
as sSeh ina | ns ~
with great and rrspsrabis injury the OF property
scheme as NJ once unjust and Injurious '' ''''''~
Among the prominent gentlemen who signed this
protest arc f. b. Thurber, William r. Stuart John
Jay, Moses Taylor Marshall o. Roberts, James Lcnox,
Robert D. Winthrop, August Belmont Thuriow
Weed, Philip Schuyler, Charles p. DAILY, Russell
Sage L. d. Morgan, Clsrkson N. Potter, ". c. Rhine.
lander james w. Gerard and several hundred others.
PHYSICIANS CERTIFICATE.
To strengthen The protest. q certificate signed By
about hundred prominent physicians was also
presented. 1t read as foilows:-
Fully udorsing the the physicians Of
is only open place between the City Hall PARK ard
ms sesson a yss au eoeusan we tue
ingy declare our opinion That the ground Of public
purposes
Among the doctors who signed the paper are Will
lard Parker Austin Flint, Louis A. Sayre Alexander
b. Mott, William H. Draper, Edward Scguin, Alfred
G. Post, Francis DeIaded, James Anderson, Aopzo
Clark, Edward q. Janeway and Fordyce Barker.
DEhATx On TIKI QUESTION
Messra Henry o. Chapman, +. Randolph Robinson.
scented the protostans and Dr. Edward Seguin the
medical profession.
Mr. Robinson was the principal speaker He stated
that The parties for whom he appeared fully approci.
ated tho services OF the National Guard; II was .
serious matter. however, to take away any OF the
cuy's healthy breathing places for their accom-
modstion. Battery Park had boon Invaded By
Central Railroad freight depot and the City Hail
Park had virtually ceased be for the purposes
Of park. Except Washington square uotbipg was sI.
Tor park accommodation The side o the city.
II tuis were taken away more lives would sacrificed
than the National Guard. with ali It's valor could
for the twenty years. Somo OF the finest resi-
dsnces ~ The CITY were located tic north and
sides Of the square they had been built thirty
inhabitants Representatives. The growth Of the
beautiful trees has been watched by those people, and
II they were fellcd each would feel II as personal
blow. There was no place IN tho city like Washing-
ton square rs regards aggregation OF wealth In
vicinity. Old residents ON ITS borders had remained
there because OF tho air and sunlight which the park
afforded. When II became square Ny using common
lands unu grants from property owners then
explicitly Understood thatit should DO forever kept
PARK II AN armory were erected thereon 70
would mako difference OF ons-hali million ot dollars
IN taxable property, ana real estate IN Tue
vicinity must depreciato ~ least hity per
cent. The square, TOO, was the resort Of an
Immense population whom II watering
place. play ground and villain TACT sll
the luxury aud comfort Of existence Mr.. Robinson
thcn suggested that Comptroller Kelly, instead Of
waking up Lexington avenue the cast side might
stroll over some hue afternoon 70 Washington square
and see the large number OF children, with tnsr
IA
means tho resort oil trsnps and vagabonda The Ma
toua Guard existed and received the support OF CIT:
zsns simply because IL protected lille and properly. IL
the sanzstion came ~ tax properly brcatn
Ing places from u.s. could we continue affection Tor ne
\ The same question might be- asked II II
away superb trees, the grass aud the Ains.
II the National Guard were 10 lire = voiey Of mug
than could DO destroyed ny taking away this OLD
breathing pace. Other and might ioand ~
city W purchase for armory purposes.
rux cniLpxKx's PLAYGROUND.
Mr.. Il. g Chapman, Jr, nexs spoke. He resided
on The Dordsrs OF Washington square, and bis
family sent lou children 70 play In ths
park They could 20 there without nurses with
perfect security. He mad OCCASION 10 "a
through tns square once or twice week at mid
nishl, and he had never yet been molcsted He had
been told by policeman mat from Que thousand 10
fifteen hundred children play In The park daily aud
that ~ summer At least twenty-five hundred might
he found there Ito was vi the opinion that an epi-
demic crvsted IN lhc locality W the destruc-
tion Of the PARK IL BARRACKS could 20 put ny thers
they might just as we'll put up smallpox hospital IN
the Central Park
sition developed 10 an uruOry gu Washington square
According to the II appeared To be surnscd
that The whole square WAS TO be taken and that
nal and dannaton must date from The laying Of
the corner stone He did not think u probable mas
taxpayers would consent TO purchase properly 10
build armory at tue present time, considering
condition oil tho nnances AND the general doprssson
IN business. Tue centre oil the western nall o WASH
iugton square might DO selected AS site Tor the
armory. lie General ShaIerl considered that
tue Na.onal Guard should be eneeriuily protecieI
aLd supported oy property owners. tie would ask
those gentlemen NOT " say 'Dont put an armory Ia
front oi house; put IN front OF my negnborG"
One hunurod feet inight DO retained for the chIdrcns
playground, aud the aged trees IN the square could
remain IL was not tnsir Intention to take up Tue
whole square with barracks and scatter orange peel
and peanut sholis all around General Shaer was VI
tue opinion that arnory building upon Washington
square would provo an Ornament aud credit 70 she
Dr. sesuin contsndsd that every blade OF grass and
every lcaf tho trees should 20 preserved TO tue
churen, VINO frcqucntcd The square Tor the purpose
Ol obtaining pure
Colonel vose expressed himself favor Of ersctng
National Guard might De easily handled Of pcO-
| lic Disturbance
tho proposed erection, when Mayor Ely said he would
give the matter careful consideration.
wAsniSGToS SQUARE SELECTED
The Mayor, protostauts AMI some oil the military
gentlemen then Withdrew, wncn tue Aideruanc Com.
innteo ON County Affairs were called together oy
Alderman Sauer General smaller saia that bs,gnds
srmory could be bunt tor $4,000 and The total
| pcnd.turo would not exceed $5UO,UOO
| Comptroller Kelly summed up hrs opinions OF the
wnoie argument by sta,iDg that ne was decidedly 10
favor oi taxing Washington square ior Armory pur.
poses Such q building would not destroy the value
OF the property. II would aud ~ tie appearance VI
the place. the children would still have their play.
ground; the military, too, would anuse them. II
business prosper had not been checked large stores
would have teen erected near the square before The
present time. Those who had protested he tue
Comptroller) cons idered altogether Ia the wrong He
felt certain that armory there would not injur o
| properly. but, on the contrary, improve the 10.
CAVITY. Inc location al Tho present time was more
central than ANY other part OF the city. Mr. Kelly
advised that the application be Immediately made
the Legislature for PERMISSION 10 erect the armory.
A resolution offered Dy Colonel vose that bilD
should DO drawn and transmitted the Lego.
latuie and that the OF S5JO,VU0 Ds The
tax eves OF 1879 aud 1850 10 1eray the expenses VI
erecting such structure.
TnIs resolution was adopted The committee thea
adjourned TO Monday next
|
CRUEL CHARGES.