New-York tribune., 1903-03-29
RFIMONT PARK TO BE THE PREMIER OF THE WORLD
SIX TRACKS IN ACRES OF GARDEN TO CO01
sI5OoO0o-ARMY OF MEN TO WORK TWO YEARS.

a mile; another chute one and one-quarter nlile9'
a turf track and three-eighths miles lohs'
steeplechase track one and one-quarter iiIie'
long and an exercising track one mile In length.
This last track Is a distinctive feature ana Is
designed to give the Belmont Park track pre-
miership among racing courses. Here all Hih-
herring up Of the horses will take place. Ordl-
nariIy horses are exercised the main track
and this particularly in rainy weather. cuts up
the course and leaves it in bad condition II the
rain should come between a. m and the
afternoon racing hour With an EXERCISING
track one mile in length for training uses the
main track can he put into perfect condition IN
the forenoon. with the assurance that 1t VIII re-
main in good shape for the afternoons sport
The main track will be the north side OF
the highway, and the exercising track on the
south side The entrance to the track VIII Dc
from the Jamaica turnpike, near the Mannis
house. amid abundant shade. Part OF the site
for the main track on the north side OF the pike
is now covered by natural forest, many or the
trees measuring three feet In diameter Ihefe
are sxty-six acres of woodland, and all OF lC
will be removed. That is what will keep the
two thousand laborers busy part OF this year.
The grandstand will be $50 feet in length ny
90 in width while the free stand will be $50
feet long and have a width about like the other
In the centre of the grandstand will be large
bay 200 feet long extending back Of the grand
stand This will be used as promenade There
will be 115 stables. with fifteen stalls 10 a
stable.
There Is a good deal Of woodland on the
south side Of the track, the former owners not
having disturbed It for many years. About hVe
acres Of heavy timber will have to be cut there
GRADING WILL COST $5OOOOO-
The grading Of the site is to cost more than
100000 Some OF the more important items foi-
low: Removing 378,O00 yards Of top soil; IU0,OVo
cubic yards of excavation; $1,000 yards OF top
soil to be replaced: 41.OOO feet Of track fence
! OOO feet Of board fence eight and one-haf feet
high
The architect is Charles ". Leavitt, jr., ana
he is not to be restricted in expense, so long
as the results are pleasing. The plans for the
grandstand will not be ready for some time
The grading contract was secured by the
New-York Contracting Company, or winch Al
derran James Gaffney and John j. Murphy
brother of Charles F. Murphy. leader OF ram
many Hall are the principal owners The New
York Contracting Company was the SucceSslul
bidder among fifteen competitors
The work of laying out the tracks has been
intrusted to Thomas Young, who has designed
MANY of the successful tracks in this country
The acnuirement of the 666 acres that Will De
incIosed as the racing park was not easy Ihere
was an attempt on the part of seFeraI shre"u
farmers to hold up the racing people. some
of these farmers suspected that there was d
project on foot backed by ample means ana
laid their plans accordingly. Give an optloh
they would not. They demanded Information
as to what the ground would be needed for.
When this was refused, they would not set
reasonable price. Finally the rumor got abroad
that the tract was needed for a large cemetery
The wouId-be speculatOrs could not see no"
tbeir individual holdings would be enhanced by
having a cemetery built around their 1arms'
and then they came to terms