The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-30
LOWER HARRIET
LAKE LEVEL
Plan Suggested by w. H. Manning
to Make Room for Park
Amusements.
Boston Expert Outlines to Park
Board Plan for Pavilion and
Play Ground.
Bathing Facilities, He Thinks,
Should Be Provided Elsewhere
His Reasons.

Warren Fl. Manning, landscape de-
signer, Of Boston, has submitted to the
park board plans for the improvement Of
Lake Harriet. Copies are now in the
hands of special committee.
The problem Is no easy one, for, as Mr..
Manning says, there is no place in tho
park system where so much varied recre-
alton and such great crowds must be
provided for in as compact and limited
space as at Lake Harriet.
How to Get Space.
The present place is too restricted. Az
the park becomes more attractive and
convenient, and the city grows, there viii
be a vast increase in attendance. So Mr..
Manning recommends that in order to In
crease the existing areas, particularly In
the vicinity of the trolley line station, the
level Of Lake Harriet should be lowered
two or three feet Then, by leevling down
the space between the old pavilion sits
and the electric car line, sufficient, addi-
tional space could be obtained.
Lowering the lake, says Mr.. Manning.
will also make hard the swanpy land
next to Lakewood cemetery, thus making
it available for games. The only practical
way Of making this land available at
small expense Is to lower the lake sur
face sufficiently to secure a good drain
age. When this is done, the first swamp
can readily be made available for lawn
an dthe second for games requiring much
space. -
There Is wet depression between the
main entrance road (from Interlachen) and
the electric road, where it would be prac-
ticab1e to provide children's playground.
with g. wading pool, sand courts, mothers
house and some simple gymnastic appara-
tus and where it would be removed from
the pavilion and would be near the wooded
upland, which is suitable for small picnic
parties. Ultimately a conenction would
be made under the main entrance drive to
the smampy areas referred to, in order
to avoid the danger Of passing across
crowded thorofare. -... =
The>PavIIon Problem.
''The most inpartant feature will be tho
pavilion and its immediate surroundings.
Heretofore, the larger number OF visitors
have come by trolley and have been COM
PEELED to cross the stream Of vehicles on
the concourse. To obviate this an over
head footbridge from the car station to
the pavilion should be part of the plar-''
| The pavilion. railway station and bridge
should be designed together so as to pre-
serve architectural harmony. Mr.. Man
ming prefers q Hat-roofed pavilion, the
roof to4be used as garden and for music
and to be sheltered by awnings. To gain
room, the pavilion and boat slips should
be moved farther into the lake. 49, H.,
Question Of Bathing Facilities.
eve do not think it advisable nor prac-
ticable to provide bathing facilities here"
continues the report. For bathing, q
large area. Of shallow or gradually deep
ing water must be provided near the
shore and from this all boats must be
excluded. If the water level Is lowered
and the shore Is extended, the land will
drop more suddenly than it now does into
deep water, which, you understand, IS not
far from the shore, thus endangering the
safety of bathers. Such deep water
would, however, be an advantage to boat
ing interests. Furthermore, we think
that If it we're practicable to provide bath
| ing here, it would not be nearly SO popu-
| lar with the miscellaneous crowd drawn
| by all sorts of amusements looking on, as
it would be in place where there are
| special facilities
| And furthermore, Mr.. Manning thinks
the transportation problem, even now
| very serious one, would be easier solved If
the amusements were not all concentrated
at one place.