The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-08-21
ROOF PLAY GROUNDS
Two Religious Institutions
in Jersey City Have
Adopted Them.
ST. JOSEpH'S AERIAL CLASSROOM
Children Are Kept Out of Danger
and Enjoy the View Of
the City. q

A few days ago the Rev. j. Lester
Wells of the Tabernacle commehteo'
through these columns, on the necessity
for roof play grounds for the children IN
thickly populated parts of our city. Inc
reverend assistant pastor may not De
aware, and perhaps there are others
that of these elevated recreation GROUNDS
there are two excellent ones In Jersey
CITY. where daily many hundred children
find amusement not to be found in play
ing in the streets. The space is natur-
allv circumscribed but when one is as
sured that the little ones are out of dan
gers way the relief to the mother must
be great.
These two roof play grounds are to be
found at st. Joseph's, on York street,
and st. Mary's, on Jersey avenue, and
it must be remembered that in New York
where economy of space is studied, ele-
waited play grounds are common indeed.
Through the kindness of the Sisters or
st. oosepn's Institution, a News re-
porter was shown yesterday afternoon
the playground on the roof.
1t is about 100 feet above the level OF
the ground, and occupies what otnerWise
would have, been another story. On tle
roof. with one end against a nigh wall,
there is a space about 30xSO, or perhaps
in all an area of 1000 feet. The hoorlnS
is a series of planks about two inches
apart, underneath which are channels on
the roof proper to carry off the water
used in keeping it clean. Enclosing TINS
space is a Finch brick wall, with a stone
coping at a height of about three feet.
On top of this there is an iron wire lat.
tice work, firm, strong, and capable OF
resisting the most mischievous of boylsh
four feet higher, making it impossible
for any adventurous youngster to climb
ND and invite a drop of 100 feet to the
street below. Over this play ground
what the weather is the boys and girls
of St, Joseph,s can enjoy their play.
GROUND.
And What a play ground this isl To
say nothing about keeping the children
IF the streets and out of the way of
ieadly trolley cars and the many
vehicles, the aerial play ground for chill
dren affords them an opportunity to wit
ness a practical object lesson in the pny-
steal geography and history of their city.
class. room h this open-air play
ground high up above the surrounding
and commanding a remarkable view
Of the vicinity of Jersey City, From the
st. Joseph's play ground the view is
beautiful, and could be made useful to
the children. There to the north a WISH
tor from this play ground can see the
lordly Hudson, with it's fleet of steam
boats and it's cloud of white-winged
messengers of peace skimming across its
surface, bearing merchandise to all parts
of the globe. Beyond is the great city
of New York, with it's sky-scraping ware
houses and lofty steeples. Thence to
the east there is the beautiful bay, with
its forest of masts and picturesque back
ground of Staten Island and the Mar
rows, Away to the south and west is
Jersey, City, with it's thickly populated
districts and it's line of valuable docks be-
longing to railroad companies, and any
adrF inGfnn6 of h nttN nn6 TIC -,a-ry
warehouses and factories. A stone could
be thrown on it's best buildings, and a
boy or girl on that elevated play
ground would know more of the geogra-
phy, the manufactures, the size and the
advantages of Jersey City in one hour
than in a week studying it in any other
way.
They can see the tall chimneys of the
factories, the productions from when
employ hundreds of hands; they can see
the banks, public buildings and empo-
of thousands of workshops. the noise
from the streets, and all the many in
dieations of the work-a-day life of a
bustling thriving city.
All this is in panorama before them,
and the good Sisters of st. Joseph,
whose courtesy made the visit to their
roof play ground so agreeable, are al
ways present when the little ones are in
that place, and delight in satisfying the
thousand and one curious questions pur
by tle1f 1nQulSltlVe little charges.
The children look forward to the time
when they are turned loose into play
ground, and the Sisters say that they
find the view and surroundings greatly
with spelling and sums"
For instance, see what a lesson |
can give them up here, which downstairs
you'd be impossible" added one of the
Sisters. e . :
s9@There is the Hudson County Bank.
and talk about moDfS and theAbusiness
If If the city Then can see your
Then theref1s The weldon Building' Post
Office, sugar factory, tobacco factory and
many other places which form interest
ing topics and fasten in their minds
something, really tangible, at least men
tally tangible. Above ali, these advan-
tages our children are not subject to
~nicious Influence of association with the
arab and dhe gamin.' ~
SPOKEN WELL OF ELSEWHERE.
The worthy Sisters remarks are fully
endorsed by others who nave these
aerial play grounds. At ST. Mary's, on
Jersey avenue. It is an incalculable bless
ing to the children, and in New York
It has become now particularly in char.
institutions a sine qua non.
1t has been suggested hat they should
De adopted in al our public schools in
Jersey CITY, but this would at present be
impracticable: New buildings, however,
could have them. In Boston and other
New England towns there are many
schools in the densely populated parts Of
the cities where the play grounds have
been elevated, and the directors Of the
schools speak of them in the highest
terms of praise.
In Jersey City there are many public
schools which have really no play
ground. Those which have of any area
at all can be counted on the fingers.
How advantageous to the children at
tending No. /, No. 2, No. 3oand many
Others If the aerial pleasure ground were
only established!