The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-20
OFF UNION SQUARE.
PR sIDENT M'MIILdN's PLAN TO
DEAD HIN'S CURVE
says n Surface Road from i4th street
and Brondwny Straight to 17th street
Would Disneure the Park Less Thsn

says n Surface Road from i4th Street
ana broadway straight to 17th street
Would Disnsure the Park Les, Ths.
"a Tunnel - writes TO the Mayor.
President Mcmillan OF the Park Board sent
the following letter to Mayor Strong yesterdays
I'm reference" to the proposed tunnel under
Union square for the cable road. ! would state
that II the tunnel is built it will nccessitate an
open cut through the entire length OF the park.
the building of walls and placing of iron beams
to form a roof, and will ncccssitate the cutting
down of twenty.eieht trees. varying in dame
ter from four tn thirty inches; the removal of
the Lafayette statue, aud the remodellinx Of
the entire walk system OF the park.
at will also reduce the park area about ls. 900
square feet. 5000 square feet for the two en-
frances or approaches ami S.O2j square feet for
the tunnel proper between the two approaches.
"lt the plan rs submitted herewith should be
adopted ms set forth by the red lines on the map
1t will reduce The park area only about 20. 900
square fee;; there would have to be cut down
hut seventeen trees varying in diameter from
two inches to thirty.hyr inches. aud the only
rcmOdclIIng ~ tn" walks necessary would be
those On the westerly ride of the PARK.
" IL would give iroHd way m opening more
direct ana muf" approximate for that great
thnrnuuhrnrc AMI IL would be- an lmproy.1nrnt
much needed. IN" area taken from the park
wunii serf" ~ n gr"Ai benefit to tratiic, both OF
trade and driving. III that vicinity.
w INV 'lhr NV hI't lhhtn lTO11 nv
park land would be- converted into pavement
for the benefit OF all.
"Nntw outstanding that I have always spoken
for me preservation, uf every foot Of park area
that II IL iu-Siblc 10 maintain III our city, when
! consider the great necessity Of conducting our
pcnpie TO Their homes 10y proper means | must
ack nov ledge that the sacrifice ~ this small
nr"a Of the park land IL secondary to the bone-
hts that would he derived from II.
IN he railways would be able to run more cars
and run them with much less danger TO life aud
limb. and business :raiiic and driving will be bet
ter accommodated.
AS hav. before stated. ! will oppose any cue
or any tunnel that Will divide our park or run
under II, hut III III your opinion aud the opinion
of Others who ARE interested in the welfare OF
our city the transfer OF III y Land from the parK
TO the roadway Will best serve our ueuplc, as .
whole. then must yield. and | will yield and
rec. ininend that tins plan be adopted.
81 would add that this plan has not been
passed upon by the Park Board. hut IL sub
United bv m" personally for your consideration"
According to the plans ACCOMPANYING this
letter. President McNlillRn's idea Ia to take u
slice of the west side OF the square su ficiently
large To make n line practically straight from
Fourteenth street to Seventeenth. and allow
the METROPOLITAN Street Railroad Company to
lay its tracks on tho surface OF the ground thus
taken.
Mayor Strong refused to express any opinion
about the scheme.