The sun., 1902-12-13
JOHNS0N'S BALL PARK FOUND?
SAID TO BE LOCATED At LEMON
AVENtE AND II6TH STREET.
One Plot Purchased and Another Leased.
Both Fronting on Harlem River. but
the City Must Formally Close a street
Before There Can he Hail Playing.

Although the guesses as To the location
Of the American League grounds III this
city are numberless just now, The SUS
received what appears to be authentic
Information last night az to the real site
Tor the lew ball park. A large tract of
laid south Of the Harlem River. bordcrod
on the north by l47th street, on the west
by Lenox avenue and OH the south by l45th
street. is said To lie the location. IL IL
also stated through real estate source
tina, tie entire tract Is cut ia two by liCth
street, which rune directly from LeLoA
avenue into the Harlem River The open
ing of l48th street by the city occurred
come time ago, but IL il stated that the
American League men, backed by power
ful politicians, expect by special legisla-
ton by the Board of Aldermen, 10 have
this street closed for a term of years, which
will enable them to play ball on IA park
plenty large enough for al requirements.
The American League it is reported on
good authority. has purchased one-half
Of this tract outright for SIS OOO Of which
S5o, 900 has been paid spot cash. The other
half of the property has been leased for
ten years. The reason why the American
League men are keeping the location Of these
closing This is said to be mere formal
ity as the new ball club controls the entire
river front from l45th street 70 l47th street
the two blocks thus combined. providing
the requisite amount of playing space.
This location is two blocks east OF the
li5,h street station of the Ninth avenue
IL" trolley line running from the station
directly to the entrance of the proposed
a.
street are the car bans and powerhouse
OF the lnterurban Street Railway. where
the LeEox avenue line. over which Column
bus and Lexington avenue cars run. ends.
The Eighth avenue surface line is two
blocks away, while the new i45th street
bridge over the Harlem TO The Bronx. when
completed, will bring patrons from the All
neXed district straight To the gates
The new grounds. if the location is the
right one. are not exactly square in shape
but they are nearly 800 feet long on one
side and 900 feet long on another. with the
river front completing "A sort of angular
plot which il considered plenty large enough
to play ball on. The American League
men are waiting for the right To close up
li8th street, il is understood, and will then
60 ahead with the grading and digging
necessary
President johnson of the American
League refused 10 discuss the grounds
question yesterday still insisting that the
location of the new park would be made
known in about two weeks. j F. kilfoyle,
who has been conducting the negot lat ions
for the property. said that it might be even
three weeks before the final details could
be- made public. Neither johnson nor
klfoyle would even listen to questions
about grounds, SO that it was impossible
to confirm the story printed above. They
ridiculed, however. the report that the
American League had purchased the Lynch
estate upon which the Polo Grounds and
Manhattan Field now stand