New-York tribune., 1912-02-26
NEW YORK OPENS HER
HEART TO SPRING
Thousands Flock to the Shore,
Field or Stream, Answering
Call of the Season.
$4,000 AT C0NEY ISLAND
Central Park Attracts Crowds
and People Resist Police Efforts
to Prevent Their Trampling
Over Forbidden Sections.

TO the parks TO the beaches and to the
suburbs went thousands Of New lorKers
yesterday, entced from indoors by the
first spring day Of The year A May day
temperature turned every fat inside OUT,
Judging by the number OF persons on the
streets and I'm the parks. The oldtime resi-
dent Of The Bronx sat on his front stoop
reading his morning paper with intense
satisfaction ot being thawed out once more
after a really frigid winter. The rubber
plants in Brooklyn were put out on the
fire escapes for the first time since last fall.
Coney Island entertained seventy-hve thou-
sand people
The suburban trains leaving the city III
tn, morning were all well n.led anu the
crowds increased. uuu al the noon hour
they were carrying capacity loads Inc
police In the parks, especially III 'enuai
Park, saw early there would be the great
est outpouriug since fall before the DAY
was over The frequenters OF the btldie-
paths i'm the park and on Riverside Drive
were out in large numbers In the forenoon
as also in Van Cortlandt Park. When the
sun got up sufficiently 10 hit the Ice on the
park lakes squarely IL was not long h'-
fore large streaks OF water scared the
surface that has accommodated more
skaters this winter than in many years.
IL the way the crowds in Central Park
acted yesterday is any Indication OF thture
action on their part Park Commissioner
stovcr will have hard time keeping any
| grses on the open stretches oi the PARK
this SUNNI er. Although the Commissioners
asked CaUtain McKeon 20 lack up MS
| force because in tho last year the nuih0eI
OF arrests in Central Park had fallen on
rs per cent, there were no apparent results
visible yesterday, because hundTeHS o.
persons walked over the fields in denance
OF the police, who have orders TO Keep
! every one off them at the present uf'le'
| Within hailing distance Of the police sta-
! ton i'm the Arsenal dozen or more
bicycles were lying on a park lawn while
| their owners walked about al Will. The
lieutenant In charge at the station said all
was being done that could DC Wlth 'ne H''i
| tied force at command.
Bill Snyder. the head keeper OF the
menagerle. looked with great satisfaction
at the crowds that packed every ouildihB
and all the walks on the menaserie prem
ises I'm bet there have been forty thou'
sand people here to-day" said Snyder at
one tine. haven't been able to get ihsioe
the lion house for half an hour.
Not since last summer had such cro"u
| invaded the New York Geological Park IN
The Bronx as was seen there all day yes
J terday Curator Ditmars permitted a te"
deer 10 be let out In their yards put
| though many persons wanted 10 have
RaIdy the orang outang. so through his
! naccs I'm his outdoor cage. the curator
would not take any chances OF having tue
valuable slmian become Ill with pneu-
/ monla,
! This Is one OF the greatest crowds l
! have ever seen in the park" said the cura-
tor as he wedged his way out OF the rep
file house. There have been io,co or
Is 900 visitors to-day"
| Members OF the gardening force In Cen
trail Park said yesterday that the warm
weather OF the last two or three days hau
caused many OF the trees and shrubs 10
| bud. and that a cold wave In the near nut
ure would do much damage.
Fully 1900 persons visited Coney Island
Yesterday. according to the police. while
/ at Brighton Beach there were one hundred
bathers in the water The temperature OF
the water was ~ grees while In the sun
the Thermometer at the Parkway oaths
raristered II degrees Deputy Police Com"
| missioner Dougherty was one of those VINO
| took n dip, and several women we're
| among the bathers. Inspector Rooert
| DooIeY and Captain Thomas Murphy were
| Tuliv nrenared for any emergency, ana had
| dfty extra men on detail. but the DAY
passed of quietly. Surf avenue was crowdi
| "a all the afternoon and NOT noB anu sn
| candy men were much In evidence Two
scenic railways and several carousels were
| also open 10 the public.