New-York tribune., 1908-12-31
OPPOSE STADIUM PLAN
NOT FOR CENTRAL PARK.
Prominent Citizens Say They WM
Fight Location of Building There.


storm of protest has greeted the proposition Of
the New York Stadium Company Of which Barto"
s. Weeks is president and James e. Sullivan sec
retary to erect a stadium in Central Park. Those
citizens who IN years past have fought against
the encroachment of one interest after another on
the confines OF the park expressed their deter
mination yesterday to fight the proposition 70 the
bitter end
It is the idea of the New York Stadium Com
pany to the city a stadium in some spot
convenient TO ths masses IN the city which shall
exceed the capacity OF the great stadium at Shep-
herds Bush. London. and be a permanent structure
Of great artistic merit The new association met
for the first time on Tuesday afternoon. and all
the members voted in favor Of a site in Central
Park preferably in the hllly northwest corner In
the event of failure to get permission for the
erection Of the stadium In Central Park. however
those present OF the opinion that an e1ort
should be made to obtain site in Van Cortlandt
Park in Macombs Dam Park. both OF which
easily reached by the railroads. surface ana
subway systems.
Mr.. Sullivan, who is secretary of ths Amateur
Athletic Union said yesterday the association had
in mind structure far more beautiful than the
present stadium Athens which wouldn't in
terfere in the slightest with the artistic beauty Of
the park but would the other hand, be dis
tnct ornament to it. He continued
The city needs a central playground. place
where all the big athletic evenets may be held
with the minimum of Inconvenience to the public
A site along Eighth avenue between 106th and 10th
streets could be easily reached by the hundreds
of thousands of school children and by the thou
sands OF spectators any big game meet 1t
is our idea 30 have the stadium accommodate one
hundred thousand people and TO have an athletic
field adapted to every known sport"
Gustavus T Kirby, a vf-e-president of the com
pany thought Central Park would be the ideal loca
ton for the stadium He no reason why u
could not be made as architecturalIy beautiful as
the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1T is outrag-
eous" he said. 'for this city not to have cen
traly located place where games can be held
'I in favor of site in Central Park. said
President Weeks IF a suitable place be found
without interfering with the purposes of the park
The company is not definitely committed 10 park
site"
Charles c. Hughes. member Of the executive
committee said he wanted the stadium In the park
in no equally good site could be found else
where. He could see no valid objection to placing
1t in the park. THE park" he said. lis breath
ing space for the city. The Inclusion of stadium
end athletic field would merely be improving its
breathing facilities"
Seth Low. when what he thought Of the
proposition. said he absolutely and totally oo-
posed it, and would do ali In his power to de
feat it. You can't quote too strongly. said
the former Mayor. Such thing would destroy
the park as a park It is not to be thought Of
1T would BE- very difficult to put up stadium
in the pa rk which would not be quite unsightiy,
said r. D. Wrenn. A great space for II would
be needed and it would q blot the landscape.
Aside from this consideration. however, the site
suggested would be splendid place Tor games
Richard Watson Glider asked: why not put a
lot other things in the park, too? There's stin
OF course stadium ought not to be there
This reminds me OF the old fight engaged in with
DR.. Potter ard others to Central Park from
the encroachment Of geological gardens such as
they have in Bronx Park The people will always
respond to the cry. Save Central Park
President MCGOWAN of the Board Of Aldermen
was not less emphatic in denuncaton of the
scheme II most positively opposed 20 it,
said he. "and will do all in my power officially and
personally to defeat IL I surprised that any
body of citizens could give such proposition seri-
thought. We want Central Park as park
Let them get site somewhere else"
II don't agree with the gentlemen who propose
such a plan.' said Joseph H Choste- THE park
is far small already. There is absolutely no
room spare. It would be ridiculous 10 encroach
1t further. The city needs all the parking
space 1t possesses and for one object to the plan
enpha tlcalIy'
r. Fulton Cutting said: Il am decidedly opposed
to It. It would dishgure the park greatly. More
over. We are short of room there already will do
all in my power to keep such scheme from going
through"
Bishop David H. Greer expressed himself also
decidedly opposed TO allowing any part OF the park
TO he diverted to such purposes Park Commis-
sioner Henry Smith said that Central Park was no
place for the assembling Of any large crowd such
as would flock to stadium OF the kind proposed
There are twenty-six charter members of the
ISOLATION They are Gustavus T. Kirby, Barlow ;
Weeks ]. T Mahoney, Frederick ". Ruben. John
j Walsh. Matthew P. Halpin D. P James, Gen
eral George w Wingate, D. f. COhalan, Frederick
Toombs, Captain Charles ]. Dieges c. Ward
Champion. Thomas J. Hughes. c. J. Dalton, P J.
Walsh. George D. Pratt, J. T. Doong. w l. Jones,
August Belmont. G. r. J. Snyder. Victor J. Bowling,
Major John !. Dixon. Julian ". Curtiss Dr. Luther
HaIsey Gulick. Charles c. Hughes and James E
Sullivan.
Committees and subcommittee were named, and
the following vice presidents were elected: August
Belmont. Brigadier General George W Wingate.
y G n Y: Gustavus T. Kirby, Julian ". Curtiss
Dr. Luther II. Gulick and Supreme Court Justice
Victor J. Dowlng.