The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-10
ACCESS TO EAST ROCK PARK
MAYOR sARGENT's PROPOSAL FOR
 ANELECTRIC ROAD TO THE TOP.

Important Meeting of Park commissioners
 Last Night-Legisiatur Wtil be Asked to
 Authorize the Work During the Coming
 Winter ther Business.
 At the meeting of the park commits sion last evening Mayor Sargent pre- scented the following communication. and the members decided to adopt the recommendations contained therein. The subject was discussed at length. as was also the communications between the mayor and the officials of the New Ha- ven Street Railway company. The com munications in full follow:
 To the New Haven Commission of Pub
 lie Parks:
 I respectfully call your attention to a means of getting to the top of East Rock, to which have given considera- ble thought, and which, If adopted, be- lieve win prove to be economical, safe and in every way satisfactory, and a great benefaction to all the people, and especially to those who do not own car riages.
 Comparatively few of the whole peo- pie of the city visit East Rock park, be- cause of the expense of riding and the weariness of walking to the top of the rock, and in consequence the park Is not doing so much good as 1t is capable of doing, nor so much as we ought to get from it, and the outlay upon 1t.
 The means I propose for your approv- al Is that of an electric railroad.
 After several careful inspections of several possible routes,I am of the opin- ion that the best route, all things con- sidered, is to enter the park from the east and west cross-road that connects the Whitney avenue road to Centerville with the State street road to North Haven.
 THE APPROACH AND ROUTE.
 Leave the Whitney avenue road at the corner near the new ice house, cross the new bridge at the north of the first lake. and proceed to a point near the sum- init, and there bear off to the right into the park, and to the highest point in the open field near the morth of Far mum drive. From that point cross over that drive and proceed up the rising ground in a southerly and then south westerly direction, swing around south easterly on the front of South View ridge" then proceed southeasterly along the south front side of Whitney peak to the Farnum drive, cross it on a trestle bridge near the summer house and pro- ceed southeasterly and easterly, follow ing near the water pipe to and around the corner; then proceed along near the base of the high bluff, with moderate grade to the English drive; cross the drive by a bridge near the water pipe stand, some few hundred feet easterly of its junction with the Farnam drive. Then continue up the rising ground in southeasterly direction about half way between the Farnam and English drives, and come out on the level about one or two hundred feet easterly of the stables; continue in southeasterly direction to near the upper drive, keep. ing at the east, southeast and soutt of it, and some ten feet below it,endine at the east end of the new walled plaza at the south side of the summit.
 This route, it's construction and operation, will involve no changes what ever in either of the carriage drives. Il would be an improvement, as to room for the tracks, to remove the carriage way of the upper drive at the east an6 southeast of the Soldiers monument about ten feet nearer the monument but that is not at all necessary. It affords as great variety of pic turesque and generally beautiful views as the carriage roads afford, and al | the distant views. It will cross tht English drive but once and then by { | bridge. It will cross the Farnam driv, but twice, one of the crossings being necessarily by bridge. All thu crossings, whether by bridge or a grade, will be on nearly straight ant level portions of the carriage road and railroad. and in plain sight iron a considerable distance each way. l The expense of constructing the roa' by either of two routes east of Whit ney peak would be somewhat less, bu the view from South View Ridge would be left out.
 With this is a copy of letter to tn New Haven Street Railway compan. and the reply of that company, whicl I place before you for your very earl consideration, so that, if favorable that corporation may apply to tn Legislature for such action as may b necessary to authorize the company t proceed with the work during the com | ing winter.
 I may add that it is expected tha the fare from any point on the line c the New Haven Street Railway com pany this side of Woodward's corner to the new ice house, north of Whitney vile, will be five cents, and anothe fare of five cents from that ice hous to the top of East Rock. Respectful,
 JOSEPH B. SARGENT, Mayor.
 New Haven. Nov. 2. 1894. To the New Haven Street Railwa
 Gentlemen-Referring to our recer preliminary typographical examine
 tion of East Rock Park with. the vie
 of ascertaining the feasibility of tn
 construction and operation of an elet
 tric railroad to the top of East Roc