New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-04
forest prmeval Varied and beautiful are the

| forest primeval. Varied and beautiful are the
| trees that shade its crest
AS Brooklyn taxpayers remember to their sor-
| row. the old Democratic ring had passion LOT
park buying and park building, but especially
| park buying. So pleased were they Win 'he
good things connected with the purchase OF the
Twelfth Ward and other parks that they mad
| Democratic Legislature pass a law which per-
| mtted the Park Commissioner to spend several
million dollars in parks. This law provided for
| buying the Dyker Meadow Park. and author
| lied the purchase Of land within Kings County
or adjacent TO Kings County" for large park.
Then came the people and swept the old ring
out of office
When Park Commissioner SQuier began look
ing around to fulfil the purposes Of this law
the pre-erninent fitness Of the Backbone OF
Long Island" for the purposes Of park struck
him at once. He thought. as many had thought
before him. that the turning Of these beautifully
wooded heights over to the ruthless purposes
Of the real estate dealer would be a crime
Being by all odds the most desirable Of all the
land adjacent To Kings County" which the law
permitted him to buy. Commissioner Squier lost
no time in beginning the purchase.
NEARLY ALL OF THE LAND ACQUIRED.
All the property has now been bought. except a
I'D" prices. The total cost has been 81 800 600
Impartial real estate experts are Of the opinion
that this property was secured at remarkably
low figure If it had not been for the panic and
hard times there is no question that the land
would have cost the city in the neighborhood Of
So 600 900 When the Prospect Park site
bought from 1862 to 1865 it further out of
| the city than Forest Park is now Yet the land
of Prospect Park cost $5.0000O0 The Forest
Park land was bought for prices ranging from
$500 to 50 800 an acre. The latter price was
paid for improved property and for the lots Dor
dering in Myrtle-ave. The failure Of suit based
upon the allegation that an exorbitant price was
paid for some OF the property is still fresh in the
public mind
The Tribune gives on this page the first dia
gram Of Forest Park published The park
Is two and half miles long, and varies in width
from 600 feet at the middle, where ii lies on
three sides Of the Woodhaven water supply prop
erty to half mile in other parts. Its wester
" line is the easterly boundary of Cypress Hills
Cemetery Thence the park extends mort heaster-
w. its northeastery line being Union Turnpike
and its castcrly line the village line Of Richmond
Hill The dividing line between the towns of ia
maica and Newtown runs through the southerly
part OF the park.
The entrance TO the park from the Jamaica
Plank Road is situated four blocks east OF Eldert-
ave and Is to be constructed on land just &C
oulred The work on this entrance is to be
finished on before October J. The Myrtle-ave
entrance IL situated one hundred or more feet
east OF Cypress Hills. Myrte-ave. is the north
ern boundary Of the park until the NewYork
and Rockaway Beach road Ii reached when the
avenue enters and crosses the park. The road
way from the Myrtle-ave entrance runs souther-
IL TO the crest OF the hill. where II meets the
road from the south entrance. At this junction
n splendid view Of the ocean. Jamaica hay and
the island. far As Garden city. may be OBJ
tained The central driveway Of the park fol-
lowe the crest Of the heights crosses the old
Trotting Course Lane. then the Rockaway Beach
Railroad and then Myrtlc-ave Continuing the
road passes n huge natural bowl. which only re-
ouIres filling with water to make " beantifu'
lake But this will come later
The main driveway Of the Park reaches the
main line of the Long Island Railroad (Which
crosses the eastern end OF the ParR Just above
the village Of Richmond Hill. The tracks OF the
railroad run through n gulch nj this point. ana
n handsome bridge Is TO he constructed ngn
above the tracks The contract for this bridge
was awarded 10 Levcring q isrrigueS. Oh new
York City. on Wednesday,
A MAGNIFICENT VIEW.
Turning north the driveway crosses the Will
iamsburg Turnpike and mounts to a high point
at the northeastern corner Of the Park. The
view from this point Is unexceIled by anything
In Long Island. The panorama takes In Long
Island Sound and reaches 10 the Connecticut
hills Flushing and Flushing Bay are, Of course
plainly IN view. Whir.ing around concourse
the road descends to the Flushing Turnpike.
a third entrance to the PAX has been planned
in connection with the Eastern Parkway exten-
sion This entrance will begin at The terminus
Of the Eastern Parkway in Highland Park
which fronts and surrounds Rdgewood reser-
vor. The road is to pass through Highland Park
around the easterly end OF the reservoir Cross
Ing the Peat Pond to the rear entrance OF Cy-