New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-04-26
PRIHING UP CITT'S PARKS.
Many Changes Are NO5c Under
Uay an Prospect Park.

With the return of spring al is hustle busts
| in the Department OF Parks Within the last fort
night the bits of rural scenery scattered about the
| borough have lost the baroness that prevailed
through the winter The park laborers have done
| much to assist nature in the regeneration OK
things. Prospect Park. particularly, is the centre
| of industry
Ever since the frost has been out of the ground
the parI. workers nave been preparing for ths
coming of spring The results OF their labors are
to be seen every hand Iner work has been
chiefly to remove the disfgurements that have
troubled the visitors the park ever since the
city has had lard The way a great I'M
provemeut was opened with the removal of the
old bOathouse last fall The dingy old structure
hid what viii be of the pretJiesJ scenes In the
park. waterfall by which the water OF the upper
chain of lakes is conducted into the large lakes
Within the last few months upper chain has
been cleaned out and bordered with rUbbie from
the rocky dell where it begins in the hills down 10
the music stand The little lake by the music stand
is about TO receive attention. and after that the
workmen will pass 10 the regeneration OF the
waterfall and the pool behind the site Of the Old
boathouse-
In the work OF improvement the fountain that
used play the lake On the way the music
stand from the 80 street entrance has been done
away with The chair lakes with the brooks
that connect them have been of small advantaSe
to the park-at Least IN the daytime-heretofore-
The knobs the swanboat lake have been lev
eed and planted with small trees and similar wofA
is going on at rear of the music stand The
triangle between the new bOathOuse and the Ell
trance to the flower garden. formerly SW,'mpy
bit OF ground. is the site of flower saTden,
while the temporary building which erected
last winter for the benefit of the skaters has been
removed from the triangle across the walk. ard
its site is to be improved The main flower
garden has a strange appearance just at present.
as both the lawns near the cafe have oeeh
ploughed up and replanted recently. and the grass
blades have not reappeared yet. The old and
the fashioned flower gardens have taken on
thoroughly sprnglike appearance
II is expected that within the next week or two
the fine entrance 18th street will be entirely
completed The contractors. Benisch Brothers.
have been at work upon the entrance through the
winter The design the last made by stan
ford White. When he killed he left il alHlos,
completed, and his firm carried out his scheme
II consists OF two stone shafts and intervening
posts of decorative nature. modelled after an
ancient Greek design that has not been duplicated
in the United States heretofore. Its cost IS SSH"
At the opposite end of the Ninth avenue side OF
the park. preparations under way for the clean
ing OF the Soldiers and Sailors Arch and the
stonewOrk OF the Flatbush avenue entrance. TIE
workmen have built around the arch and the stone
shafts scaffoldng for this purpose. One OF the IN
teresting sights In the park is the cutting OF grass
by means OF automobile lawn mowers. The PARK
has four Of these machines. They are lo-horse-
power. Regular chaufreuTs are employed 10
manipulate them. They not only cut the grass.
but they also roll the lawns simultaneously. saw
ing much time and energy In the last few days
the machines have been preparing the long meadow
for the croquet and lawn tennis players.
The mer-y-go-round has returned to tho
park. and have the candy mongers. but the
swanboats still drying their painted plumase
Down on the long lake the rowboats are ready tor
use. out, like the swanboats. the steam Launches
are not quite dry yet. AT the present rate tns
park will be its old self again in week or two