New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
A PARK ROW NUISANCE.
A SIDEWALK BRIDGE THAT HINDERS
THE FREE MOVEMENT OF
PEDESTRIANS.
1T HAS BEEN THERE THIRTEEN MONTHS ONpEH
PERMIT ALLOWING IT TO STAND


THREE WEEKS
OF the multtudes Of people who pass up ana
down Park Row every day 1t Is safe to say that
nine hundred in every thousand have been won
derine for months how much longer they would be
compelled to scale the long bridge between Beck
man and Ann SITS. in front OF the plot OF erouna
on which another tower OF Babel Is oeine quit
II was bad enough when there were only n'e ..
s,x steps 10 be gone up and down AT each end OF
the bridge but when a few weeks ago half
dozen more were added the burden Of climbing
and descending them became wellnigh intoerao'e-
Ths only alte native without crossing the street.
is 10 go out on narrow strip OF pavement ~here
the pedestrian takes his life in his hands by reason
q. the cable-cars which wh.rl around loop JUST
below this point and then start with jerk on
their return tourney uptown, not 70 speak OF SLOW
er-moving horsecars and other vehicles WITHIN
few days the height Of 'he bridge has been con-
siderably lowered and this is taken as an indica-
ton that the beginning OF the end may % sp'
preaching.
tIo,, % !, that bridges OF this kind are con.
s,ructed over places where sidewalks ought 70 be.
To the great inconvenience and annoyance OF ITO
public? This is question that many people ask
themselves and another when they come IN
nersonal contact with membranes OF this nature
The answer is not difficult.
When q vault is 70 be constructed under eide-
r,o1k a hermit has 70 be obtained from the Water
purvevor and the rule Is that the work must he
finished within three weeks. When the circur-
stances are exceptional there appears 70 be no
Int, set. In the Park Row case IT .s the opinion
Of public officials and OF the builders that the cir
cumstances are decidedly exceptional
In addition 70 the permit just mentioned build
e- is required 10 obtain permit from the Super
intendent OF the Bureau OF membranes II he
wishes 10 make OF the surface OF the street as
stora ge-place for his building material. Builders
have q legal right. under such a permit, 70 make
H. $rAr ~ shA nrn-
iected building but they are forbidden 10 90
ri,bin two feet Of a cartrack four feet OF lamp
most or ten feet Of fire hydrant
Nov" said Superintendent Henkel. OF the Bu-
raar n. Membranes. when his attention was
c.uad 70 the obstruction 20 the free movement Of
the neople traversing Park Row. what were the
builders 10 do in this case? II was impossible for
,baro ~ Mace their material in the street
count OF the four cartracks there. and the large
number OF cars constantly on the move prevented
then, from unloading material there during the day
time Nv raising the bridge. however. was done
while ago they were enabled slide the big.
49,, Orders down without trouble but they have
dome this work only at night, or rather about
o'clock in the morning. when there was the small
e an1reciate the serious obstruction this bridge
mas caused. but after looking over me ground and
talking with the builders IL have come 70 tae con;
cIusion that II is not an incumbrance that called
for action on my part ! haDe reGe's go num h
omsed 10 remove Il as soon as possible. They
go been seriously delayed by encountering quick
ssna which has been difficult 10 handle: The CIR
49, in The city where builder would Dee pre-
vented from making use OF the street Tor piins Up
his material -. .o,,ao.,ors ., ,ha h,u1
inc sre eompleted and the first story s reached Il
a. ,he ,rtenfion OF the builders 10 build bridge
over the sidewalk and handle all their material
~ Z, DO not now they could have done bet
r. under the circumstances that existed, although
II is evident 10 everybody that TIE oDstrucuon 70
,be sidewalk has been great nuisance for long
,i,oe ID not believe Il will be maintained very
mug" 10, ~ otsce OF the Water Purveyor. in the
American Tract Soc!ety's building " was learned
30, The revised ordinances OF the city In reference
~ narmits FOR the building OF vaults provide that
an vaults must be completed and the ground closed
a. ,hsn within three weeks after they are COM
Unsnced under the penalty ot s. for each day they
80 remain unnclosed after that period .
ma - Tempt has ever been made TO enforce that
nrovison said the official IN charge OF THIS branch
~ tho citys public work: IN many cases IL II I'M
oossible 10 get the work completed within three
weeks" - A..L. 80 oasc,i w,s o,,s,s.-.
~, 's,rnrisea 10 find that the permit for the vaut
oly ,rnrriion under the Park Row sidewalk was Is
S,J ~ IuIV OF last year and the construction OF
80 hriice he said had been begun when the permit
W. utshed 10 raise the bridge several feet, 80 as
- get the huge girders under H. they applied Tor
arother permit. but none Was granted. IAen they
wen, ahead without one and compelled the people
70 inwer the bridge 10 It's old height
A N has been more than A year since the tn.ee
weeks allowed them expired. simple sum IN artn'
ma,Ic shows that they owe the Guy IN the neigh
small price 10 pay for the public nuisance WHICH
Sas visited on the east side OF Park Row for the
last thirteen months
n nm