New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-02
THE UPPER WEST SIDE.
WHAT NATURE HAS DONE TO MAKE
THE CITY BEAUTIFUL.
MANS sEcoND1NG EFFORTS AND HIS LABoRs
IN THE OPPOSITE DIREcTION-LAND-
scAPE ARCHITECTURE.

MAYS sEcOND1NG EFFORTS AND HIS LABoRS
IL THE OPPOSITE DIREcTIoN-LAND-
scAPE ARCHITECTURE
. good obiect-lesson in landscape architecture is
Morningside Park Nothing could be happier In us
way than the high balustraded wall sweeping III a
| long half-mile curve and relieved well as
strengt hened by buttrcss towers. which are hahkeu
nv varied and ample sairways. These are 50 placed
as TO command a vista OF as many streets ana theS
offer resting places along Morningside-ave' Inc
whole sirmounts wel-treated blum, the ha'u'd'
! rounded masses of gray rock being as the grind
ing glacier left them. The finishing work OF art Is
given IN tho interspcrscd greensward. shrubs ana
rees below the iuitIng rocks boldly intrude on the
pretty meadow. and elsewhere the bum retreats !"
green recesses The walks are well nahaee' ~
| together tho work s a most fortunate adjunct for
tho noble publ, buildings that are 10 crown the
heights .
nuzzIe Is q high mound Of dumped earth mid
way on the crest. like gigantic ant-hiIl ana II mas
been growing for years. II permanent what Is II -
be? Even 10 the ungeologicai eye II Is whoi'S ""-
| ike the work Of nature in such a situation ana
therefore, however finished. is deformity iHe'c -
another puzzle worth MENTIONING because d" w
tails are important In landscape architecture as tnN
as in architecture proper. Numerous oouders' ABOUT
the size of sheep. have been placed almost ''''S
where often In formal manner IN nockS OF '""H
Tn. multiplicity looks Ike petty and unnatural
| attempt 10 he 100 nh'urdl anu - "N''' W
out Of place where. here the free style j. "o"
| lated by the architectural.
Mr. Olendorf OF the city Law Department mas
wisely suggested that all the now unSEh'F an"
mostly vacant ground between one huil'''"-"'''
ninth and one hunlrel-and-enth sts. from central
pail =, pivcrsile Park be converted into "A park
| way thus connecting those AMI Morningsiie PARK
This would be admirable IN itself AMI as giving a
fine south border to the cathedral grounds
\ BLUFF THAT SHOULD BE SAVED
Continuing north on the elevated railway me Oh
server must indulge hope that All aVa'"",s "'""
between Edgecombc and BradhurSt "Nes VIII SOM
he rescued from DETACHMENT and oblteraon-s"oh II
the trees are to be saved In It's present snap" mu'h
of tho blun must have comparatively little Valn'
for building purposes while everywhere II Is III
ting border and open outlook for the avenue on 'n'
brow of the hill on the east. along the upper p''-
ton Of Sevenih-ave. the hly ground Is no" 80 cut
bv streets As TO be- past redemption. small II not
| 4, large part OF it. overlooking the Harlem ii''r
might we'll have been converted into little park is
an objective point OF rest and View ior the many
| promenaiers on that avenue As ihie IS no" OUT {"
the question except patch now leVeil"' Gown ''
| , paikleU the loss would be counterba!An''H oy
making A park small large. OF the hh-gioun1 AZ
the north end Of Central Bridge. on the west Sne
n Jerome-ave II would give good BIZ OF the ruiai
As seen from the grand vialuct IN iHt1r" years
when all else 81 across the river Is destroyed
An ATHLETIC NEIGHBORHooD.
II there. bee any virtue AMI any praise IN ball-play
Ing and It's kindred sports. the Mhnhatt." anu '"'
adjacent field should DE secured against "po''''
u.r. T. 4 m centre OF the greater Sew YORK. ana
NV, terminal place for athletic games. a. the river
already il the iavorlie water for boat exercise -
=, the elevated railway storage tracks ia" acre "I
30 OF platform stills r. not an Aiornm'nt o' me
| rivor-bank as It Is but who knows ""''"'r '"'
| whole may not hereafter be iransi"rme" mo "
bulldng Of some architectural sighiiiness with car
| floor made available By car-e"vat"rs'
As for the Speedway. has the landscape architect
been found to replace som" ~ "' "''"
beauty of the fine wooded o.uH orsi so charming as
seen from the opposite bank 81 the iiar"m' Ana
how Will he DO IL now; There s the lonF Dig" "'
| -, common masonry. blank unm.tgatcI. anfpni'Ns
nainr, and art alike. There seems to De- "''' "'P
for IL unless IL bc rebuilt mere ana Nl''' WI"
| some architecture. aNcrthought whenever " h"1''
tumble I'm places a. the clnwall just above h'sh-
| bridge has twlc. tumbloi since 1t Was hH"t i've"
| the nnc trees between the Sp"el"Ay ani 'ne s'y
waited storage tracks were siaushi'frl WIN no aP
parent purpose except i"ThAp' ~ ~, ,,n,I T.,
ir"ak n uniformity %, The wall at Intervals bn'
! Tb sf,lt.u' lousy expensive blasting away % s'y-
.ral projecting cllN~ 'hE"- ti'Nt ","'."' % -
| Ind yincd. but The natural contours OF r'' n
-houlder alternating 30 picinte.q n,y WIN . 49,
might have been dclshig caIrlns' wy ,Si III
In and out aone the foot OF ne p .,' "N r -, ~
,, H. r",..r can be- "A euliabl- speedway. Win ~"
long descent from one hundred and hty-h n L '''
rr.sunai,. contraction the bridges, ana tn' i'.-
.n,hl. right of the general public 70 dfiF" OF "a'N
| ,lomr The river In nnc II would seem mat ~"
| speedway idea only preieN i'r large .NPo"'''
| tuTe
| I'm, there IS one comfort. No DETACHMENT can
veu exceed that which has been going on for years
| All M and down the hill just below iiiehbridgr.
Cannot small reservoir be built without a result
| ike that Of the eruption Of Krakatoa; But this !"
| n,, ALL AT intervals along the top Of the hill,
notably al IT. northern end. vast quantities 81 run
| bsh from the grading OF streets or lots nave o.eh
0tnt I,yn I'm broad piles that reach half down the
| hillside killing nature whose only conso'tI'h u
mat tA.. tupuii under which she IL buried may III
| I'M. course Of ages acquire some trees I'm" 'n'
| ancient cairns on IN. banks OF the Boyn'-
| One cannot help noticing. on ms way I" NhiSS-
bridge the long Of tenement houses ".I,,i'i
| halfway up the noble hill OF Siuyten l)ulNh "h'h
| -hoi!d villas on its broad hrtiSt SCI
| In ehrubhory. and he crowned win mansions hkr
| no G,.,n,n house on Marble Hin. now occupied by
| , club Tins side Of Kngsbrdge. me W." ir"ih
that high elevation ~ uncXccled around New oih
| And one cannot but Sigh II the rufnoi De- tlr mat
| where the KnesArldgr Road becomes On" WIN tnc
| 4 the point OF hill IN the midst 81 kinrsDIiIEe
| -uuri,-is he cut away II Is ABOUT the "hy
,c,1resuu. thing There must l." 'Jin' curve,
and ,hv not max. II sufficient 10 saw" the feature
n.ntioucly The propensity - stralgntcn Things 'ri-
lrssly IS a crooked propensity. The leN"ilhk 81 the
| low land south Kingsbrilge now g"inf on Il
| u.c.sutv for street sewers In TINS second Harlem
| vel T., be- 50 farewell TO the knobs and meadows.
| ncctions In the stream. New-York must grow; but
| I should make the most OF the picturesque along
| IA. Harlem River wherever II can be pcrpctuatcd
| Wv FREE LANCE