New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-29
TREES IN FLATBUS LONG ISLAND.

SEWERS AND PAvEMENTs INvoLvu THE sAcM'
FIcE OF MANY OF THEM-soME
FINE SPECIMENS.
The destruction of the rows Of fire trees In Flabush-
caused by the grading sewerng and paving OF the
is much regretted not only by residents Of the
town, but by occasional visitors from Brooklyn and
elsewhere who have greatly admired the shaded char
aeter of the street. which has hitherto been winding
village road. In point OF fact the older residents Of
this suburb always speak of the street the Main
Road" For two centuries IL was the main road
leading into the rural regions Of Kings County from the
Old Ferry, at the foot VI what Is now Fultons ST.,
Brooklyn. 1t wound along the lines Of an ancient
Indian footpath widened to a cartroad by the early
Dutch settlers, and led the hills In what Is now
Prospect Park and down into the wooded plain which
was known Mdwoud o. Flackte BOs, later cor
rupted by English Tongues into the prosac Flatbush
An extension of it led to Amersfoo or Flatlands ana
Canarsie and branches to Utrecht ana Gravesend
In the earlier years Of this century sagecoaches rolled
over it from the ferry to the county seat and court
house in Flatbush, and it a postrOad for the
United States mall Later it was invaded by street
cars and the town has since become more and more
closely linked to the great city, ever advancing TO-
ward it and which will ultimately swallow 1t and
storm IL into mere ward with numerical desig'
nation.
The early Dutch settlers built their houses with
broad caves and low-hangng roofs near to the high
way while their farms stretched away back OF thens
The thick woods Of the fertile plain had to be cut away
for the purpose Of tlng the ground, but along the
highway the sturdy monarchs OF the forest were lefs
standing But one BY one they decayed and their
places were filed by planting both native ana imported
trees But through the two centuries and haif since
the town was settled the shade trees OF the main ave-
nuc have been featuIe Of It.. When the BrooRNh
portion Of the street was Strengthened and paved
over Mount Prospect, In 1854, some changes were
made in the old village street. and when the s'reeV
car track was laid In 1860 there were still more.
Rr,ad bitches 10 carry of surplus surface water have
always been q feature along the sides History say
that low stone walls formerly divided 'he
fields from the highway, and that later, wheh
wooden fences substituted there were
ratings along the roadway tc protect persons
from driving into the ditch inthe DARK Du'
these gradually disappeared more than generation
ago. turnpike and plankroad company secured control
Of the street in 1909 and continued to keep 1t in repair
and collect toll until three years ago. When the sub
ect to sewering and paving the street was agitated
it was found necessary to purchase the rights OF TINS
company and at cost of $4,000 the tollgate ceased
to exist.
Both sides OF the street outside the bitches were
lined with fine trees for much Of the way through the
town. But It has been found necessary to sacrnce
the most OF these in Strengthening the curves OF the
old road and laying curbstones and new sidewalks
At number Of points the grade has been lowered con
slderably so that this also involves the sacrhce o.
shade trees.
The original plan was to have street 100 fee'
wide but it was found that this would destroy large
number OF trees in private grounds and also Involve
the removal Of number of buildings so IL was mar
rowed 10 eighty -four feet The roadway Is Sixty iee' am
the sidewalks each fourteen feet The cartracks are
I'm ron
tween them and for one foot each side Will b'
paved with granite blocks and outside of this space
there will be an asphalt roadway on each side' III
| sidewalks are to be tagged by con
tract, sixfoot stones being laid the enur'
length of the street In the town, MAXIM
| necessary the removal Of the oid iour
foot tagging The work Of curling aud tagging
| now IN nrooress The huge surface water sewer i
the middle Of the street has been laid rom the fM
lands line to the centre Of the village. The work I'D
been temporarily suspended owing to the failure
sell the bonds authorized by the town to deay the cos
| of the work, but 1t is now resumed
| Fuatbush hes always been noted for it's me trees
and some Of the nobest ones In parts OF Prospect
were formerly In the town before the territory wa
taken for park purposes. There are OAKS. ches'huts
nn and sweet gum trees there of great grth Of trunk
and spread of branches and lofty in stature In the pres
emit village half century ago there were four great Eng
| fish linden trees but only one OF these remains
II stands I'm front of the house formerly owned ant
occupied by General Philip CroOle, opposite Diamond
ST. and its trunk Is held together by broad band
iron now deeply sinken III the bark, 20 preVent III
| shifting down TO the ground The trunk rs fuly
dozen feet In circumference. Not Tar from H. at I
corner of Cation is great black walnut tree VIII
Immense spread Of branches. One OF almost slli'.
size stands in the grounds Of DR.. Homer H. Bnrtiett
OF Theodore W. Maynard Is tall buttoh ti1ill
| I'm woodcraft ventures the opinion that 10
| huge trunk Is hollow. The exterior is coVero
| Ia n considerable height with clinging vine.
Near the house of John Leferts Is bne speclme
| of linden. 1t is sometimes called an umbrella
tree az the spread Of its branches from underneath
| resembles that useful article. They are careIuu.
trimmed so to present uniform distance rom IN
| ground as they droop toward it, Ihe upper par
OF The tree also handsome. being pyramidal IN FORM
| in the grounds OF Dr.. Norfolk, near the frns.al
boulevard stands the only chestnut tree In the ser
norton OF the town. although there are many morse
| chestnuts In the grounds OF Mrs. Gertruoe,
Vanderbilt are great naples but the largest u1
! Of ia, sort In the town Is In the yaTu OF DonaI
| Mcneil who occupies the property formerly owne
| nv Mrs Mary Wall, In West Clarbson-st some noot
Gins were 10 be found III front OF the house OF John
Vanderbilt one OF them fully five feet In diameter Du
| they have been sacrificed In the improvement
| ~ eSrlatbnsh.ave some OF the side streets, hk
| diamond Hawthorne, Linden. Franklin, Church ant
FennlmOre SIS, beautifully shaded; A.,
| A few persons think that the reducuon IN tI
toliace ~ Flatbush ave will be improvement be
canse IN some densely shaded spots dampness Is ION
In dlsappearn but the majority think that the chang
~ Inc nleasant rural road into hot ana dusty clt
oireef ariuc and unshaded. viii be permanent los