New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-17
BOROUGH GOSSIP
Vanderveer House to GO-kn-
Cient Subway Recalled.


Colonial mansions, this time the old Van
derveer house, at Flatbush avenue ana
Dorchester Road A few days ago work
men began to tear down the building
which dates from Dutch times. Some
months ago. when il was discovered that
the present owners had determined 10 sell,
civic organizations appointed committee
10 collect about $4,000, which would have
placed the property in their hands 10 Dc
used as a museum. The people dld not
respond to the appeal Of the committee
and as a result the plan had to he re-
linquished The Vanderveer homestead is
not the only landmark Of Flatbush that
has been destroyed recently In the last
six years there have been torn down Mel
rose Hall, once reputed to be haunted pE
the spirit of an Indian girl; the Suydam-
Ditmas home, which was opposite the
Vanderveer homestead; the Druce home,
Mrs. Gertrude LeffeTts Browns home, the
stevens house and the Prince house.
Memories of the ancient subway that runs
through Atlantic avenue from the ferry TO
Boerum Place were awakened a couple OF
DAYS ago when the wheel of a truck that
was conveying a huge block Of dressed
stone to the site of the new parocAial
school at Lafayette and Vanderbilt ave-
nues suddenly sank through the asphalt
pavement In Clermont avenue, near Greene
avenue. AS everybody knows, asphalt Is
laid these days on a bedding that is as
hard as concrete or supposed to be. The
highway bureau officials were puzzled when
they heard OF the accident. and gave 1t as
their opinion that there must be hole
under the surface OF the street perhaps
forgotten drain The employees of the bu-
reau are going to tear<up the street as
soon as they can TO find out the cause or
the weakness The block OF stone on tn"
truck weighed nearly twelve tons, ana the
tires OF the wheels were only four and d
half inches wide The bureau officials gave
out a tentative statement to the effect that
the collapse of the pavement should not be
considered altogether the result of defect
as the tires on the wheels should have been
twelve inches wide.
This week the Brooklyn Office of the new
" organized Board of Inebriety VIII be
opened II will be located ut the building
OF the Department of Charities. NO. SZ'
schermerhorn street. The place VIII be In
ebarce of the Rev. William Morrison, VINO
Is the local member OF the board and re-
Gently appointed police chaplain.
The people OF the Roman Catholic Church
Of the Visitation regret that Monsignor
William j. White could not live to see COM
pleted and furnished the new building
which is to house the parish hall and
lyceum rooms. on which he had spent
much thought and effort. Father Nhlte'
who was one of the best known soclai
workers Of the borough, died few weeks
ago, while he was rector of the Church u
the Visitation. About week and hat
ago an outdoor carnival which he mad
been instrumental in getting up was held
AT Visitation oval. and the money collected
is TO be used for furnishing the new build
ing. Shortly before his death Father
White told those about him they must not
hermit their feeling for him to interfere
with the carnival plans. and in accordance
with his wishes his parishioners conducted
the festival as he had proposed.
Early next month new area OF the high
pressure fire fighting system Will be opened
according to an announcement mace re-
Gently by the Department of Water supply
Gas and Electricity. The present high
pressure system extends from Req HOOK
10 the navy yard along the Waterfront
and inland about a mile, its greatest eX-
tension covering the downtown shopping
district in Fulton street, which was opened
up three years ago. The new area COM
prises the section lying between Thirty
ninth street, Van Brunt street, prospect
Park and FIatbush avenue.
The work Of installing the water mains
and hydrants is about completed some
delay has been caused by the constructor
work on the Fourth avenue subway the
mains in several cases having 10 cross
the tunnel
One part Of Brooklyn which has been
protected for some time by high pressure
system is Coney Island, but the pressure
there is only about two-thirds as powerful
as the riverfront system.