Year: 1879




by city full of people whose thoughts are con-
stantly running on pleasuremaking devices. and
whose purses are ever open TO encourage them that
FIVE miles of fine beach the Atlantic scaboard
offers has for years lain unimproved and almost un-
touched under their very eyes. In turning to the
undeveloped advantages Of Rockaway as watering
place. enterprise has lately discovered in neglected
and brush covered tract field which capital can
exercise its transforming arts with advantage.
During the next twelve months 1t Is proposed oy
party of moneyed men to reclaim that strip of the
beach which nearest approaches New York, and to
cover it with hotels. pavilions and gardens which
will equal anything seaside caterers to pubic
enjoyment have hitherto devised. Tho scheme,
as presented by those concerned in it. is colossal
one and il successfully carried out ii will open to
New Workers summer resort in which the special
advantages of kindred watering places will In great
degree be concentrated. Those who have been to
the old beach know that Rockaway has no ordinary
bathing advantages. With the ocean rolling in upon
1t on one side and Jamaica Inlet stretching out on
the other it enables ut step to pass from the
roar of the breakers to the still waters Of the bay.
Then there is vegetation OF kind and a flavor Of
the country which is always more acceptable than
the usual reaches Of sand. not to speak
of a more extended sea horizon and more
beautiful prospect landward than is easily
procured elsewhere. All this has tended
in the past to set desultory speculation
at work along the beach, but enterprise. backed
by hard money has got hold of the most accessible
and in many respects tbs most desirable section of
it ALL This is tho strip of land running along shore
to the point where Jamaica Bay opens into the At
antic. dreary and unprepossessing stretch it has
been in the past. No adventurous colonist has
attempted to clear away the thick shrubbery that
rises inland from it's Of white sand. and habi-
o;,,, ,ofh fonan
rashackle old station tho Point of late adapted
TO the uses of ife-saving corps On their daily
trips tho Rockaway boats have piled past it, and
during the last years the enlarged uired
by the present beach resorts has gradually pushed
back the line of the shrubbery. but somehow the
idea of converting it into grand watering place has
only recently been developed


ORIGIN SCHEME.


1t was the offspring Of another scheme by which
il was proposed to improve the old beach and bring
it within easier reach of the city. This first took
palpabe shape in 1877. some time in the month Of
June, when J. NJ. Oakley, State Senator from the
First district, secured lease from the town of
Jamaica Of certain meadow lands. which to con.
struct railroad connecting Hunters Point with
Rockaway Beach. Later he obtained from the
Queens county authorities permission to construct
a bridge across Broad Bay and channel and two
sections of Jamaica Bay. with the condition that it
should have at least two drawbrdges. This
railroad enterprise did not receive much favor
Mt the start. But a company formed
to carry it out. and they organized with
a nominal capital of $1,O0O.OO Nothing more
was done Mt the time, and the scheme likely to
languish when Benjamin E. Smith took it in hand.
He had built numerous railroads throughout the
country and thoroughly conversant with under
takings of the kind He made investigation of the
enterprise. and, seemingly convinced of its sound
ness agreed to build the road This at the
schc IA motion.
strengthen 1t and insure success. 1t was
with the purpose of examining the proposed
route and making inquiries this end that
Mr.. Smith went to R,ckaway some months
ago. An available terminus for the railroad was
the first thing to he sought, and it was while in
quest of such that he came to examine the extreme
end of the beach, Its superior advantages place OF
resort occurred to him at once. He examined it
further. and. than convinced OF its avail
ability for such purpose he consulted with some
friends, and their approval brought into being the
scheme of the new watering place. Mr. Smith and
Mr.. ii. Y. Atwell shouldered the enterprise. They
proprietary rights to the land, and they set about
testing the validity OF all the titles. Knowing TO
what extent hotel owners i'll other places were
curbed by a lack of room for improvements. they
determined the purchase of the entire tract of
land from line below the Neptune House to tho
Point.


BUYING THE BEACH.


The first purchase was made by Mr.. Atwell from
De Witt &. Littiejohn. 1t consisted of l75 acres,
which were conveyed to him for tie sum of $4,000.
This transfer recorded in the early part of the
summer. and then negotiations were begun for the



maintained that uncle of his, who had figured in
the early history of the place. was the legitimate
II was he who, III the war of 1872 had al
lowed the government to locate military post on
NE Point, and on his death this venerable
ct this. however. investigation showed that Alonzo
j.. Wright was the owner, and from him through
saiied i was recently bought by MI. smith for the
sum OF S2l00O0. This last purchase consists Of 160
ueres, and with the other makes Messrs. Smith u
Alwell owners of four miles and half of beach.
line drawn from surf to bay just below the surf
House forms now the boundary of the property.
Having secured the land to themselves the owners
next cast about for the manner OF laying it
which would be best suited for the public's
taste and would lift the Watering place into
speedy popularity. A colossal hotel at which the
railroad terminus would be located, with pavions,
bathing houses and the usual seaside accompani-
ments, were determined on ut once, but subsequent
consideration led the projectors to the enter
prise a step further. and combine with the attrsc-
tions of beach the charms OF park. To this end
they engaged Mr.. Olmstcd. who designed the Gen.
tra Park to lay out the grounds and he at set
TO work cross-sectoning and surveying them. Now
his plan has been completed. and, in connection
with lie Bruins, and two other architects who
lion. The following is his scheme for transforming
The Point and making 1t place of general resort In
the coming summers





The raroad station Is to be located 1 900 feet be-
low the Neptune House. and is to consist OF a COW
ered structure, 800 feet long containing adequate
room for trains and extra cars. with due accommo-
dations for passengers. This building ends at the
proposed improvements begin. Just outside it
broad boulevard Is to run from Jamaica Bay to tho
beach. 1t il 10 be covered overhead and furnished
with asphalt pavement On the bay side 1t connects
with wharf 600 feet long. which is to
landing for the steamers plying between il and
the city. At the other cnd it terminates at
tho promenade along the surf. where the
new hotel is TO be located. The latter,
according to the plans. is to be a mag gnfcent affair
1910 long by 400 feet deep. Along the front will
run piazza seventy feet WIDE affording excelIont
view OF the aud provided with adequate means
OF resfduydfi0n. The structure will be four stories
in height, the first measuring eighteen feet from
floor To- ceiling, the second and third fourteen and
the fourth twelve on the roof. which is 100 feet
from the ground, q promenade is TO be located, with
sufficient seating accommodations for 300 people
Tho view from this height is likely to
Dc quite extensive, aud it's charm will
De- enhanced night 10y revolving lights
Df ret and blue placed in turret above IL, which
be flashed far out to sea. and will be distinctly