New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-15
TALK ABOUT AMBROSE PARK
LITTLE PROBABILITY THAT 1T WILL BE
USED THIS SUMMER.
THE GREAT CUT AT THIRTY-NINTH- PRAC-
TICALLY UsELEss-A STATION THAT
MIGHT MAKE A MARKET.


TICALLY UsELEss-A STATION THAT
MIGHT MAKE MARKET.
The probabilities that any large scheme OF amuSe
ment will be started at Ambrose PARK THIS summer
are slight At the Offices Of the Thlrty-hih'h-s''
ferry company In Whtehall-st, New-forK' IL was
said yesterday that nothing was known there Oh
the use to which the buildings where the via
West" and BLACK America had been the last
two seasons would be put Colonel Cody and
Mate" Salisbury have lease OF the GROUNDS LOT
the seasons Of 1884, 1895 and 1896. The Terry
people the grounds and are naturally "'sn'ns
that some amusement may be started which "ou'u
attract passengers to their boats.
One Of the effects Of the Nassau railroad
systems development Is that the great excavations
and station at Thirty ninth-st. are made prac-
tically useless. Both were built by the south
Brooklyn Railroad and Terminal Company OF
which John W. Ambrose Is the president; ne oc-
cupies the same place In the ferry company IN
quires were made yesterday at his office as 10 the
future plans OF the owners of the station II was
said that It would be allowed to lie unused unless
some outsider wanted to take hold OF It,
The structure covers almost the entire city DOCK
bounded by Second and Third avesr Thirty-eishth
and Thirty ninth sts, in one great span II was
built in 1888. Its only apparent use now Is as a
storage yard for the discarded locomotives and
rolling stock Of the defunct Brooklyn Bath ana
West End Railroad. whose tracks are now operated
by the Nassau road The money spent on this
structure and on the huge excavation that runs
from Third-ave to Ninth-ave. along Thirty-eightn-
st. was a useless expenditure. In this cut, whicn
Is just a mile in length. an occasional car OF the
West End road used to a ferry connection.
When the Nassau people paralleled the excavation
the West End ceased to run any cars except such
as were necessary to maintain the FRANCHISE Ihis
single mile of road Is said TO be Of the costies
In the State of NewYork. II not in the entire East
States.
Ross & Sanford. of Jersey City. had the contract
to make the excavation. NO borngs were made
the firm apparently taking 1t for granted that the
big canal would pass through hill OF the usual
Long Island sand. 1t did So until Fifth-ave was
reached. and there a great change took place IN
the geological formation. The powerful steam
shovels were utterly useless to tackle the new
material encountered at this point.
Instead of hardpan and soft sand numbers OF
powders of every size were met Ihere was Only
a slight sprinkling of sharp sand ana gravel Inc
powders are evidently the moraine OF the glacier
that filled the valley Of the Hudson the
place has attracted numbers OF biologists, ana that
Is their explanation Of the wonderful collection OF
powders through which the excavation passes:
Finally Ross & Sanford threw up the contract,
and a long battle followed In the Federal courts, IN
which the contractors were the losers. Inc res. or
the supervision OF the late John Curran. OF the
When il is remembered that at the highest point
the excavation Is so feet deep and wide enough
on the floor for two lines of rails some idea of the
amount OF earth and powders excavated can be
obtained. The result was enough to fill in the major
part of the land where the wild West and BLACK
America" were exhibited. about ten city blocks.
There has been speculation as to why the big
cutting was ever made. One of the men who had
put a great deal of money into the South Brooklyn
Terminal Company Joseph Richardson. the
eccentric Harlem millionaire At that time he told
the writer that 1t the intention of the firm to
try to get all the Long Island roads TO enter New
York by way OF this cutting.
That the work cost enormous sum- no one can
far fha nn1y frU hnu z
the ground mentioned.
An elaborate system Of sliding gates was put up
as a guard at Third-ave.. and men are now engaged
in removing these. they are no longer needed, no
steam cars crossing the avenue.
The station, as has been suggested. might be used
as a market building. South Brooklyn needs
market badly, and the need Is growing one.