CENTRAL PARK

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2141, 6 May 1914, Page 8

CENTRAL PARK

PROGRESS OF THE WORK

WAS A MISTAKE MADE?

IN FORMING THE CHILDRENS' PARK Learning that all 3iad not been going as well as might ha've been expected with tho work of constructing Centra] Park, tho object on. which the fiioney inado through tho animal Citizens'* Carnival is being expended, a Domikiost reporter paid a visit to tho park site to ascertain what was being done. As most people are aware, Central Park is that uneven block which is encompassed to the east and north by tho Brooklyn, tramline on its way through tho Town Belt, and to the west aiid sxmtlMvost by tjje Ohiro Road. To understand what is being done, and what is intended to be achieved in the future, the topography of this big, harp-shaped Mock requires to be briefly described. The baso of the harp must'bo taken to ha that bottom part- where tho area narrows to a few chains"' width Utweoa .Nairn Street and Ohiro Road.. From that point tho area extends in a long bay up towards the Bell Road Reserve, follows the tram-track along the side of the hill, whilst tho Ohiro Road forms the outer post of tha harp. Running down neutrally through tho block from the top is a big spur, with deep ravines on each, sido through which trickle tiny streams. On the- westerly "side of tho spur the ravine continues down almost to tho northern or bottom end. of tin; block, whilst on the other side it tnerges into tho spreading valley, which .slowly rises again towards the Nairn Street Reserve, and is circled by the Brooklyn tramline. v

Good hvork appears toj have been done in clearing off and burning tlie gorse, American broowe, and offer herbage, from the slopes of the two ravines by the Municipal Forester,-Mr, M'Pherson, and bis men. They arc still employed on this work, arid in preparing looseearth holes for the reception of young trees, about £150 worth of wlitc'li are at present on order. Tho idea is to clothe those Stoop hill-sides in native and imported trees., ferns, etc., fairly thickly, and to dam the streams up here and there so as to forni small 1-alws, ivhicli, with the winding walks., and bridges across the gullies, is cal* ciliated to make Central Park , a very pleasant place. On the western side' of the spur, some- hundreds of trees were planted about five or six >?af & ago, chiefly bliregtuas. These have flourished exceedingly well, and there ar« lots of sturdy MuigutMs well over 25ft. in height, ' ■ and promising to develop into giants of their species. The fate of these, trees is rather a sad one, as a big sootion of tho lower (or northern) half of the central spur mentioned, is to be cut away, and tlie spoil is to fill in . the dewression where Mr. Glen's trees are doing so famously. Already a couple of «aft!i-.s-hoots aro at work on that tike, and gradually the young forest will be Wotfetl o«t by. the filling that is to he done. I

There seems to have been a. good deal of delay m connection with " the eartlnshiftiiiffi operations during the past six months, but the work is now beginiiing to make a show. It may be'refflombcred by those tvhn saw a plan of the park that was publisher! that there is to be a child-ton's playground, as well as ft big recreation ground for adults. Judging from tho fall of the land, one would have thought that the grounds would have been "on different levels, as one is planned to be placed almost adjoining the other on abruptly rising ground, and experienced experts, ft is stated, would never dream of building up a ground with, filling fit great expense when the ground could be made- more solidly, infinitely s.noro cheaply, and far more effectively from an aesthetic point of view. As it is, § good deal of filling has alroailv been accomplished, the tower batter of which is now 13ft. iii height. In a nutshell,' it is taking about'fifty loads of spoil to form one- square yard of the future children's playground at Central Park. There is ample area on the site olamied for tho playground, undulating in character, sloping down to tho Qhiro stream, which' onposito that point is stoutly eulverted'. Whatever 'filling: was necessary to . make tho area, flat could, 'no--cording to. aft expert, have been made a deal more secure by extending the ground across the culvert, and'so''using the steep bank below the Ohiro B"->d as a lateral support, As it is,'says tho snnio authority,- the deep filling" that' has be-eil so UHBecesfJnrily and expensively made —and which' has been proneed* ed with too far to alter or a.mend-i-has no lateral support, and mast slip and subside for years to come as tho ground settles. Had the children's ground been constructed, say, fifteen feet below the level of the big gixrand, a. natural terraee'woiild have bcai formed, and the two grounds could have been gracefully connected with broad concrete steps in picturestpje flights, and, furthermore, the difference in 'levels would have giveti a cwod deal of shelter from the cold southerly winds to the children using tho lower'ground. What will be a oicturcsque feature is the entrance to the park, but the approach at present is not. at al! attractive. The park gates-rbig four-posted iron gates with a carriage, and motor gate in the centre and pedestrian pates on either sidfr—-will be erected three chains from the- northern extremity of the Town Beit. There wilJ.be a broasi circular road sweeping ro-and a fountain and ascending by an easy grade to the level -of tho children's ground, whilst another, pathway will be made along the -lower. side of the Qhiro Ravine as an approach to the lakes and ferfierios to be built, it is hoped, in the near future. Another drive will be constructed on a level, with and' alongside the tramway tFick, leading to another entrance to tho recreation ground higher up.- This will necessitate an -alteration from centre-pole to spallvwiro construction in regard to tho overhead tramway wires. Tho lino of electric (power) wire poles, which.follow the main spur, 'will'have to come away. Means are now being sought to convoy the "boost" energy for the tram-wires tip- to the top of the hills in a different .manner. A good deal of track-cutting has been don-s, and mo«s is in progress. About 30 men are now employed on the job.