The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-06
STARTS
TO RECLAIM COMFY
Riegelmann's Gang Attacks
Silver'S Beach Pavilion
Despite His Protests.

Edward Riegelmann. Borough President
OF Brooklyn. sent a demolition squad to
Coney Island yesterday afternoon and
at the same time announced that when
the squad had finished carrying out his
orders New York's long suffering public
will have restored to them an unob-
structed beachfront stretching all the
most reaches OF Conev Island. in the
neighborhood Of Sea Gate.
The squad Of laborers descended first
upon the big porch OF the bathing pa
vilion run by Barney Silver. at the foot
OF West Twenty-Five street. and from I
until 6 o'clock the ring Of axes and the
grinding Of saws and crowbars marked
the passing Of Barney's most cherished
oceanfront possession.
Borough President Riegelmann's ac-
ton was based. he said, upon the deci-
sion handed down recently by Justice
Benedict in the Supreme Court. In that
decision Justice Benedict ruled that the
beaches belong to the people, that the
land between high and low water marks
Is the property of New York State. and
that Coney Island bathing establish
ment owners. ice cream purveyors and
the like never had a right to occupy the
beaches or to rope or fence them OF
and force a mother and her sweltering
kids from the city's tenements to pay
admission fees.
Only a start was made on the job OF
reclamation by the Borough Presidents
squad yesterday, which. he said, would
return to-day with it's numbers in
creased and 60 to work in earnest All
fences and other distractions anywhere
along the lands, the Borough President
says which are included in the provi-
sions Of Justice Benedict's decision will
be cut away.
When the AK squad got to work yes
terday hundreds Of late season visitors
to the island gathered about to watch
them work and cheered vigorously when
the FIRST plank was ripped from Sill
ver's porch. The owner Of the porch
protested. The squad Of laborers was
In charge Of Joseph A. Guider. Brook
lyn's Commissioner Of Public Works. He
told the men to go ahead with their
chopping. and Barney's protests were
futile. The porch is 100 feet long and
about IL feet wide. and only about a
quarter Of it had been torn away when
the reclamation squad quit work for the
day.
If the men and firms whose business
occupy parts of the beach front covered
by Justice Benedicts decision do not
succeed in having the demolition work
As they have done repeatedly in SINH
lar circumstances in the last several
years-Nr. Gulder said II probably
would take at least two weeks before
all of the fences and other distractions
were done away with.
There were indications last night,
however. that new court proceedings
would be instituted by the men who
claim the disputed beach sections are
legally occupied by them. The decision
by Justice Benedict was the result of a
taxpayers suit.
Some OF the wire fences have been
erected merely for the purpose of provid-
ing a means Of collecting a toll OF 10
cents each from persons who desired to
use the beach front The largest OF
them is opposite the Brighton Baths,
the propr!etors Of which contend they
are wholly within their legal rights.
Mr.. Guider, however. declared that
fence was coming down along with all
the others. and that next year, as well
as for the rest OF this season, no one
will have to pay for the right of sitting
on the city's own land.