New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-25
4 GORGEOUS TISION.

! 4
When he retires to private life week hence
! Navor Grant will leave to the people OF New
York. as the las, burden of his public career
vast scheme of plumber. This is not what
tho Nayor calls it, and we do not wish 10 THINK
that this is what he Suppose> 1t TO ne puC SUCH
/ * the aspect which it Enthusiastically presents
He DroposcS the construction OF great drlNe-
,vay across fields and lots and streets beyond
the IaIlcm connecting the new parks with inc
island The Mayor does not proclaim him'eil
10 lie the inventor of this project lie grace
fullv pcrmits Commissioner lleintz OF the
Tvcnty-thiId and Twenty fourth wards to ap-
uronyiatc all the credit. He is the MUNICIPAL
hncticnary whose namo is signed - the glow
inc document in which the outlines OF the
scheme are laid down while the Mayor appears
merely as the attentive but disintcrested re-
c;pient. But he is TOO modest lie
is really an enthusiastic supporter OF the
cnrcrnrisc. Commissioner Heintz Is glad to
soal his reconciliation with the powers Whom
he ineenouSly affronted for year or TWO ~
assuming the immediate responsibility, but he
!, ONLY a small cog in the machine when mas
turned out this gorgeous fabric.
If Mayor Grants relations with 1ammahE
Hall have been somewhat strained during the
last wear thi, legacy ought to reduce the ton
sion 70 the vanishing point. lie proposes 10
Dut that organization in control Of the lchcN'
lob which it has had the eifrontcry To cOVet
for many moons. Let us consider for mo
mont what the scheme involves. The speedway
is "a be a Grand Boulevard" from four 70
six miles long. worthy" of the untold wealth
and unbounded public spirit OF this mpera
city,, and lin harmony with its future deS-
tinv- Tven;y-Six transverse roads are to pass
beneath it, and eighteen more to cross II al
orade. Forty three bridges will be wrought
into and embciSh it. and lofty viaduct eight
hundred feet long will constitute one OF us
approaches. Within its lines will fall, wholly
or in pant. G. sheds. ! brick house villas
and l49 dwellings of a miscellaneous CHAR
actor, Escaping from these sordid material
details. we find that this sublime creation 1s2
feet wide. is TO "prescryc and utilize " mag
niic en-, crest of land" and to present q
" perspective' which would equal if not sur
mass in beauty and grandeur the most cele-
bIatcd driveway in Europe" and That II IS to
he built not for time but for all time
Having contemplated though only for mo-
Tammany. we fear. painful and impairment
20 speak OF its pccuniaIy features. But we
must d. it, The rcticcnce OF Commissioner
IIeintz in abiding to this detail Is IN marked
contlas; with the luXuriant rhetoric which
lboratas his emotions as he considers the spirit
nal asnects Of the enterprise. " rs cenStruc-
ton" he remarks. "will involve an eXpcndi-
turc Of a considerable sum Of money He docs
not deem it necessary Ia mar the description
with a financial estimate but We learn from
other sources THAI $4,000. 600 IS the hgurc
which il is though wise ~ suggest "a the prcb-
ab 'c Limit Of expenditure Now. SG,OOO,000 Is
moi n iuicclrSs plum even in the mouth OF lam
many. but Of course nobody imaglneS that this
,yoild be more than a fraction Of the cost oi
realizing th, wonderful vision. II Is fair 10
.ssume that the Grand Boulevard. with is via
drct and bridges and all It's expansive and
impcrisAabIc features of use and beauty, would
cause this conicctma outlay of six millions TO
dvjndlc into inSgniiicancc From fifteen 10
Twenty-Five millions would be the probable cost
before that magnificent crest OF land had
been completely transformed into such per
epoctivc' as hauntS the dreams OF the aspiring
Heintz.
If this expenditure were necessary TO the
preservation Of free institutions the people OF
New-Yorl might consent to make 1t, though
their apparent indifference TO the domination
Of vulgar and corrupt oligarchy leaves some
doubt on that point But that they will be
willing to spend colossal sum to provide
few owner, of fast horses with facilities for
spectacular driving we are not prepared to be
lieve The Mayor and the Commissioner aver
that the populace demands a great speedway,
obiecting only to the use Of Central Park for
that purpose. In our opinion the Mayor and
the Commissioner arc utterly mistaken