Real Estate Record

AND   BUILDERS'   GUIDE.





Vol. VI.





NEW YOEK, SATUEDAY, DECEMBEE 17, 1870.





No. 144;





.....Published Weekly by

THE REAl .ESTATE RECORD ASSOCIATION.

TEEMS.

One year, in advance......................§6 00

All communications should be addressed to

106 Bro.u>way. cob. OP Pine Stbket.





The Eecord is regularly maUed to subscribers every
Friday night at eleven o'clock, and should be deUvered by
the Post Office aufchorifcies on Saturday morning early.
Any aubacriber nofc receiving his paper in due season may
rely upon ifc thafc fche fault is entirely with fche carrier, and a
complainfc lodged eifcher with the Post Office aufchorifcies or
afc the Eecobd office wiU remedy fche irregularifcy. Any
carrier delivering fche EECORD later fchan Saturday morning
is remiss in his dufcy.





DEPARTMENT 01" DOCKS.

The Department of Docks, as at present or¬
ganized, undoubtedly commands the respect and
confidence of the public to a very great degree.
The Commissioners are entirely free from politi¬
cal entanglements of any kind, and are fuUy
alive to the fact that the work entrusted to
their direction is one destined to stand for
years, af ter aU now connected with it shall have
returned to dust.

It is a most fortunate thing, and speaks vol¬
umes for the sagacity and good judgment of the
appointments of Mayor Hall, that no scientific
noodle, with just brains enough to spoil every¬
thing he undertakes, has a place on this com¬
mission.

The Commissioners are all men of a practical,
straightforward tnrn of mind, accustomed to
business, and understand fully the wants and re¬
quirements of the conamerce of the city.

Eealizing fully the need of calling to their aid
some mind replete with technical knowledge,
they some time ago appointed General George
B. McCleUan as engineer-in-chief of the Depart¬
ment, than whom no abler engineer has a rank
in the profession.

It is understood tha^t General McClellan has
about perfected a plan for a system of docks
and piers which will eclipse anything of the
Mnd now existing in any part of the world, and
which embraces in its construction that want
which has so. long paralyzed the real estate in¬
terests of the upper part of this island, viz.," a
system of rapid transit."                            .

Just what the plan is, it is impossible to say,
but it is kriovm that it contemplates the widen¬
ing of West street, which is a matter of absolute
necessity, to give accommodation to the im¬
mense traffic which now. continually creates a
blockade in that thoroughfare.

The bulkheads of this new system of docks,
it is settled, wiU be of granite, with artificial
and other stone entering largely into the "con¬





struction of the other partF. The piers wiU
probably be at least 600 feet long by 100 feet
broad, which will be size enough to accommo¬
date the views of the most sanguine naval ar¬
chitects in regard to the length of future steam¬
ships. Within the last twenty years the size of
vessels has gradually increased from packet-
ships of 500 tons to the present steamers of 4,000
to 5,000 tons. In length, steamers range now
from 400 to 440 feet; but as it is well known that
the greater length given steamers the more
speed in comparison to the horse-power employ¬
ed, it is predicted that, within twenty years,
vessels 600 feet in length will be of common
occurrence.

Undoubtedly, General McCleUan's plan con¬
templates a system of warehouses in connection
with the docks, but of what kind it is impossi¬
ble to say.

We congratulate the merchants of our city
that the prospect is so bright in regard to the
relief soon to be given them from dirt, disorder,
waste, and the organized system of plunder now
carried on by river-thieves and water-rats.





PARK AFFAIRS.

The Park Commissioners expect to put a rail¬
ing around the statue of Lincoln, which will be
more of a monument.to.him. than the statue
itself. On this railing will be small but well-
defined bronzes, exhibiting the different eras of
Lincoln's life.

The Commissioners expect to take away the
railing of Madison Square in the manner in
which they have removed that of the City Hall
Park; and to widen Fifth avenue from Broad¬
way to Seventy-sixth street, as they have widen¬
ed Broadway, on the east side, from the Post-
office to Stewart's store. This is a needed im¬
provement, considering how the flow of travel
centres about the Fifth Avenue Hotel.

They expect.also to erect a Tiandsome, but
comparatively inexpensive rustic clock at the
end of the Mall, at the top of the first hiU, and
at the junction of the four roads, near the en¬
trance of Central Park. This is the point at
which nearly every person, on entering or leav¬
ing the Park, takes out his watch, if he has
any, and wants to know the time. The clock
will not only be an ornament, but it will be use¬
ful to those who do not carry watches, or who,
in riding, cannot look at them. It vdll be use¬
ful to the school-boys and school-girls who go
skating.

We are sorry, however, that the Commission¬
ers think it necessary to put a new fountain,
at Fifty-eighth street. We always thought,
the new ground taken was for wider entrance,
and to enlarge the avenue at its very point of
contact with the street. Besides, the late is a
water-view oh entering, and precludes the ne¬
cessity of art.

The Commissioners are engaged in widening
the carriagertoad, beginning at the sharp curve
at the lower end of the reservoir and leading up
to the Convent. They will also widen and per¬
haps exteud the bridle-path. Within the past
•month they have ciit and laid "a piath from near
the Fifth Avenue entrance, croSsing the grand
drive, which is exceedingly convenient.    They





have also removed from the terrace the building
which used to destroy its appearance, and they
have picturesquely replaced the house with a
picturesque landing on the opposite side of the
lake, and adjoining the entrance to the ramble.
The laying of Fifth avenue, from Fifty-ninth
to Ninetieth street, with Mcolson pavement,
has drawn from the Park roads below the latter
street all the fast trotters, and the sporting men;
which is a great comfort and advantage to the
people who do not care about very fast horses,
and are especially afraid of collisions. The
work upon the wall and upon the side-walk
towards the entrance, at the end of the woodeii
pavement, is rapidly approaching completion.—
Leader.





MECHANICS'   LIENS   AGAINST    BUILDINGS
IN NEW YORK CITY.

Dec.

14 Bleecker st., n. s. (No. 105).   J.

H. Garrison agt. J. H. Baker......       $37 00

6C AT., E. s. (No. 116). Philip
CampbeU agfc. Samuel BuchsweU-
der..............................        15 00

13 Essex st., e,  s. (No. 104).    Peter

Seebold agt. J. J. Goeber.........       395 00

13 ElGHTT-THIBD ST., N. S., 13 HOUSES,

bet. Sth and 9fch avs.  Michael Gaf-

fey agfc. John Doe................        .38 75

9 FiFTT-SEVENTH ST., N. S., 3 HOUSES,

com. 50 e. 10th av.  Michael Healy

agt. John Totten.......:.........        23 50

9 Forty-first st., s. s., 6" houses,
com. 398e. 2d av., and 5 houses on
(New sfc.) unnamed, said st. ex¬
tending from 40fch fco 4lBt St., bet..
1st and 2d avs. James Crow agfc.
W. L. Cutting...................    1,343-14

12  Same property.    Andrew Heid

agfc. W. L. Cuttmg...............       180 00

13  Same property.   T. & J. D. Crim-

mins agfc. Esfcate of Gertrude Cut¬
ting..............................       961 96

12  Forsyth st., w. s. (No. 15). Aekek-

man & Boekel agt. R. F. Martin...        37 90

13  FiPTY-SECOND ST., s. s. (Nos. 5.52,

5.52>^,   &    5.54   Wesfc).      Timothy

Cleary agt. J. B. Leclaire.........       800 OQ

13  Same PROPERTY.   Balthazar Lang

agt. J. B. Leclaire............___       330 00

14  King st., n. s.(No. 99).' James But¬

ler agt. Wm. Lee.................       ^2 06.

12 Ludlow  st.,  e. s. (Nos. 40 & 42).

Adam Wagner agt. Philip, Mfefczger. 341 OS-
IS Lexington av. & 71st st., s. w.

cor.     Francis   Muldoon   agt.  —.

WUson..........................       137 10

12 Madison st., e. s. (No. 32).   Agker-

man & Boekel agt. R. F. Martin...       150 00

12  Same property.   Same agT. same.        24 70!
9 Pearl st., e. s., reae of 472.   W.

H. Young agt. Wm. Clinton.......     134 00

10 Twenty-eighth st., n. s. (Nos. 332

& BB2^ W.).   Adolf Klaber agt.

Anna Loewenstein...............       155 92

10 Thirty-third st., n.   s. (No. 317

W.).   A.   P.  Newman  agt.   Geo.

Spencer.__.......................      771 85.

10 Thirty-fihst  ST., 8.   s.   (No.   124).

Peter Fisher agt. Jennie Frances..       274 59

13  THIRTY-EIGHTff ST., N.   S.  (NoS." 441

& 443 W.).   Peck & WandeU agt.

Jos. Smidt...:...................       356 60

14  Twenty-sixth st.,^ n. s. (No. 41).

Aiexr. McGregor agt. E. MUler....       231 65