Year: 1863

! THE BLOCKADE on THE PAux-AN ADNoSI-


rIoN TO THE CRoroS AoUEpuor BoArp.-we have


received repeatedly, from some Of our most re-


spectacle citizens. including many ladies, COM


munications complaining in bitter terms OF


the mud and rubbish blockade that enc6m-
passes the southerly and particularly the Fifth


avenue entrances TO the Park. So urgent


were some OF the complaints that we despatched
reporter to the objec tionable locality, and his
Impressions are given ia another column. 1t
appears that the grievances complained of ac-
tuaily exist, and that corrective is demanded,
and ii should be applied as promptly as


possible.


The present system of laying the water mains
seems to occupy too much ground at one
time. Hero is an extent OF some eight blocks,
through the main and most elegant avenue in
| the city to the Park, in which the. street has
been excavated, and but few sections of the
pipe laid, leaving all the balance Of the space
filed with rubbish, blocks of rock and stone
and heaps OF gravel and dirt, rendering pas
sage by that thoroughfare to the chief souther-
ly Park entrance almost matter of imp0ssi-
biiity with any idea of personal comfort or of
the safety OF a vehicle. This route being prac-
tcally closed, vehicles and equestrians going
to the Park seek other avenues, and through
mud sometimes knee deep they finally manage
to get inside, and the mud becomes more and
more "verdant" and of greater depth and cohe-
sveness with the passage of every vehicle.


This plan Of laying water pipes and of dis
turbing public thoroughfares is all wrong.
1t is true it is common to American cities, and
might be called an American institution"
were it not essentially an American nuisance.
But such thing would not be tolerated in
European capitals. There, either a new and
convenient avenue is opened to public grounds
when it is necessary to close main one for re-
pairs or any other purpose, or the repairs
are 70 regular and gradual that vehicles
are not at all inconvenienced, no more than is
the transit of q railway car upon we'll estab-
l.shed road because few rails happen to be
out of place or out of order and require re-
placing. Why cannot the same plan be adopt
ed here? In Europe it would be deemed
almost as outrageous to close up for months the
main avenue to the principal pleasure ground
of large city as it would be in America to
stop railway train to repair damage that
had long been foreseen. There would be no
help for railway corporation that should be
guilty of exhibiting such want Of foresight
and prudence in this country. Then why
should our principal thoroughfares be blocked
up with not so good reason to explain ity The
fact is, it is owing to want OF the exercise Of
proper vigilance on the part Of the chief par
ties who have the business in hand. In this
case the inconvenience is clearly chargeable
to the Croton Aqueduct Board, who have
allowed the work to progress in the manner it
has either from ignorance of its peculiar cha
racter or because they are wifully blind to the
Inconvenience it brings upon our citizens.
Why Is not the work divided into short sections,
80 that one may be completed before another
is commencedf Why is not q passable road
way furnished upon either one side or the
other of the excavations In Fifth avenuei
Why caunot proper fences or guards be
placed along this roadway, the rocks and
.boulders removed, and at least one tole-
rably passable avenue be allowed to our
city's great boast, the imperial Park? Above
all, why do not tho proper authorities look into
the matter themselves, and II Il 10 asoertained
that the Croton Board is blamable. turn them
out, or 80 riddle the Board Of incompetent or
Indifferent members, and supplying 1t with bet
ter men, - to make II more alive to the interests
and the convenience Of our citizens and to
the prosperity Of our cityl The millions and
millions paid and to be paid BY our taxpayers
for beautifying the Park and for rendering the
approaches to it convenient and comfortable.
as we'll as gay aud elegant, demand that the
grievances now complained of should be speedi-
ly answered and remedied.