New-York tribune., 1900-07-15
UPROOTING BIG ELMS
BOULEVARD PARKWAY IN THE HANDS
OF THE SPOILERS.
MARCH OF PROGRESS SEEMS TO DEMAND
IT. AND TIME MAY RESTORE DE-
MOLISHED BEAUTIES.

AS walks along the beautiful parkway in
the middle of upper Broadway under the shadow
of the spreading elms free from the rush of
shoppers who throng the sidewalks, and with
green sod and blooming shrubs either side of
this almost primrose path in the centre of
broad and busting thoroughfare, he suddenly
upon a prosac and ugly ditch at One
hundred-and- twentieth-st, and finds that his
pleasant pathway has been not only cut short,
but dug up and carried away. No trees cast
their grateful shadow on this hideous trench.
The graceful elms that once waved their foliage
there have vanished root and branch, and the
swarthy lahorer with his pick and shovel exudes
the flavor of onions and garlic where not many
days ago the fragrant shrub and bossoming
bush spread their grateful odors
Ali this is not the work Of vandals however
but is a necessary ConcOmitant of progress in
the shape of the underground railroad. John
Shields is the man who is working this havoc
He has the sub-contract for the construction of
the subway from ne-hundred- -and-fourth-
ST. to One-hundred-a and twenty-ffth-st. and he
has chosen for the first section to begin the
blocks between Observation-Disclosures and
e-hundred-and- twenty fifth sts. This section
viii be part subway and part viaduct for the
line of the subway strikes grade at One-hun-
dred-and-twenty-fourth and from that point
VIII be carried across the Harlem Valley
elevated structure Mr. shields began to eXca-
vate on June is, and already has over forty Of
the beautiful elms in the centre Of Broadway
rooted up and carted away. lie will have re-
moved about two hundred Of them in all when
his work is completed,
Not only Will these lovely trees be ruthlessly
torn up by the roots, but instead Of being
planted again, as has been proposed, their leaves
ard branches Will be shorn away and their thick
trunks will be put to the iguominious use Of
blasting logs. Burned with powder and shat
tere-by flying stones, they VIII at last be thrown
aside as rubbish. When il is considered what
vast amounts Of the City's money have been
expended by the city's politicians to make these
wood has ever been used for such base purposes
since the days Of the French Revolution. when
palaces We're sacked to make barriCades. The
earth is first dug away from the base OF the
elms the roots cut, and by means OF ropes
they pulled into the trench. Mr.. Shields
over the subway when it is completed. lay new
sod and plant trees In few years II is
probable that upper Broadway will be as we'll
shaded as ever.
The top earth, which is loamy is being placed
when eXCaVated. on the north side of the street
Efforts have been made keep this earth from
injuring the trees which line the north side at
the curb. and Mr.. Shields says he viii have ii
Carted back again before il can do any damage
The eXcavated earth will be prevented. ne says
from pressing on the trees by circular stone
walls built about the trunks. which will be
rough but effective. To add L the contractors
labor ne will he obliged TO remove one line Of
gas pipe, another Of fire alarm pipe and big
twenty inch CrOtOn water main. These will be
buried in Il trench alongside the subway. and
putting big force of men and finish
ing the job up in q hurry is the fact that he
is forced to walt for the twenty inch pipe
which must be laid before the old main be