DEPARTMENT OF PARKS. 11 



location is admirable. From it a magnificent view is obtained of 

 Jamaica Bay, Atlantic Ocean and a great expanse of country 

 extending toward the plains of Hempstead. To the westward, 

 the view extends over the Cities of Brooklyn and New York and 

 the Palisades. Especially is the outlook picturesque at night, 

 when thousands of electric lights are shedding their brilliancy 

 over the two Cities. The general plan of this Park has been 

 arranged by the landscape architect-advisory. The work of the 

 past Summer has been the laying out of the main drive and the 

 concourse fronting the southern portion of the Ridgewood Reser- 

 voir. This has necessitated the removal of many thousand cubic 

 yards of earth. It is a character of work that does not show for 

 itself until it has been completed. This will be accomplished early 

 the coming Summer. The progress made is very satisfactory 

 from an engineering standpoint. 



Tompkins Park, in the Twenty- third Ward, has been beauti- 

 fied by the planting of new trees and flowers, and has been put 

 in excellent order throughout. 



The City Hall Park has been one of the most attractive spots 

 in the City during the Summer. Its beautiful lawn, floral deco- 

 rations, palms and century plants have elicited the admiration 

 of thousands who have passed by it daily. New trees have been 

 set out about the City Hall, which will eventually afford grate- 

 ful shade in the Summer time. 



City Park, in the Fifth Ward, has been made additionally at- 

 tractive by the planting of new trees, the beautifying of the 

 lawns and the setting out of many shrubs. 



The Twelfth Ward Park, owing to the character of the soil, 

 made up of iron slag, ashes, scrap tin and similar refuse coming 

 from the adjacent factories, dumped upon the land prior to its 

 purchase by the City, was an exceedingly difficult park to be de- 

 veloped. However, considerable progress was made in grading, 

 and the Department is now securing a quantity of good soil to 

 spread over it. With the balance on hand and the appropria- 



