(IO) 



trench at its southeastern end and by sealing up the manhole 

 covers in the floor of the houses. A defect in the floor of 

 house number 5, due to imperfections in the asphalt, by which 

 water got into the cellar, was corrected by the contractor ; 

 defects in the vault lights outside of this house through which 

 storm water was driven into the cellar, have been partially rem- 

 edied by our own engineers and can probably be completely 

 remedied after the next storm, when it has shown exactly 

 where they are located ; a defect in the floor of house number 

 4 which is built on filled ground, caused by the failing of the 

 contractor to properly stamp the filling, has caused a sinking 

 of the paths within that house and of certain portions of the 

 floor itself together with a parting by a few inches of the rain 

 water leaders from the roof. This can only be remedied af- 

 ter the full amount of settling has taken place, when the 

 paths will probably have to be partly relayed and the floor 

 partly re- constructed. A defect in the feed-water heater in 

 the basement of the west vestibule has been corrected by 

 the contractor under his guarantee. 



The floors of houses nos. 1, 4 and 11 were made of broken 

 stone, of which a little more is still needed for a finish ; the 

 floors under the benches in houses nos. 3, 4, 12, and 13 

 were made with good soil, and variously planted. The plant 

 benches in these houses were surfaced with a bottom layer of 

 cinders and a top layer of fine crushed gneiss rock. All this 

 work was done with our own force, it not having been in- 

 cluded in the Sheehan contract. 



New Railway Station. The New York Central and Hud- 

 son River R. R. Co. is constructing a new station on the site 

 of the old one and has changed the name, according to our 

 request, from Bedford Park to Bronx Park (Botanical Garden). 

 It is expected that this structure will be completed late in the 

 winter. 



Propagating Houses. A contract was awarded by the Com- 

 missioner of Public Parks in August to Hitchings & Company 

 for the building of three of the four propagating houses to- 

 gether with the potting shed planned, for $16,362, and work 



