New-York tribune., 1902-05-21
ELECTRIC FOUNTAIN To GO.
AN AQUATIC DISPLAY WILL BE PUT IN
THE BASIN.

Many persons in Brooklyn and Manhattan
Will be disappointed to hear that Park Com
missioner Young of Brooklyn and Queens has
decided to abandon the electric fountain In the
Prospect Park plaza, which cost the city $4,000
, and put in the basin an aquatic display The
fountain, which is the only one of it's kind in
this city. and the largest and finest in the coun
try. is to be allowed to deteriorate through dis
use because the Park Commissioner has decided
that the Water Department might limit him in
the use of water, because he fears that the gath
ering OF crowd to look at 1t might work some
little damage to a few grass mounds around the
edges of the plaza and because the wealthy
| residents in Plaza-st. and Eighth-ave. and the
immediate neighborhood have opposed the re-
newal Of the electric fountain displays, on the
ground that the crowd which gathered there
created disorder
When Commissioner Young was seen by a
Tribune reporter yesterday he said that at first
he thought Of resumng the operation of the
electric fountain and gave the subject careful
attention. His reasons for abandoning the
fountain he gave follows:
The water supply of the borough is Sc limited
that am afraid we could not get enough water
TO operate the fountain except one or two even
ings week. At other times ii would be in
operative and unattractive. Then the displays
down the shrubbery. and would have to get
extra police to preserve the park property. In
addition TO this. receive many complaints from
people living in proximity to the plaza about the
annoyance caused by the crowd.
After careful consideration. | decided TO use
the basin for more permanent exhibition,
which would exist continuously and create there
the finest possible display of aquatic plants
This will be done the weather per-
mits 1t will be a beautiful feature of the park
system both day and night | am also going to
set out small trees and plants around the park
basin. and l hope that when it is done it will
give pleasure to a greater number Of people than
the electrical display. This will be benefit
rather than detriment to park property.
Commissioner Young said that he had not
asked the Water Department if it would raise
any objections to a resumption Of the fountain
displays this year. In the summer of 1898 there
was an approach to water famine and this
condition was repeated in 1899 and 1900. Strict
measures were taken to husband the supply OF
water. Fountains all the borough were
stopped and other restrictive measures adopted
Last year there plenty of rain and the
reservoirs were filled to the limit Of their ca
pacity and there little effort made to stop
the waste of water. Hundreds of fountains are
now in operation day and night In Brooklyn
which use more water than she electrical display
would need.
The formal opening Of the fountain on
August -, 1891 was the occasion for the
gathering of a large number of we'll known per
sons of Brooklyn and Manhattan. including
Mayors Strong and Wurster The report of the
Park Department for 1897 says Of the fountain:
Thousands Of people, including visitors from
all parts of the country. have witnessed the
magnificent spectacle during the season, and all
unite in pronouncing IL one of the grandest spec
tacIes ever seen. There is doubt of the wis
dom OF the expenditure OF the money required
for the construction OF this fountain, for IL has
afforded all the people means of enjoyment
that could not otherwise have been obtained.