New-York tribune., 1900-04-08

5Sz8x1S{f2fs3E3 - -
RAE MONUMENT IN BENsoNIA CEMETERY.
recall. just as the Strong administration
coming to end. a resolution was passed by
the old Board of Street Openings, acting under
the Small Parks act, TO turn the cemetery into
a public park. The administration heartily ap-
proved this but Corporation Counsel Scott de-
cided that the Small Parks act did not apply.
Just lately the local Board Of Bronx Borough
has taken definite action regarding 1t. At
meeting held December 6 this council voted
TO make park of this land, with the
proviso that the city should pay the bills and
that adjacent property owners should not be
taxed II is doubtful however, if this resoIu-
ton accomplishes much for the Board of Pub
lie improvements will have to pass on the
matter.
A HIDDEN SPOT
To-day the old burial ground is difficult to
come upon All but one Of the four streets
bounding it practically unknown Rae-st
and Carr-st. each only block in extent
and their names unfamiliar. German Place
has been but little heard of. St AIMS
ave. The fourth Of these, will alone be recog-
nized
The old cemetery lies just north Of St Marys
Park in the eastern part Of Bronx Borough.
Here the streets not cut through with alb
Eelute regularity. and some are missing but
eeoSr3pflcallN the BenSOnia burial ground is
between East One-hundred- and fifty -frst-st and
East 0ne-hundred and fifty -sixth-st and lust to
the east Of Third-ave. 1t may be reached by
taxing the Third-aye. elevated read 10 One
hundred-and-ffty-s -sixth-st., walking trife more
than a block to the east over the railroad cut
and turning south along this cut for the dis
tance of another city block
Two and four -hfths acres COMPRISED it's orie,n,,
extent. though there is less ground in 1t TODAY
rleo nj
Cemetery situate at Bensonia." However Ben
sonia II has been for over quarter of a century
It was in this burial ground, tradition saws that
the police declared the body of A T. Stewart to
nave been hidden after it was stolen from under
the shadow OF St Marks
Inc place pears no resemblance to cemetery
now. Only one stone shaft disfgured and
lonely, is left. Here and there q few fat stone.
arc 10 De seen, one two bearing inscrintions
me pulk Of the stones that remain are cracked
trodden down 'eh
AS the writer stood in this square. under one
or the few OLD trees that are left there a sIat-
terniy housewife from one of the tenements on
posite crossed the street. pail in hand she
Gurnped the ashes on the old cemeterys land
II was: ii could easily be seen, a regular cere-
mony for her.
A FEW NAMES RECORDED
Just how many dead are here no one can
tell The record of the tombstones is neagre
Below are all the inscriptions and names that
q careful search would reveal:
yAr6i shaft & Of &brewnstone owl tone JGhp Rae below these
Der IS5. aged sixtyfonr years John Rae Was
lgo @ amer f oI & Ih9mas Rae quarter of century
ana OF which Bensonia is sIice)
White stone Mary Ann Rae eldest daughter @ Of
days. died 1855. 'e'iS month
tzPs Far fro from MS world Of tr2dbIe sy
How lasting your repose on 5IeISi GigR-" Ru! no"
,oraa at hand fat stone of brown with these
.ase Of what Gree was certainly monument "tIieT
torhen den 18th july 1s2 alter seem Lambart ges-
Also AUGUST, eleven months Also Rosaiie four
,ss ssss word of memory for Mary FrsHcis' died
Originally Bensonia Cemetery was very nearly
twice its present size 1t received its name from
Benjamin L. Benson, says Louis A Risse, chief
typographical engineer of the Board of Public
Improvements Benson owned good sized piece
OF Land directly to the north and he laid this
in building lots, the survey dating 1857 The
cemetery had seven streets-St. Matthew'S ST
Marks st. Luke's, St. Johns, St Paurs. St
Peters and St. James's aves-and cross ave
nue, Zions-aye. 1t is a local tradition that ALI
this land presented by Mr. Benson TO the
German church of Melrose. but certain old deeds
and documents seem TO tell another story Ac-
cording to these. this land was purchased from
Gouverneur Morris in 1S59. # having been
simply pasture up to TINS time Robert II Elton
wss the buyer and in 1882 he sold out TO James T.
Parshall whose estate has the chief claim on the
burial ground to-day. 4 cemetery was urgently
needed in the town of Morrisania at that time
and Mr.. Parshail laid out these acres In plots A
number Of bodies were at once transferred there
and thus many of the old stones bore dates that
vent far further back than the cemetery itself
This is the account given by SidwelI S. Randall
who has these deeds ia his possession and has
long fought for the turning Of the cemetery into
park.
CUT BY NEW STREET
The present ST. Anns-ave Benson-ave
this being also krown the Fordham Road
though Third-ave. is the real Fordham Road
When ST Ann's-aye. was cut through, in 1870
its line pushed considerably further 10 the
eastward, and thus directly through the
eennetery. Then a large number OF dis.nter-
rlents were necessary
The lot owners that time all appeared anc
moved their dead away. 1t was different TWEEN