New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-07
ANOTHER WALK WANTED.
PROTESTS AGAINST THE SPEEDWAY PLAN.
EL1Hu ROOT AND OTHERS DEMAND FOR THE
PUBLIC A PROMENADE ON THE RIVER

\
FRoxT-PARK BOARD IN FERMENT.
The Park Commissioners were favored with
. a large audience at their Harlem hlVeT "peeu-
way hearing yesterday The majority VI ''o'o
present came to protest against INC pi''''
adopted by the board which woulu Sn"' p'N'
tr,ar. awav from the waterfront. There were
also many owners of superb horses "no '"i''e
~ urge their views. The main objections 10
,ua,n, tho sneedwav on the plans agreed upon
nv the hoard were based by the speakers on the
Inherent right of the public to the use OF the
riverfront Attention was also directed TO the
fact that the landscape architect OF 'he. IaiN
Department had been ignored in making inc
plans
President Tappen was in the chair, ana the
other Commissioners. Messrs. Dana, Straus ana
Clausen, We're all present. william a. Coiih'
yice-president of the Municipal Art Society," was
the first speaker. The society ne represented Is
made up of painters. sculptors, architects anu
other citizens whose object is to assist in beauti-
fyiny the city In referring to the society," MI
Coffin said: 1T is interested in the proposed
Harlem River driveway in so far as 1t Is pro-
posed as we understand, to construct the drl'e-
NAV without the formation of plans by COM
petent landscape architect. The Municipal Art
Society. through its executive committee. de-
commissioned in the inability of Richard NJ
Hunt. our president to represent us here to-
day. 1 have been asked by members of the
executive committee of the society to present
the protest" Mr. Coffin said that the society
desired to be understood asking that the new
driveway might be not only a useful, but as far
as possible artistic road.
Chancellor MacCracken protested in behalf OF
the University of the City of New-York. whose
new site is opposite the northerly end of the
new speedway. He said the University IN
tended to have a boathouse on the river near
that point. and argued for the use of the river
front for boating interests
Lawson ~ Fuller spoke for two sidewalks
MR.. ROOTS STRONG SPEECH.
Elihu Root, who represented the City Club
made the speech of the day 1.-THE members of
the City Club" he said, do not oppose the
driveway. They are glad to have it indeed. 1t
is an extraordinary piece of legislation. 1t Is
one which the people of the city would not SUBJ
nit to for any less popular and any less es-
teemed body of men than the gentlemen who
are represented here by Robert Edwin Bonner
and J. c. De La Vergne."
Mr.. Bonner said that he represented only him.
self.
Mr. Root went on: "You are about 10 spend
perhaps million dollars. You VIII no DOUBT
take a great amount of land, perhaps amounting
particular purpose. Under the statute you are
to prevent from using that portion of the public
territory all but certain class OF the com
munity. The people assent TO 1t. Beng one
of those who have not the money or the leisure
to keep fast horses l am perfectly willing to
stay downtown and help to pay the taxes neces-
cary to yuild this speedway; but l would like
the privilege of seeing these gentlemen drive
IT also wish to second the protest against
throwing away the benefit of the best artistic
taste and experience in the construction OF TINS
great work. The city of Chicago utilitaran
Chicago. pork-packing. smoke-burdened Chcae9
being about to construct great pubic work
for the Worlds Fair, gathered together from
all over the country the best artists wnom
America had produced. She came TO New FORK
and she invited Mr. Hunt, the gentleman whose
name heads the protest from the Society OF
Municipal Art She took Mckim, Mead a.
White She went to Boston and took Messrs
Peabody & Stearns. To them she added the
greatest PAL nters and the greatest scuptors, and
then she ca me to the East and took the man
who painted that wonderful landscape on the
surface of th island which we call Central Park
and placed in his hands the arrangement ana
the coordination of all these parks. The YER
dict of the people of this country is that the
great lesson taught by the Worlds Fair was the
spectacle of landscape gardening. OF architect
ure, sculpture and of painting exhibited IN mar
mony and resulting in harmonious and beauti-
ful accord And now is the city of New York
10 throw away in this great public work all the
benefit of artistic advice. all the beneht OF the
eynarence and of the taste of the gentlemen
who are provided at the public expense to adj
wise them"'
OTHER PROTESTS.
p s. Alderman of Inwood; L. ]. Callahan, l..
M. Stanton and Henry II. Holly. the last-named
representing the West Side Association, made
speeches in favor of modifying the plans }. C.
De La Vergne, eX-president Of the Fleetwood
Driving Association, made the first speech, rep
resentng those who want the present plans re-
tanned He and other horsemen had been for
wears trying to get speedway, and now they
were met by the present unnecessary OPPOSE
ton. The essential consideration should be that
there ought to be no crossings Whatever lie
contended that a sidewalk on the land side was
the only safe one. He was against all bridges.
Mr. Bonner conplimented Mr. Root on his
able argument, and said that 1T was in the
main unanswerable. He proposed as compro-
mise a plan of his own. He would construct
the sidewalk part of the way along the river
front and the rest Of the way on the land SIDE
IJe would proyide means for crossing the road
way nv building two tunnels. so that the people
might enjoy the waterfront and reach either side
of the speedway without endangering their
lives ?, ,
Fordham Morris. Captain ]. H. Roster and
Hamilton Busbee approved Mr.. Bonners
scheme. and spoke against CROSSINGS n Tna ana
argued that the present plans ought 10 De
changed. - ~ o
Letters were read from William NJ. Chase
president of the American Society of Artists
and from President Seth Low. of Columbia Col |
iege. Both advocated the building of a side
walk on the river side.
took place after they had gone into executive !
session Commissioner Straus and Commits |
sonar Clausen criticised. Commissioner Dana's |
course in a rather severe way. Mr.. Straus de-
clared that nothing satisfied Mr.. Dana unless |
n was conducted in way exactly to suit him. !
'aTbe result will likely be that we will lose |
the speedway entirely he said. looking fercely
at Mr.. Dana.
The latter insisted that his course had been
dictated by nothing except an honorable desire
to serve the public.
II will resign If you WILL" said Mr.. Straus.
addressing Mr. Dana. But Mr.. Dana left the
board room without entering into the agreement
proposed by Mr.. Straus. No decision was
reached.