New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-21
THE SITE AND THE PARK.

The volume of opposition to an encroach-
ment upon Central Park for the purposes OF
the Worlds Fair which has been rapidly ac-
cumulating during the last few days-since
the danger was first disclosed-made IT.
self felt at the meeting of the Committee
on Site and Buildings yesterday. The out
come Of that meeting, while less conclusively
hostile to an invasion of the Park than would
have been expected a week ago, is far moro
satisfactory than there was sudden reason to
fear it would be. The vote upon Mr.. Towne ;
resolution practically means that public opinion
will not be affronted. If it becomes apparent
that the people of this city want their Park
preserved for its natural uses, no part of 1t
will be included in the Fair site. From our
point of view this is already apparent, and we
feel little doubt that it will shortly so appear
to every intelligent and unbiased mind.
Yesterdays action is a great relief to the
best friends of the Park, who are also, we
venture to say, in reality the best friends OF
the Fair project. Mr.. Andrew II. Green eX-
pressed with great force the view taken in
Yesterdays TRIBUNE, that the upper end OF
Central Park is i'll adapted to the purposes OF a
great Exposition. The section included II the
200 acres, but of this area only about 80
acres are practically available. For the sake
of making that small addition to the outside
tract it was proposed to deSpoil nearly one
quarter Of the Parks surface, and that the most
beautiful part of it, Such a sacrifice would be
ruthless, and we are happy to believe that ii
will never be made. 1t is true that very
large majority of the sub committee is appar-
emily willing that it should be made as an
"ultimate necessity" but at least two ratifica-
tons are necessary to validate their vote. The
General Committee of two hundred and nine
tv must approve, and the Legislature must re-
neal the Act of 1881. Moreover the action OF
Congress in officially establishing an lnterna-
tional Exposition and New-YOrk as the site OF
il must be taken into account, and more than
all. the ratification of public opinion will prac-
tcaIly have to be obtained. All things con-
sidered, therefore, we are hopeful that yester-
DAVIS decision will prove to be the salvation OF
Central Park.
The site selected by the subcommittee out
side of the Park has we believe, been wisely
chosen. 1t possesses the enormous advantage
of easy, quick and economical access and large
portions of it are otherwise admirably situated
for the purpose. Probably an ideal site Is MOI
to be found, but yet we shall expect to see the
manifold advantages Of that which has been
chosen rapidly impreSsing themselves upon the
country and eventually upon the world. En-
cheering skill can be trusted to remove what
ever obstacles now appear to exist in the loose
relations of various parts of the proposed site
to each other, and in the elevation OF some OF
them above, and distance from, deep water
and it may be conceived, without drawing toe
much upon the Imagination, that the diversity
Of surface will prove to be an invaluable ele-
ment of beauty. When it becomes evident, as
we believe it surely will, that every require
ment and facility can be supplied without i'm
perilling the Fair by an invasion of the Park
we shall be ready to say that the best possible
site is that for the selection of which the pub
lie is indebted to the committee whose report
WE Drnt to- daV.