TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT -OF THE- BROOKLYN Park Commissioners -FOR THE- YEAR 18S4. &-LID klgiz : PRINTED FOR THE COMhIISSIONERS. -- 1885. COMMISSIONERS AID OFFICERS. COMMISSIONERS : JOHN GIEB, ANDREW DOUGHERTY, D. H. HOUGHTALING, GEORGE 7.11. CHAUNCEY, CHARLES GARLICHS, HENRY W. MAXWELL, THO8IAS C. SMITH, LEBNDER WATER,BURY, THE MAYOR, ex-qflcio. < OFFICERS : ~Secretnry: ANDREnT A. SMITH. Chief E~Z~~~Z~CYand Su27eri~ttenolent : JOHN Y. CULYER. REPORT OF THE Brooklyn Park Corn mi'ssioners. OFFICEOF THE BROOKLYNPARK COMMISSIONERS, CITYHALL, BHOOKLYN,January 1,1885. 1 To the Honornblc tlte n4ai4or nnci CYo7nmolz Council qf the city qf Rrooklyn : The Brooklyii Park Commissioners, in accordance wit11 the requirements of tl~estatute, present herewith their report for the year eliding December 31, 1884. There will be fouild appended statenients showing in detail the moneys recei~ednild the sources whence they were derived, together wit11 the full and circumstantial exhibit of the expen- ditures for all purposes during the year. The Con~missioiiersare gratified to state that a moderate increase in the appropriatioil for the mdntena~iceof the parks will relieve, to some extent, the difficulties attendant upon the discharge of their respoiisibilities for the ensuing year. The need of a stated annual fund for construction purposes in the developmelit aid improvemelit of ullfinislled portions of the ,Park, becomes more apparent each year. 4 REPORT OF THE Tllis is particularly the case with regard to that, portion of the Park lying along Ninth avenue, from Third to Fifteenth street, forming the soutlleasterly boulldary of the Twenty- second Ward, and contignous to the Eight11 Ward of this city. Tlie commpletioil of this work, in accorclance with the origillnl clesign of the Parlc, ~voulcl greatly aid in assuring a deservedly high cilarncter for tlle contignous property. It would in~~iteimprovelnents inuring to the benefit of the city, while it ~vouldse'cure ail ample return to its treasury, many times in excess of the outlay, tllrougll the increased assessable value of the propert~rthus inlprovecl. I11 regard to the policy of selling the remainder of the east side lands, it has not been tlloagllt desirable to dispose of them pending the litigi~tioawllicll the city is now pressing to an issue as fast as practicable. For the details of tlle morlc me refer yon to the accompany- ing report of the Cllief Eagineer and Sn:)erinteiiclent. Respectfully, JOHN GIBB, President. BROOKLYX PARK COYIIBSIONERS. 5 REPORT OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER AND SUPERINTENDENT, OFFICE OF CIITFPENGINEER AND SUPERINTEUDENT, BL~OQICLYK,December 1, 1884. To the B~ooX,Ign,Pa.1-7c Com~rzissioncr.~. GE?~TTLEMEN: Tl1e work of tlte Commissioners during the past year Eras been mainly coilfilled to tll~tfor which its princil3al fund is pro\-ided, vie, the mnitlteiiaiice of the several Parks, Parkways, & c. Our operations, of iiecessitp, have been limited to the current and seasonable demands made npon us by the public for the appropriate uses of these several works, the object llaviilg been to extend a11 tl~efacilities in our power to visitors, aiid at the same time, ns far as possil)le, reserve from destructioii the grounc-lworli of the pi*incil)alirnpro~ements in our charge. It is unnecessary, therefore, to make more tlran passing alll~sionto the coiiclitiorl of the parks in detail, ~vllicll,for need of a more liberal provision for exp~irditurec-l~~ring the period ~vliicl~has intervened since our coustructiorr fund was exhausted, tell years ago, have snfiilred from cl~teviorationscaused by use and exposure, l'ar l)eyor~dtllc lin~itationsof real economy. This state of facts llns I)een so collsta~tlltlyreiterated as to fully en- lighten the public in regard to our restricted financial resources, and has j~xstly(leterred criti~isiiias to the conditioii of impor- tant parts of the worlz to whicll, ~vitha liberal fiznd at our disposal, we: would otl~~~rnisebe exposed. It has beell demand- ed of us, during tl~eyear, n cavefill and eco~lomicalacijustinent of our meails to meet tlle rcqlxiren~entsmade upon us. Notwitllstancling the many disaclvantagas under whicll we have lnbor~clfor a iruinber of pears, as regards our ability to do all tlrat xvould seen1 to be desirable, the parks 11ave never before beerr put to SIIC~I general and apparently satisfactory use by the people. This is in part the evideilce and result of an 6 REPORT OF THE increased appreciation of the means afforded for recreation, and in part to some modificatioil of the prestige of Coney Island as a resort, interest in which prevailed so generally among our people a few years ago. This greatly increased use during the last two years has been specially noteworthy. As a resort for picaicking, the Park seems to have permanently taken the place of many resorts ~vl~oseimperfect accommoda- tioils niid meretricious attractions had previously afforded opportnility for out-door pleasuriag to large numbers of people. During the past year the scllool and cllurch organizations (statistical details of which will be found elsewhere), without regard to sect, have found congenial ancl acceptable facilities at the Park; it having acquired a deserved repute for comfort, variety of entertainment, and freedom from annoyance and danger. These attractions, together with the accessibility of the grounds, have establishell for them a permanent reputation in almost every way as a desirable resort. The provisions for other special out-door recreation, such as lawn tennis, croquet, archery, bicycling, cricket, lacrosse, foot-ball and base-ball, miniature yacht sailing, ice boating, ancl other winter sports on the ice, have been cheerfully ostendecl to large numbers in a belief that the eaconraqeilzent of sllcl~uses of the Park were in harmoily ~viththe ideas governing those who planned it; ~vhicEl in snbstance xere to make it, as far as possible, available to the whole public for every proper and reasonable pleasure. These provisions, to a large extent, are not comnloil to public parks generally, and in arranging accommodations for some of them a considerable expeiiditure of money was required. This has caused the diversion of a portioil of our limited funds from the more specific requirements of maintenailce work, but the results of these expenditures have contributed so directly to tl~ecomfort and pleasure of all classes of our citizens that it can hardly be made the subject of regret. The principal features of the work of the year have been the renewal of the surfaces of portions of our road systern; made necessary by their condition as to wear, ordinary deterioration and superficial treatment, to which they had been subjected. BROOKLYN PARK COMMISSIOKERB. 7 The East Drive, averaging forty-five feet in width, from . near Battle Pass to the southerly entrance of the Park, the length being about 5,200 feet, was re-surfaced with Roa Hook gravel, involving an aggregate expenditure for labor and material of nearly eleven thousand (11,000) dollars. The gravel is in all respects similar to that used in the original construction of the roads on Central Park, and was procured from a remarkable deposit of this material on the Van Courtlandt estate at Roa Hook, on the Hudson river, a short distance above Peekskill. It seems probable that though expensive as t'o cost of transportation, kc., it is the best natural product out of which to construct drives for pleasure riding that has yet been brought into use. The repairs to this portion of the Park drives amounted substantially to a partial reconstruction, and iiivolved a pro rata expenditure for the year, for this class of work, out of pro- portion to the amount available for such purpose from our yearly stipend. Being, however, a part of the principtli clrive of the Park and forming practically the main thoroughfare in connection with the Parkway to the Island, the public have enjoyed and no doubt appreciated the increased comfort and facilities which this renovated roadwork has afforded. The coveririg of gravel was limited to a thickness of three inches-with this we sllall proba1)ly be enabled to maintain a fair surface for two or three seasons, when it will be required to be renewed. The removal of the old buildings at the junction of Fifteenth street and the city line during the previolls year enabled us to carry through the line of the roadway and to define the entrance at that point. The lines of walk on either side were also opened and graded, and these, together with the contiguous surfaces, which were roughly shaped, have been left in an un- finished condition, awaiting opportunity to renew operations next Spring. Scarcity of suitable soil for s~zrfacingin this neighborhood may make it necessary to procure the required 8 REPORT OF THE material from distant points at an incre:~seclexpeilditure, other- wise superficial treatment, wllicll ill tlle matter of soil for turf an(i planting must always prove uneco11omic:~li11 the end, must be substituted. A well kept turf of vigoro~~sgrci~~ t11 freclnently cant, :LS is the custom dnrii~gthe summer season, is very exli;~usti~eof tlle sustenni~cecontained in tlle soil, and nltless this is restore(1 by frequent apl~licationsof manure or other fertilizers, will result in a deteriori~tedand scarity sul)ply of gri~ss. A considerablr espeiiclitnre TI~LS8150 reqnirecl i~ttlre TFTell. This i-lrnonnted in part to tlle renewal of the 11l;tilt rrquire;l for operating our water service. Tlle origillal boiler, after seven- teen years' use, duri~lg\vllicll period it lli~dI~eeii frequently repaired, w;~sfilially co~rcle~nnedby tllr of'iicii~lInspector, :~ild ;L new wrought-iron liorizontal tnl)uli~rI)oill:r of ilicreasecl capecity was put in its place.