NEW YORK’S FATAL PARK.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 7 October 1901, Page 3

NEW YORK’S FATAL PARK.

New York physicians and scientists are mystified by a strange disease apparently peculiar to Central Park, that beautiful resort upon which New York spent upwards of £4,000,000. Around Central Park are the homes of New York’s wealthiest men; these send their children and nurses to the park, and mothers of the poor bring their little ones long distances to enjoy the outing. Dr Eollin Gray, who has made a special study of the park for ten years, has sounded a note of warning which has alarmed the city. He says children go to sleep in the park to wake no more. Therefore it is dangerous to take sleeping babies there. He asserts that he lost his own child in that way, and knows of other deaths. The nature of the disease is puzzling, It bears some resemblance to malaria, but Park Commissioner says that there is no malaria in the park, and he never heard of a case of it among the 400 men constantly at work in the park. The city will probably have the drainage of the park overhauled, and do everything possible to trace the source and cause of the malady. In this connection It is interesting to recall that it has been known for many years that people living at Long Island were much more susceptible to lockjaw than peop'e anywhere else in the country.