New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-13
A USE FOR CASTLE GARDEN
THE NAVAL RESERVE NEEDS IT.
NO MoRD ADMIRABLE SITE IN NEw-YoRK-ITs
MANY ADVANTAGES.

The LIST battalion OF the Naval Reserve OF the
State OF NewYork needs a home At present II has
none. Certain ward politicians trying to get
Castle Garden o place where the signs, pool for
drinks and a. schooner Of lager for five cents
may De hung on the outer walls. There Is small
likelihood that this historic fort will be disfgured
In this way. Nature and the safety OF the city's
most vital interests point to Castle Garden as the
place where the Naval Reserve should find resting
place
1t seems to have been the policy Of late years TO
build the armores for the regiments OF the Ma
tlonal Guard in the upper part OF the city. THIS
probably has been done for many reasons the most
apparent Of which that sites o. the size required
could be easily and cheaply obtained In localities
that were not thoroughly built up the lower part
OF the town. and IL has not been necessary 10 tear
down and other buildings to make places for the
armores. Also, that the city growing In tiat di-
recon, and the centre Of population was steadily NOV
ing toward the upper part of the island. The results
that the 9TH Regiment, which formerly at Tomp'
hns Market lone block below Cooper Unon) has
moved to sixtyseventh-st, corner Of Park-ave; the
9Th Regiment, which was formerly ut Ninth-avc ana
Twentyseventh-st., has been provided with new
armory at Parbave and East Ninety fourth-st; the
9th Regiment is mt No. 221 West Twenty sixth'st
the 10Th Regiment, which for many years had ts
armory at Broadway and Forty fftlst, Is now housed
In Columbus-sve. at West sxtyhrstst., and the god
Regiment whose old armory in Foureenth-st. Is
familiar TO every Yorker is now in the boulevard
at West sixty-eighthst. The list Regiment Is TEN
porarily quartered at Thlrtyffth5t. and Broadwhy'
and together with the I'd Battery which Is at Fifty
secOndst and Seventave., Is soon to be lnstaiieu III
the armory which is 10 be built at Thirty fourthst ana
Park-ave The 1s Battery armory is Mt No. 344 west
Forty-fourthst. Troop is in West Fifty-sixthst.
near seventhave, with the Signal Corps next door TO
IT, The Goth Regiment is situated the furthest
downtown occupying the old quarters OF the 't over
Tompkins Market.
1t will thus he seen that the armores Of the National
Guard distributed in the central and upper parts
OF the city in that vast district OF dwellnghouse
which has grown up in the last fifteen or twenty years
and in which the members of the regiments have their
homes.
During the time that the upper portion OF the CITY
has been building up and its population has increased
the business or commercial district has steadily grown
and the amount of wealth that has been put into
buildings and merchandise in that part OF the city
which is within radius of mile of the City Han
has increased enormously each year. one-me
circle with the City Hall as centre includes Battery
Park ON the south and touches Houston-st. on the
north 1t includes within its circumference the Gus
tom House. the United States Sub Treasury, the Pubic
Stores the largest and most expensive Office budihgs
on Manhattan Island az not In the world. the stock
Exchange, Produce Exchange, Cotton Exchange Coh-
sOldated Exchange, Real Estate Exchange Cofce Ex-
City Hall, Court House, Registers Office, Tax Ofice'
Controllers Office and the NewYork approach to the
Brooklyn Bridge. There also, are a large majority
of the banks trust companies, safe deposit companies
insurance companies and financial offices OF the cry
The system of the elevated railroad centres there
There the principal bonded warehouses are, with theli
wealth OF stored merchandise there the great steam
ship lines have their piers and depos for the reeep
ton of goods and there almost all the ferries which
wit
thc;r slips
Within that circle are the bullion OF the money ex-
change Offices and the gems Of the jewelry district
All the Offices Of the great metropolitan dales' the
valuable leather of the swamp the millions Of the
"drygocds district erd the dry-doclIs and eIalr-
shops of South and West SITS. are here.
The lower part of Manhattan Island Is weighted
with hundreds OF thousands OF safes and strong boxes
The wealth of the CITY Is there Thence come the
profits the salaries and the that support the
homes OF the upper wards Yet within that circle, so
rich in wealth. so important in its earning power, aud
so necessary to the life OF NewYork City, there Is not
situated an armory arsenal OF any kind
The armory of the Goth Regiment is one and half
miles away from the City Hall. tho list is almost
three miles, the 10th four, the 9Th nearly four
and hail. the odd the same distance, and the 9Th
nearly six miles
riot or serious mob In New-YOrk with its barri-
cades, distractions, Orn-up streets and felled tcle-
However II militia forces to be of practical
service these conditions must be anticipated and must
be met Under such conditions 1t might be difficult to get
any Of the regiments from the uptown armores to the
scene OF the trouble within mile Of the City Hall
before large amount Of damage could be done, and II
would therefore, necessary that there should he
some establishment OF military forces in the lower
wards for the purpose OF protection and defence OF the
wealth there situated.
1t is cOnced d that the condemnation and purchase
by the city Of ground for armory anywhere south
OF HoustOn.st. would be enormously expensive
affair. one of the disadvantages OF having an armoy
In city IS that Ii is necessarily only separated from
other buildings which may possibly command 1t By
a marrow street. For the purpose Of defence an
open space around an aImory Is preferred. and rs
there Is no authority for stuating them in public
parks the new ones have been built on The broadcast
avenues such as Park-avc and the Boulevard, where
as much open space as possible could be 0bthilea'
In tn; lower parts OF the city It would be harder
undoubtedly to find sites as advantageous In this re-
spect as those OF the arnores uptown. and I'm
some parts of the lower wards It would be difficult
TO select place where an armory that was not
fortress would be tenable In time Of trouble.
There Is however. in the lover part If the city
building erected for military purposes, strong enough
to withstand mob; large enough to accommodate
battalion; situated In commanding position, with
an open park I'm font and water In the rear, ana
there hardly objection that could be raised against
any armory tn city from strategic point Of view
that would apply TO Castle Garden
BY happy chance this fort which has been so many
wears occupied By the authorities an immigrant
station is now vacant unused, and mt the disposal
of the city, No more excellent place could be found
in the southern part Of Manhattan Island for the |
establishment armory. Ii is easy OF access by
the elevated roads and surface II Is capable OF
being rendered at slight expense almost mpregnaoie
to mob attack Renorcements ammunitions and stores
can be conveyed 10 il ty water situated 1t is |
on the southernmost point Of the Island, II IS equ
distant from any other point on either the North or |
East River From IT militia could be conveyed III |
a f.w minutes to any point within n mile OF the |
he scene OF disturbance uptown, without regard to
street oIst,1IctiOn ana urmolested The way. They