Evening star., 1895-06-05
They Are Insufioiently Lighted and
Guarded Both Day and Night.
APPROPRIATIONS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT
Col. Wilson Has Persistently Asked
for More Money.
WILLCONTINUE HIS REQUESTS

There are two serious defects, 1t Is claim
| ed. in the park system that appeal strongly
| for remedial legislation. One is the lack
| of proper Illumination, and the other is the
| inadequacy Of the force of watchmen.
| This, II is asserted, is not the fault of
| those in charge. but is due entirely TO the
| failure CT Congress to make the necessary
| provision.
| 1t is at seasons like the present. when
| the intense heat drives the people to the
| Streets in the evening for breath of pure
| air, that the deficiencies of the parks in the
| two respects noted are ILpleasantly forced
| upon the notice of the public. Instead of
| being havens of rest ard delight, as they
| should be. they are III several instances
| places Of positive danger. the very causes
| that make the respec table portion of the
| community avoid them in the evening
| render them attractive to the vicious and
! evil-minded. Shrouded in the deepest gloom
| and almost entirely unguarded, they are
| frequented at night by an element that
| renders them undesirable, If not absolutely
| unsafe. as place of resort for ladies and
gentlemen after dark. AS is well known
| many people spend most of their time in
| the open air during the summer, and If
| conditions were otherwise majority would
| pass portion of the evening IN the parks
| They look more beautiful perhaps in the
| daytime, with their bright-hued flowers
! grateful shading foliage ard splashing
| fountains, but there is a restfulness and
beauty in their environments in the cool
and quiet of the evening that is lacking in
the daytime. And. moreover the business
| portion of the community has no time to
eLJoy their beauties while the sun shines.
Only Two Parks Properly Lighted.
With the exception possibly of Lafayette
Square and Franklin Park. none of the i'm
proved public reservations of the city is
properly illuminated or provided with an
adequate force of watchmen. Col. Wilson,
the engineer officer in charge of the parks,
does the best he can do in the matter with
the means at his disposal, but he is Sc
riously handicapped in the essential mat
ter of funds. He is allowed a GER
tain fund for watchmen and
certain fund for illumination, and beyond
that limit he can not go. without violating
the law of the land Congress has specified
the number of watchmen to look after tha
park and has also provided that none of
them shall be employed for more than
eight hours a day. Consequently if there
are but two watchmen allotted to any one
park, 1t necessarily follows that it must re
main entirely unguarded for eight hours
out of every tWenty-four. Then again some
OF the parks like the Smithsonian or the
monument are so large that it is physically
impossible for one man to thoroughly pro-
tect OF e of them ever in the broad day
light, much less be expected to guard its
contents and preserve order and decorum
within its domain at night with only the
uncertain light of the moon to depend
upon an illuminating agent.
Col. Wilson's Recommendations.
Col. Wilson has persistently urged upon
Congress the necessity for additional pro-
lection to the park but without effect. In
his annual report for 1893 he submitted de-
tailed estimates for lighting the various
parks, and briefly explained their necessity.
1T is earnestly recommended" he said,
that the system of electric lights now in
operation upon many of the streets and
avenues of the city of Washington be grad
ually extended to the public grounds with
the gas lamps now in use in the parks the
Illumination is far from satisfactory, and
in the interest of morality, as well as the
welfare of those visiting and passing
through the parks after dark, it is desired
to make them as brilliant as possible at
night"
In another part of his report, Col Wilson
said: 1T is earnestly recommended that the
electric light system inaugurated in 1889
in the grounds south of the White House
be extended throughout this park; there is
now no method of artificial Illumination be-
tween 3 street and the pagating gar
dens south of the monument, between 14th
and 1Ith streets and in the interest of mo-
rality and for the protection of persons
necessarily crossing these grounds at night.
lights absolutely necessary. An esti-
mate for electric lights is submitted with
this report
Will Try Again.
His representations failed of their pur-
pose at that time, but, nothing daunted,
he repeated them with renewed yigor in
his report Of last year. Still no attention
was paid to them. He is not altogether dis
couraged, however, and will make yet an
other effort with the next Congress- His
purpose, he says, is solely in the interests
Of the public, and is certainly entitled to
more favorable consideration from the law
makers than it has received in the past.
If it should meet with success, the parks
would be rendered as safe and attractive
by night they happily are now In the
day time, which all will agree is consum
nation devoutly to be wished.