The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-13

- IN ~. y ~. 1, III. L q.
$500 = -'- =
and weeds grew profusely inside the
renee ana no intruders were allowed to
lrample on them.
one day recently giant steam shovel
suddenly made its appearance at the
southwest corner OF the park, at 165th
street and Fort Washington avenue.
shovel was successfully placed in posi-
ton inside the grounds and began Its
WORK. II was the irony OF fate that the
voracious steam shovel hrst scooped
up great loads of earth just at The spot
Where once was the nome base But
the steam shovel has no sentimental
side and 1t Is going on day after day
ripping up the earth and removing the
LAST visible signs that the grounds were
once ball field.
Ii viii require lot OF work to level
the ground so that II can be broken up
into building lois. The property com
prises four city blocks and is owned by
the New York Institute for the Blind,
the buildings of which are on the south
side ~ l65th street The old park will
he divided into blocks. sewers will he
'"''' 'lN''N INV ''''' ''A'''
improvements VIII be maze IN me course
OF the work.
baseball enthusiasts who pass the
grounds are reminded or the times when
the old park was the gathering place Of
some of the largest baseball crowds In
the history OF the city. They view the
demolition of the grounds as the eras-
ure from the Heights OF a sort OF his
aN,1 10, uNlg ra fatt hna
ball fans in the city who have not
visited the old grounds.
Those who did not have enough time
az their command to ride up town in the
surface cars were forced to use the
subway There Is a station Of the SUBJ
way at l6Sth street. hut it is far below
the street level and 1t is necessary TO
carry the people to the surface in ele-
vators. But the builders of this station
did not have foresight; enough to pro-
vide the station with more than two
elevators Baseball gOers after getting
Of the trains had to remain under
ground for ten or fifteen minutes and
stand in the heat and bad air waiting
for the two sadly overworkcd elevators
to clear the crowd away. Under such
conditions the old grounds labored under
ullllN ulA4tN llldN WIZ hlIl'NN lhib'7SA'i'
10 surmount.
Rut there have been some large
crowds there in the green painted grand
stand and hleachers and many baseball
enthusiasts have spent some very pleas
ant afternoons in the cool stands. No
matter how difficult IL was to reach the
grounds those who took the journey
were always rewarded by getting "a
beautiful panoramic view OF the Hudson
AT tho rear Of the grounds and the hem
eft Of the refreshing hreezes that swept
eastward from the river II is fact
that many persons visited the grounds
lust for the sake of enjoying these two
features.
Almost every afternoon when a game
was PLAYED at the ground the tops of
the surrounding houses were covered
with masses Of people who watched the
game from beginning to end. That they
enjoyed 1t as much az people in the
stands was evident hy the way they
aDplauded when the home team scored
or made a sparkling play. An amusing
feature of this situation was that people
in the stands got a great deal of fun
out Of watching those on the roofs.
Many women took advantage Of the
free stands on the roofs. Those in the
grounds who were unable to distinguish