PARK AND CEMETERY 
35 
PROPOSED BOULEVARD UNDER THE CHICAGO RIVER, CONNECTING THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE BOULEVARD SYSTEMS 
jZ? Park Notes 
Plans for the connection of the north and south side boule- 
vard systems of Chicago by means of a tunnel under the 
Chicago river or a bridge over it are being considered by the 
park boards of the two divisions. Definite plans have not 
been adopted, but the commissioners favor a subway which 
will cost about $1,000,000. 
* * * 
The executive committee of the New England Association 
of Park Superintendents met in Worcester, March 18, and ar- 
ranged for the Annual Field Meeting of the association, to be 
held in Albany, June 23, 24, 25. The party spent a very 
enjoyable time visiting the Worcester system, guided by 
Messrs. Hadwin and Hart and Superintendent Hemingway 
of the Park Commission. Those present were : J. D. Fitts, 
Providence ; W. H. Richardson, Concord ; C. S. Anthony, 
Taunton; W. S. Egerton, Albany; Theo. Wirth and G. A. 
Parker, Hartford; J. H. Hemingway, Worcester, and J. A. 
Pettigrew and J. W. Duncan, Boston. 
% He 
The King's Highway boulevard commission of St. Louis, 
created for the purpose of suggesting plans for a magnificent 
boulevard, twenty miles long, to skirt the entire west side of 
the city, “from river to river,” recently made its report recom- 
mending the construction of a driveway connecting the river 
and Carondelet park on the south, Forest park on the west and 
the cemeteries and the river at the north. The total cost of 
the contemplated improvements as estimated by the commis- 
sion is $1,500,000, including the cost of land, the building of 
the viaducts, the construction of drives and the planting of 
trees. The plans involve the acquisition of about 210 acres of 
land, the construction of a speedway, bridges and viaducts. 
The boulevard is to be diversified with parking and in a 
heavily wooded tract west of Carondelet Park, winding drives 
similar to those along the Charlesbank in Boston are to be 
laid out. The consummation of the plan will require a num- 
ber of years, and the work will be done in sections, beginning 
at that part of King’s Highway connecting Forest and Tower 
Grove parks. George E. Kessler, of Kansas City, has been 
engaged to prepare plans for the improvements. The com- 
mission also recommends that a permanent commission, re- 
gardless of political consideration, should be appointed by the 
mayor, as soon as new charter amendments can be submit- 
ted, to assist the park commissioner in establishing a system of 
parks, and in connecting them by a system of boulevards and 
parkways. 
* * * 
The annual report of the South Park Commissioners of 
Chicago for 1902 shows many substantial improvements ac- 
complished. In Jackson Park 48 acres of additional land have 
been brought to grade, 51 acres surfaced with black earth, 
and walks and drives constructed. This brings the total im- 
proved area of that park up to 446.9 acres, leaving 77 acres 
yet to be covered with black earth. The other improvements 
included the planting of seven acres with shrubbery and 
trees, the dredging of 13 acres of artificial lake, and the con- 
struction of a granite-faced concrete arch bridge, which has 
been described in a previous issue. In Washington Park the 
largest piece of improvement was the building of the new 
granite concrete boat house, which has been described in 
these columns. The entrance at Garfield boulevard has been 
improved by planting the center of the driveway with trees 
and shrubs and a new entrance constructed at Fifty-fourth 
street. The surface improvements in McKinley Park have 
been practicaly completed, and a new swimming pool con- 
structed. In Grant Park, 17% acres of made land has been 
filled in on the lake front, making a total of 49% acres which 
have been filled in since 1896, when the park came into pos- 
session of the commissioners. The report of Landscape Gar- 
dener Kanst shows the planting of 61,504 trees and shrubs, of 
which 60,744 were from the park nurseries. The nursery now 
contains about 40,000 small shrubs from last winter's cuttings 
and seedlings to be planted during the present year. The 
total receipts for the year amounted to $1,204,183.80, and the 
expenditures to $864,538.56, of which $452,803.99 was for im- 
provement and $411,734.57 for maintenance. The expendi- 
tures for the principal parks were as follows: Washington 
Park, maintenance, $84,844.02; improvement, $49,490.22. Jack- 
son Park, maintenance, $48,230.64; improvement, $228,739.46. 
McKinley Park, maintenance, $3,067.04; improvements, $73,- 
779.87. Grant Park, maintenance, $9,151.07; improvement, 
$45,653.92. 
* * * * 
AMONG THE LANDSCAPE GARDENERS, 
Olmsted Brothers have been engaged to make plans for the 
improvement of Ruggles Park, Fall River, Mass. The origi- 
nal plans, which called for an expenditure of about $50,000, 
are to be modified and bids will soon be called for. Olmsted 
Brothers have also been engaged to make preliminary surveys 
and examinations necessary to the inauguration of a public 
park at Seattle, Wash. 
City Forester John C. Lewis, of Philadelphia, has made 
especial efforts to arrange an attractive display of bulbs in 
Independence Square this spring. Mr. Lewis describes the 
work as follows in an interview in the Philadelphia North 
American : “We have made a departure in our methods this 
year. Without unduly denuding the other parks and squares 
of their share of flowers, we have centered our main effort 
in Independence Square, which is visited by almost every 
stranger who comes to the city and goes sight-seeing. I have 
given considerable study to the securing of telling color effects, 
and in the mass, the beauty of the display this year will be 
far ahead of that of last year. Hyacinths and tulips will be 
the principal blooms.” 
Seymour G. Nelson, of Nelson Brothers, Chicago, is en- 
gaged in making plans for extensive park and cemetery im- 
provements for the city of Des Moines, la. The city engineer 
has made tracings of the levels of the southeast sixty acres 
of the cemetery, and Mr. Nelson is making plans for the 
