DEPARTMENT OF PARKS. 13 



John B. Woodward, H. B. Scharmarm, Theodore E. Dreier, W. 

 W. Kenyon, W. E. Parfltt and J. W. Erregger as an Advisory 

 Committee, to act with me in considering the best property to 

 select for park purposes. A public meeting was held December 

 3d, to receive propositions and to listen to objections, and an ad- 

 journed meeting was held on December 17th. At these meet- 

 ings many offers of land were received. The proposition to 

 secure new parks has met with general approval, and during the 

 year the new parks will probably be purchased. 



The improvement of Fort Hamilton avenue was taken up 

 early in the year. The existence of a railroad on the thorough- 

 fare has caused a temporary suspension of the work. Arrange- 

 ments have been made with the Coney Island & Brooklyn 

 Eailroad Company, which owns the franchise on this avenue, to 

 abandon it, and it is expected that legislation will be secured 

 this Winter to carry the agreement into effect. The work of 

 improvement will be resumed in the Spring. This avenue will 

 make. a very popular drive, as it will connect Prospect Park 

 with the proposed Shore Eoad. 



During the Summer the long-continued drought reduced the 

 water in the Lake in Prospect Park to such an extent that it be- 

 came dangerous to public health, and it was necessary to secure 

 an outside supply. The City being unable to supply any water 

 from its sources, the Mayor, upon application, granted the Park 

 Department three thousand dollars from the Eevenue Fund, 

 with which to purchase water from the New Utrecht Water 

 Company. This supply also enabled the Department to properly 

 sprinkle the Ocean Parkway and to irrigate the meadows, which 

 were severely burned. Considerable work was done in the way 

 of laying pipes to supply artificial irrigation to the various parts 

 of the Park that were greatly in need of water, and this will be 

 of great assistance the coming Summer in keeping the meadows, 

 flower gardens and plantations in proper condition. 



An addition to the statuary of the Park was a bronze bust of 

 Beethoven, which was unveiled October 20th, 1894. It was pre- 



