New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-04
CONEY ISLANDS OPPORTUNITY.


The fire of Sunday last made a fine oppor-
tunity for the improvement of Coney Island
Had it been started for that purpose it could
scarcely have effected it better. From some
points Of view it was a great disaster. Some
people were severely injured. though happily no
lives were lost. Many people suffered heavy
loss in property which was destroyed and on
which there was no insurance. These consid-
erations are however personal and limited
From the point of view of the general public
the fire was blessing. both in what it de-
stroyed and in what it made opportunity for
ating.
1t destroyed some Of the most loathsome dens
Of vice that have ever defiled the borders of
this city We Go not mean that all the places
burned were evil. They were not Doubtless
some Of them were highly respectable Perhaps
none Of them were as bad as they were under
the last Tammany administration, when a state
Of affairs openly f1ourshed there such as Sodom
and Gomorrah could scarcely have exceeded for
filthy vileness. But it is notorious that that
part of COney Island has been thickly dotted
with vicious and criminal resorts, the destruc-
ton of which must be regarded with satisfac-
ton. 1t may be that they will spring up again,
there or elsewhere. But at least there is respite
from them for a time, and there is the chance
of altogether redeeming that place from them
That is the opportunity which the fire gives
There has been talk Of Transforming all Of the
island south Of SuTf-ave. into a park. That
would be a splendid achievement, and the doing
Of it would be much easier and cheaper because
Of this fire. If that is not to be done at least
the Bowery should now be made a street of
ample width and well paved, so as to be used as
q driveway in continuation of the noble Ocean
Parkway and the reconstructed Concourse, and
the new buildings erected upon it should be of
a substantial character. What we should like to
see would be a continuous park bordered drive
way from Prospect Park to NOrtonS Point
That already exists for much more than half
the distance. The unimproved portion is Surf
ave. But it has been largely given up to
trolley lines that it's Improvement into such
driveway seems impracticable The better plan
would be to widen and improve the Bowery.
and extend it so as TO make it continuous with
the Concourse.
There is of course, a lot of talk about the
necessity OF maintaining Coney Island as it is
as "a great resort for the common people" most
of which is mere rubbish. We do not believe
that the common people" want to spend their
holidays in noisome dives like those of the
Bowery. We do not believe they banker after
sums. They would prefer, when they 20 TO
Coney Island for an outing, to enjoy cool, fresh
air Oh the open beach rather than to be cooped
up in narrow, reeking alleys and ramshackle
music halls" If any people do want these lat
ter, they can have them inland Just as well as
the beach: on the Bowery of Manhattan as
well as on that of Coney Island. New-York is
unique among great cities in having within its
own bounds fine frontage on the open ocean
1t should make the most Of that possession in
stead of permitting It TO be degraded and de-
spoiled.