New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-20
TO SAVE BATTERY PARK.
EFFORTS TO PRESERVE IT FOR THE PEOPLE.
WHAT THE PARK BOARD HAS DONE IN THE

greater space this public pleasure stodnu io'
The increasing demands made upon the terminus Oh rs
several lines Not only has the exceedingly ValuaOic
,ri,iero Of usjng Battery Park for these purposes
heen possessed by the railroad company cuiIhs uiS
long period without any compensation 10 '"c o''S.
hut by the exercise of 1t the beauty ana value VI
those portions Of the park covered by the eeVa'eu
structure have been completely ruined. Fine uee''
the most beautiful portion OF "A parks acornlei' anu
the most dlffcut 10 replace, were sscrinceu VIZ"
the roads were built. No grass can gro" uIuei
meath the railroad structure on account Vi uie sn
and the dropping Of cinders. The iron structure VI '0
railroad Itself, with ITS angular lattice WORK gnu 10
sombre tint. is az obnoxious TO the eye as are lle
rumblipgs Of the cars and the hiSslngS ana puh'ss
~ the locomotives to the 50 the place mas been
rendered unsightly and uncomfortable ana uiiN' io
the endowment OF the citizens OF New-1Ofh ""o90
nroperty IL is Yet Battery Park is in many Respects
one of the finest of pleasure grounds, III It's sl'u"
and natural advantage and should be one OF the oV
beautiful. not only in New-IOrk, but III l'c ""oi0
country. ,,,
Tho elevated road did not secure TINS Valudoio
privilege without certain conditions when Wouu nav
made It's occupation Of Battery Park somewhat "9'
objectionable than it is at present IL was eAPfcS
simulated that the company should not use TINS space
as a train ward for its cars or locomotives III VIM" ~
+ora and clean and back and fill its trans anu II
was likewise agreed that the company Shouiu Pi"H'
xines at the bases of its iron columns anu ny iran"
nr them over the ironwork mitigate 10 sohe cN'o"t
tle baroness and ug1neSS WIth "hOh '''' '"
the beautiful park. How faithfully the company has
carried out these conditions is open 10 everybody
see. - . ,-,o,o.
1t would be incredible that the Park commissioners
charged with the preservation and Improvement VI
the city's parks should have witnessed for 50 many
wears this practical confscatOn of the bauerS "ou.
mailing some effort TO recover 1t for the people Vi
lavYor TO enjoy as is their right. one SUCH ehofV
,,ts indeed made, but in the more than ten years
that have elapsed since the Commissioners TOOK ulc
step that would seem TO be so lmpefau'es u'"" '
by the public interest 1t has prooaoly De'n "t''0'
forgotten except by those Immediately m'eioseo,
Al a meeting of the Bark Commissioners Oh June
o. 1850, Commissioner James F. Wenman ohereu ''o
following preambles and resolutions A.
Whereas At meeting OF THIS Boaiu neiu on ,so r.
o4th OF october, 1879, commissioner "eiHi"" 'N
'V WHereas By an instrument dated the 10Th DAY OF
February, 1876 granting TO the New iorh 1STS
EoIroad Company a revokable right OF way tliUu9H
and along the Battery ana by ltmer rtn an eX
tension of the revokabe right OF way above Teieieu TO-
any Whereas BY the terms of the instruments above
r,;srred 10 it is expressly understood that the to
pany s successors Se q kent Standing or to remain
tonary upon any part Of te poST Wee To- pSn and
rain vines around the piers and arches ana 40 o''er
Whereas The New-York Elevated Railroad COMPANY
have Violated the terms of their agreement III idns
Storage and cleansing place for then carr anu
ON tie tracks over the Battery, committing uis"uT nd
and negectng plant and paint as asEse1 upo ,6. iv
i'm consequence rendering the Battery fdlA unSe"i'
and Az greaahle TO visitors and
any WGeTas All and each city parks are pledged
for the redemption Of the bonds or STOCK S a1d bond
he nreseryed for the redemption o. the debt Tor Wfn
they pledged instead Of being licensed be- STS i0'
Resolved That the SIX months mGGT no c t6e iS %e
York Elevated Railroad COMPANY 10 re1ST iUi t"o
Battery Park their tracks piers ana al TaeI and
Whereas Although said preambeS and resOinlo.
wow not adopted the said New YORK. Elevated kalIroau
Company continue 70 Stb demonstration for the
same and at the same llnS conI,T IL ~ eniny snr5
terms of the agreements a whei'OS 'i'' '"'''
Resolved That the necessary notice OF SIX months as
BY the G IeI 10 the Elevated Railroad Com
pany ueiTaSs piers yS aa naT hereof from
ING RcSoved That The Counsel to the Corporation be re-
queSeo 70 cSs pers and structures belonging TO the
New-YCrb Elevated Ealfoad Company from '"0 i'''
Resolved That the president be directed to transmit
copy Of the foregoing pTe4mGie a rasDy Ud the
each The New York Elevated RAILROAD COMPANY "iiu 'N
Counsel TO the Corporation. r,,
The president put the question whether the bo~iu
would agree TO the preamble ana ieso4"'on az
offered by Commissioner Wenman ana IL Wits oeuvT-
mined in the Affirmative all of the members OF the
Board voting in favor thereof, as follows leas-OO
missioners Wenman, ConOver, Lane and GIech'
AT meeting of the Park Commissioners on July Z,
1890 Commissioner Andrew ii. Green offered the toi
lowing resolution:
Resolved. That Commissioner Lane be requested to
,,nor 70 This Board at its next meeting statement
TRvii what moneys he has received from the
Elevated the Manhattan or the Metropolitan Kh!iioau
COMPANY or from either of Them or from any oilccr
o ntrson connected with said roads either of them
and what disposition was made OF such MONEYS. aiiu
that he submit with said report copy OF AL lrccpte
tven ON the receipt of such moneys and of receipts
taken as the disbursement Of such MONEYS ana copy
of all correspondence between him and SAID com
Uanles or either of them, and any of the officers OF
employees of such roads, or either OF them
The president put the question whether the Board
ol,,finu ondt
in the negative majority of all Of the members OF the
Board not voting in of it, as follows: leas-Com
Tissioncrs Conover Green nays-COmmissonerS Wen
man. Lane. -
EuA the elevated railroad still occupies Battery
Park Notwithstanding this urgent mva po 10 81 No
81 East Thirty -fourthst.. who was 80 acve In ms
ranks while lie occupied a place upon the Commission
explained this yesterday saying, however that Wv,
efforts of the Board were made several years before
he became a member Of it. Immediately after the
resolutions were passed the Elevated Railroad Com,
OF its tracks and structure by legal means from the
battery Park. II was not perpetual lnluhcuoi l.
was Issued could have taken steps to have IT dissolved,
But from that time TO this no such steps nave DeGn
taken. Consequently the injunction SIM remains ~
force and the Park Commissioners have been u.a9 b
elevated railroad, however much they may nave "md
10 do So Mr.. EObb was sure That no blallc cQuIi
attach TO the Park iSr 1e ba cs"
tons passed in lo7O showed that they were oi
mind then upon tt matter. anu IL ma AWAY p~Vl
The desire OF the Commissioners TO do the utmost IN
their power for the city's parks
Mr.. RoDb is enthusiastic believer IN the uh
common beauties and advantages OF the Battery a.
park If cleared of The elevated railroad tracks lts
possibilities he considers greatly increased. no" ti
the city has secured possession OF Castle Garden II
IS for all the inhabitants OF tn city, whether tlry
live upon the west side the most accessible
park In New York. made so by the convergence there
Of all the elevated lines. aud with the erection OF a
pavilion where Castle Garden now stands Mr.. Roll
believes that the place would be made one OF great
attractivcness 10 all classes OF citizens As TO the
demands OF the Elevated Railroad Company for more
space, he said that they were simply asking tOr the
park because they could get it for nothing. 1t was
perfectly possible for them % purchase by condc/
nation all the land they needed but they would have
10 pay for IT, ard this they would not do lie didn't
blame the company for their position it was business