New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03
THE NEW SPEEDWAY OPENED
A BEAUTIFUL TRACK FOR HORsEMEN
EXTENDING FOR OVER TWO MILES
no CEREMONY ABOUT THE THROWING OPEN OF
THE DRIvE-LAwsoN " FULLER THE
FIRST TO ENTER HISTORY


OF THE ROAD
The beautiful drive along the banks Of the
Harlem River known as the Speedway. was
thrown open TO the public yesterday for the first
time. There little ceremony attached 10 the
opening beyond the presence Of President Clausen
OF the Park Board and few other officials. At
exactly 2:3O o'clock In the afternoon President
Clausen gave the word. and the gates at the one
hundred-and fifty nfth-st. and ST. Nchoas-ave. en-
trance were pushed ajar and the Speedway was
open.
Many horscmen were waiting for the hour. The
first man to pass through the gates was Lawson n.
Fuller. driving spanking team Of trotters. Be-
hind him came John J. QUINN with a sorrel geld
Ing. and then Charles P. Sackett. with the fast
stopper Racket. W. Irving with a brown geld
ing. followed. with President Clausen and ex-Park
Commissioner Samuel Mcmillan. each driving
single horss. big bunch OF less-known trotters
and PAGERS came along in the second crush. and
then for several hours there was constant process
sion Of vehicles passing in and out Of the One
hundred-and-hf -hfth-st. entrance Among the
horsemen out Louis Frobisher j. Robinson.
s W. Peck. Judge Mcmahon. F. G. Schmidt Frank
Work. Charles F. Bates William II. Langdon.
Charles Connors. c. H. Mcdonald Samuel New
burger f. n. Hartman. w. G. Leland Frank
Ferguson. Police Commissioner Hess. John F. Car
roll. Robert S. McCreery p. II. Adams. +. y. Law
renee. John Mcguire and host Of others.
General ]. Balz was seen behind fast pair and
=. Mooney. with a record breaking PAGER. also took
spin over the Alexander Newburger had
his PAGER Smilax out. and he was followed by G.
a. Coleman J. D. Barry. J. W. Prngle and more
Of the horse experts The majority OF the horse
men contented themselves with driving up and
down the Speedway once. a number Of them being
anxious 10 catch trains for seaside resorts. The
heat prevented many pedestrians from visiting the
new pleasure drive.
hui ~ he teQu In
when the plans adopted by the Park Commits
soners. George e. Causen, Paul Dana. ex-Judge
Tappan and Nathan Straus. Mayor Gilroy cast the
first dirt dug up for the Speedway With silver
spade presented by the contractors. This was in
April 1894 The work OF building the roadway was
divided The first section built by Contractor
James D. Leary. AT cost OF $4,000 The con-
tractor OF the second section J. G. Rogers. and
the $751; 0IO The total cost of the entire
work has been s2.75o0O0 The Park Commissioners.
however have asked for $4,000 more TO embellish
the surroundings and put the finishing touches on
the beautiful pleasure grounds The Speedway Is
about two and one-ffth miles long. II begins at
one hundred nd -hfty-ffth-st and St Nicholas
ave. and extends TO the eastery extremity or
Dyckman-ave In IT'S construction 1870 cubic
yards OF earth excavated. and 134.0O yards
removed by dredging The filling In included
ISL go yards. and It found necessary to build
$4,000 cubic feet Of crib bukhead and 1000 cubic
"'N''|1 ''''
feet 81 png used In the work and 5000 cubic
yards OF garden mould These are only Few OF
the chief items Of work done
The width OF the driveway varies between ninety
five and hfty-two feet This does not include the
sidewalks planting trenches and grass plats Inere
Is an easy down grade for half mile from ths
One-hundred and fifty -hfth-st. entrance 20 me
driveway proper. The course OF the speed
way IS then along the west shore OF thee
Harlem River. passing under High Bridge > ana
ris Heights where the line sw! ngs with easy
curves TO Dyckman-av, The roadway passes the
old Jume mansion. once Washingtons headquar.
ters A short distance further along IL the lrst
underground passage for pedestrians by which they
"a ge, from one side the other or the driveway
Inst north Of High Bridge there Is another pas
,ageway and north OF Washington Bridge mere u
SIN another Pedestrians are rot permitted 10 cros.
the roadway and these passageways were DUN
their convenience.
The roadway Is made OF sandy loam ana ti,e
roadbed at the first underground passase"ay
abou, seven feet above the high water marx OF nc
rtyer on each SIDE OF the roadway are sldewaIks
81 grave or asphalt The easterly Walk Is leve
with the driveway while in many places me ives,
ery walk is above 1t, that part OF the Testery was
Immediately north of Washington Bridge oeins
twenty reet above and aNordns an excellent vie"
Of the best part OF the racing roadway; MI, ~
several men who were employed Dy the taIh De
narrren, in the construction Of the speedway nave
been dismissed THey Abraham Samuelson
assistant engineer: Clarence A. crane, sian.
n,vls * Meoker transitman; Nathan W. Stanley
MrManus axeman: John l.. Haggerty axeman.
! Nahoney Office boy: NJ f Duane. Inspector OF
masonry and Michael Dooley. Inspector or ma
sOnry