The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-04


section Dstween sEid company and the
ely equired to allow the work on the
new approach tracks west OF Gaspee street
To te carried on. This location west Of
Gsspeo stree, mad for years been cebsta-
HE ground, and the complications as to
tile and division line hsd, at times,
Threatened seriously To delay progress on
ths main staiion project. On July 2,
1876, The CITY executed to the New Eng
land railroad sef 81 land Tor the con-
sidersiion of 500, coo. On july 20 last a
~u.ed OF land VAS taken by the New York,
New Haven a. Hartford Railroad Com
pany.the considerations raid TO the city OF
providence being s279 300.
About the first OF hIsy last, the general
contract for the new railroad buildings
was awarded and the contractors imme-
diateiy commenced work on the ground
and bad 30 pushed their operations tnst
by Decent or the entire group OF buildings
$40 feet long from end TO end, and from
20 10 lO0 feet in width was rooted in.
Ihee seems no reason to doubt that the
coming summer will see the new ststion
put into regular service.
, desire TO call your attention to the
fact that no provision has yet been made
for train shed To this new station, ia
accordance with the understanding at
The time the plans for the station were
ruomitted. This matter should receive
the eariy attention of the commute on
terminal facilities so that when X shall
have made ito final report on he work IL
has so satisfactorily performed no detail
OF this Improvement shall have been ao-
cepted without due recognition of the
tights Of the public.
Early in the fall OF 1895 freight trains
were running over the new doublo tracks
laid on the elevated grade, thereby re-
lieVlRg The Gaspee street grade crossing
to considerable degree.
PARKS.
A large amount OF work has been done
on the parks Of the city during The past
year. AT Roger Williams Park the work
done. commencing May !, consisted Of
building the entire west side boulevard
and the PARK avenue approac hes. the re-
inoval OF all mud and s,umps from No
Bottom pond, SO called, the building OF
the boulder cnlvert bridge on PARK ave.
nue and the erubping and spres jing OF
loam over the entire park with the ex-
ception OF small section near the ceme-
terry. During the progress OF the work n
large number of men were employed
reaching as high a number as $40: and
this work was done by the park commits
sloners WITHIN the approp oprations, and at
less cost than any similar work bas
heretofore been done by contract.
The new boat house, the gift of the
i"tS lam <~"Aty"pir, 10 HcNTIy COmDlotP1
and Will he ready for occupancy about
January Is. 1897. During the year, the
City Council ordered the removal OF tre
WHAT Cheer Cottage building from the
park grounds, and q commodious and
ornamental structure for tne purposes of
and recreation is 3ow peing
erected in its place.
An ordinance was rassed last month
providing for building bridges to the
island in the park and the completion of
all necessary work remaining to be done
OIL tne'island and the Eleanor Field wood
lot. Ibis work, when finished, az it is
to be within the next few
months, Will complete the improvement
of the new portion Of Roger Williams
Park, and next summer our citizens will
have the opportunity of enjoyinr one of
the finest public parks in the country.
Rogers Williams Park, when completed
according to plans, will contain 42S acres
In ares, of which 130 acres will be covered
by water. Boats running on the lakes
" III be ena bled to make a round trip five
miles long. The driveways will be seven
and tbree-quarters miles in length.
A fine new river road with rip-rnp pre-
teclion along the line of Blackstone PARK
from Hamilton avenue to Irving avenue.
vas built during the year.
Ihe purchase of five lots of land adjoin-
ng Davis Bark on Gladstone avenue, for
/ sum not exceeding s34,0 was au-
borized during the last year.
The nearncss of the completion Of
Roger Williams Park suggests mention
If the work done by tn, Chairman Of
he Board of Park Comm issioners, Rich |
rd IL. Deming. Bringing to the Office |
" park commissioner a special fitness for |
ne position, he has devoted unremitting |
attention to the transformation OF this |
erritory into q beautiful park, and the |
h.x. tI,s.r pkeo rfttll ,t.,s, -.
endered deserved at least this word OF |
Red bridge which was open to travel
)ecem Der %, 1895, while incomplete,
las not been closed to travel during the |
ear except on one day while asphalt |
avemcpt was being aid on tie draw.
he gates ana machinery for operating
hem, the laying OF asphalt pavement on
he draw and painting second coat have
cen completed during the year.
Promenade street bridge-one cut stone
Ter and steel superstructure with asphalt
avement, and Exchange bridge new
butment walls, three cut stone piers and
Ieel uperstructure, with asphalt pave
,ent- were completed during the year.
Plans and estimates have teen made
nd work ordered for bridge at Weybos-
IT or Market square, to be steel super
tructure with new abutments and cut
one pier to cost probably s2l2, GOO. Tne
xtension OF new abutments 10 ne south
de Of Crawford street bridge at a proba-
le cost of $106, 600 has also been ordered.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The increased sttendance in the public
,bools must be gratifying to the citizens
Providence, for the double reason that
indicates the growth of the city and
so the appreciation In which the public
hools are held.
len years ago the school census was
,Si3. Last year 1t was 26, 100. The en-
'llment In the first quarter Of the year
m wears ago was 16,4l9. Last year 1t
ss 20, 15e. The per cent. OF increase in the
hool census was 14.i per cent. The per
mt. of increase in enrolment was 22.7
,r cent. The increase of the present
hool year over the preceding one is 1887,
hich Is an increase of PER cent. This
crease il sufficient to fill nine school
)uscs Of four rooms each with an aver |
70 OF as pupils in each room. 10 meet |
is increased attendance the city built
iring the calendar year 1896, the follow
Y school houses:
In the Third ward, Greeley street
hool, a four-room building was buili;
the Seventh ward, the Pottsr's avenue
hool was enlarged from four rooms TO