NEW YORK CITY. 



559 



000 gallons, 5.1 miles of water mains, and 69 

 fire hydrants; and 2 private water companies 

 with a daily capacity of 14,000,000 gallons. The 

 water revenues of the borough were $413.32. 



The report of the Department of Highways 

 shows that 38 contracts, involving $35(5,720.49, 

 were entered into, and that 84 contracts were com- 

 pleted at a cost of $2,075,762.11. In the borough 

 of Manhattan 18.49 miles of asphalt pavement, 

 1.91 mile of asphalt blocks, and 1.09 mile of 

 granite pavement were laid. In the borough of 

 the Bronx 40 miles of streets were paved, re- 

 paved, or repaired; and in the borough of Brook- 

 lyn 270,000 square yards of paving were laid. 



The report of the Department of Street Clean- 

 ing showed that l,623,041f cart loads of refuse 

 matter were collected in the boroughs of Man- 

 hattan and the Bronx, and 525,730 cart loads of 

 snow and ice were removed. The expense incurred 

 was $3,366,879.48. In Brooklyn the refuse ma- 

 terial collected amounted to 1,112,477 cart loads, 

 and the snow and ice removed to 183,185 cart 

 loads. The total expenditures were $854,142.60. 

 The collection of refuse and removal of snow in 

 Brooklyn was done under contract. During the 

 year hearings were held on the proposition of 

 widening Pell Street to 100 feet from Chatham 

 Square westward to Mott Street, with an exten- 

 sion from Mott Street to Mulberry Bend Park. 

 The unfinished state of the Elm Street improve- 

 ment was made the subject of an investigation 

 by the August Grand Jury, and it was found 

 that records in the Mayor's office show that 

 ordinances providing for the grading, regulating, 

 and paving of Elm Street through its entire 

 length had been passed by the Board of Public 

 Improvements and the Municipal Assembly and 

 signed by the Mayor. But this work could not 

 be done until the sewers had been laid. The 

 sewer ordinances were faulty in form, and the 

 Mayor vetoed them all on June 13. Ordinances 

 were signed during the year changing the name 

 of the Boulevard between 59th Street and Spuyten 

 Duyvil to Broadway; also the name of Elm Street 

 was changed to Dewey Avenue, and Whitehall 

 Street to South Broadway. The name of Mail 

 Street was changed to Van Cott Place. 



Parks. This department is under the charge 

 of three commissioners, one having jurisdiction 

 in Manhattan and Richmond, one in Brooklyn 

 and Queens, and one in Bronx, each of whom 

 serves six years and receives a salary of $5,000. 

 During 1899 the commissioners were: George C. 

 Clausen, Manhattan and Richmond; George V. 

 Brower, Brooklyn and Queens; and August 

 Moebus, Bronx. The office is in the Arsenal, Fifth 

 Avenue and 65th Street. According to the re- 

 port for 1898 the city's total park area is: In 

 Manhattan and Richmond, 1,288,287 acres; in 

 Queens and Brooklyn, 1,573,378; in the Bronx, 

 4,057,880; total area for the city, 6,919,545 acres. 

 The proposition to convert Coney Island into a 

 park was considered, and two plans were sub- 

 mitted, as follow: The first was the purchase 

 of that part of Coney Island embraced between 

 the Ocean Boulevard and Sea Gate and between 

 the ocean and Coney Island creek. The estimated 

 cost of the land is $9.000,000, while the improve- 

 ments would cost about $6,000,000 more. The 

 other recommends the purchase of a strip 400 

 feet wide from Sea Gate to Ocean Boulevard, and 

 includes the treating of Surf Avenue as a boule- 

 vard. This plan, which would be far less expen- 

 sive than the other, would give a beach 250 feet 

 wide, extending along a mile of ocean front; a 

 board walk 50 feet wide, with broad steps leading 

 to the beach; a bicycle path 15 feet in width, and 



a driveway and promenade adjoining. This plan 

 provides for 4 new recreation piers. The Com- 

 missioners of Estimate for the Colonial Park sub- 

 mitted their report to the Supreme Court on 

 April 7, and the court heard argument on a 

 motion to confirm. The park embraces the terri- 

 tory comprised between 145th and 155th Streets 

 and Edgecombe and Bradhurst Avenues. There 

 were 192 parcels of land to be appraised, and the 

 commissioners fixed the values at sums that ag- 

 gregate about $1,500,000. Progress on the devel- 

 opment of Grand Boulevard and Concourse 

 which, when completed, will run from 161st 

 Street and Mott Avenue north to the city line 

 was stopped. About $3,000,000 of the city's 

 money had been expended in payment for land 

 condemned, and in the near future a million 

 more will be paid out. The plan shows a speed- 

 way 54 feet wide, with a sidewalk of artificial 

 stone 15 feet wide, an asphalt driveway 24 feet 

 wide, a macadam bicycle path 7 feet wide, and a 

 promenade 18 feet on either side of it. Nearly 

 5,000 shade trees will be required. The estimated 

 total cost is about $14,000,000. 



The visitors at the Aquarium in 1899 numbered 

 1,841,330, a daily average of 5,045 the greatest 

 number of any year in its history. The excess 

 of 1899 over 1898 was 171,245. 



Zoological Park. This is under the care of 

 the New York Zoological Society, of which Levi 

 P. Morton is president. It is in the Bronx, and is 

 a splendid stretch of 261 acres. The present col- 

 lection of animals includes 43 species of mammals 

 (157 specimens), 36 species of birds (175 speci- 

 mens), 1 species of alligators (16 specimens), 13 

 species of lizards (71 specimens), 18 species of 

 turtles (94 specimens), 36 species of serpents (293 

 specimens), 10 species of batrachians (37 speci- 

 mens), making a total of 157 species (843 speci- 

 mens). The park was formally opened to the 

 public on Oct. 8. It is open daily free to visitors 

 from 10 A. M. till sunset, except on Mondays and 

 Thursdays, when an admission fee is charged. 

 The aggregate cost of all the buildings and ani- 

 mals' quarters thus far constructed and in pro- 

 cess of construction was upward of $90,000. The 

 society collected $49,760 for the park during the 

 year, making a total of $160,779 thus far ob- 

 tained. The membership is 736. 



Fire. This department is managed by a single 

 commissioner, who receives a salary of $7,500. 

 The incumbent during the year was John J. Scan- 

 nell. The chief of the department on Jan. 1 was 

 Hugh Bonner, who resigned on May 1, and was 

 succeeded by Edward F. Croker. The headquar- 

 ters are at 157 East 67th Street. In 1899, for 

 the boroughs of Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, 

 and Queens there were 2,404 officers and men; 

 134 engine companies, including fire boats; 40 

 hook-and-ladder companies; 6 fire boats: and 4 

 water towers. There were in the year 8,050 fires; 

 33 arson cases were tried, of which 23 resulted in 

 dismissal, 8 in conviction, and 2 are still pending. 

 The receipts for licenses, permits, and penalties 

 were: In the boroughs of Manhattan, Bronx, and 

 Richmond, $50,452.50; in the boroughs of Brook- 

 lyn and Queens, $43,150.50; total, $93,603. There 

 is a volunteer force of 2,000 in Queens, and 1,500 

 in Richmond, making a total of 3,500. 



Health. The collection of vital statistics is 

 under the care of a board consisting of the presi- 

 dent of the Board of Health, the health officer of 

 the port, and three commissioners, one of whom 

 must have been for five years a practicing physi- 

 cian. The officials for 1899 were: Michael C. 

 Murphy, president (salary, $7,500) ; Dr. William 

 T. Jenkins, Dr. John B. Cosby, Health Officer Dr. 



