New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-31
MAY PARTIES IN PERIL
FROM WILD PARK CROWD
Unruly ThrongS Surge Upon the
MeadoWS-Three Months
to Repair Damage.
STOVER'S RULES IGNORED
Lone Policeman in Charge at
Fairgrounds Powerless to
Check Lawless Element
Scattering Refuse.

1T will take three months for Central
Park TO recover from the damage done
to It by the Memorial Day crowd" said
a. II. Spencer. chairman of the Mayors
Parks Advisory Committee yesterday.
Mr. Spencer went through the park. az
he has been doing for days. and said II
was distressing to see the disregard for
law and order "A thousand policemen
would have been necessary to keep or
der" he added
Park employees said the crowd was one
OF the greatest ever seen in the park on
Memorial Day.
Mr.. Spencer said further that fully $50
plainclothes men were to be placed in
the scenic parks OF the city to break up
vandalism and lawbreaking.
Determined to Stop VandaIs.
1T looks az II nothing but force could
bring order and educate the people, said
Mr. Spencer, land force is going 10 be
used to stop this lawlessness. The Mayor
and Park Commissioner Slower are with
the Parks Advisory Committee II IL is
possible for the offenders TO evade the
bluecoats they will not be able to es-
mingle with the crowd unknown to
them"
In explaining yesterdays depredations
and scattering OF refuse. Mr. Spencer
said the police had all been withdrawn
TO the southern end OF the park because
of the Maine Memorial exercises.
At times the throngs in sections OF the
park became so unruly that park labor
ers attempted to keep order. They were
laughed at for their pains. however, es-
pecaily on the sheep meadow.
II was on this big stretch OF field that
there was a state OF wild confusion in
the afternoon. Dozens OF May parties
were camped about the green on permits
issued by the Park Department They
were soon huddled into narrow areas BY
boys OF all ages. who surged on the field
with bats and balls. and got under way
at least fifty games IN defiance OF park
regulations. There was one patrolman
on the meadow and he was powerless.
Batted balls whistled past dancing
children and sometimes found their
mark. Several women were injured. one
a woman with a child in her arms. a
ball struck her I'm the face. Another
woman was hit in the back. and a score
OF children were bruised by them.
This is the worst I have ever seen"
said one OF the old park employees. II
saw a child hit a moment ago and Just
now a woman was hit I've tried 10 stop
the games. but they start right up again.
There is only one policeman around
here"
on one stretch OF the green a dozen
or more boys had long rope With which
they circled around. moving down small
children. The May parties and families.
who had come into the park TO spend the
day. left a wide area OF refuse
Lawns Uttered with Rubbish.
The lesson that Park Commissioner
Sover has tried 10 instil in the minds
Of park frequenters 10 place all rubbish
I'm trash cans bore fruit Of an entirely
different nature than the Commissioner
expected The east green. near 96th
street and Fifth avenue. was cluttered
with trash and so were other sections
~ the big park Park laborers content
cd themselves with removing only the
larger pieces OF trash. saying they would
pick M the smaller pieces to-day
This f. the greatest pile OF trash we
have had IN the park this summer" one
OF the laborers declared.
BY order OF Park Commissioner Slower
the sheep meadow is TO be used for
lawn tennis and May parties, and base
ball is strictly banned. A child was
killed by a batted ball several summers
ago in the green Just south OF the
meadow while dancing in a May party
There were so many baseballs flying
through the air IN the afternoon yester-
day that many persons forsook the
greensward for a place OF safety. Two
Of the teams playing we're in uniform.
and were not molested by the police.