CHAPTER VIII

THE MODERN CITY AND ISLAND

1876-1909
 

* BR
 

1 BRIEF summary of the principd events in the history of

the modern city and island from 1876 to the Hudson-Fulton

1. celebration ot 1909 is in Chap. VHI, Vol, IU, pp, 783-831.

In this year, N. A. Otto, a German, invented tbe four-cycle

internd-combusrion engine, the type later universally used in gaso-

Une-driven automobiles.—Sullivan, Our Times  (1926), I:   479.

In this year, the first bicycle proper was brought to this country
and eihibited at the Centennial Exposition.—Sullivan, Our Times,
(1926), I: 241. Shortly dter this date, the author saw this or a
similar roachine in uae on the ice on Central Park lake.

"New York or Manhattan Idand ia divided Into 141, 486 build¬
ing lota, by survey, ot which ahout one-hdt are appropriated. From
Battery Point at the southern extremity, the City proper Is regu¬
larly covered with streets and buildings for a distance ot 5 roiles,
and dso, but irregularly, 4 miles further to Harlero on the East aide.
On the West side again, it forms a concrete mass of stone and brick
to about Sixtieth street, thence leas compactly to above Blooming¬
dde, where it opens into the suburban districts ot ManhattanvIUe
and Washington Heights.  ...

"Tbe City contains 470 churches.  .  .  .

"The New York Markets, 12 In nurober, are roost ot thera wdl
provisioned with abundance of meats, poultry, fish,  and  vege-

"There are now in tbe City ot New York (1876), 75 Nationa!
and State Banks; 38 Savings Banks; 86 State Fire Insurance Com¬
panies, besidea numerous Agencies; 10 Marine Insurance Compa¬
niea, 20 State Life Insurance Companies, besides Agencies; 4 Sate
Deposit Companies, a Stock Eichange Company, and a Bank
Clearing House. , . ."—Disturndl, JV. Y. As It Was and As It
Is (1876), 53-54, 59, 61, 63-64.

By this year, the devdopment of Centrd Park, In its principal
features, was completed.—ibih Ann. Rep; Am. Seen. & Hist. Pres.
Soc. (1911), 478.

Eariy in this year, the N. Y. Elevated R. R. Co. eitended Its
Weat Side (Ninth Ave.) line to 59tb St.—Rep. of Special Com. on
R. R., Appointed . . . lo Investigate Alleged Abuses In the Manage¬
ment ofR.R. (Albany, 18S0); Statutes and Docs. Affedlngthe Ele¬
vated Railways in the City ofN. Y. (1866-1882).  See Ap 5, 1877.

In this year, Ddmonico's was erected on the south aide o£ 26th
St. between Broadway and Fifth Ave., and the reataurant moved
here from Fifth Ave. and r4th St. (see i86i). It later became the
Cafe Martin, and in 1914 it was demolished.—Vanity Fair, Je,
1916; L. M. R. K., IU: 978. The building is shown in King's
Handbook, 238.   For a descriprion ot the interior, see D 4, 1879.

The Medical CoUege of N, Y. University (see 1869) builds on
26th St., east of First Ave. This coUege existed as a proprietary
achooi until 1897, when the university took over the property.—■
N.Y.U.Ba;/.,Je3o,i9ii;Ci(yJi«ori,III: 679,1105,i629;IV: 107.

In this year, the Buckingham Hotd was opened at the s. e. cor.
ot Fifth Ave. and 50th St., opposite St. Patrick's Cathedral.—
King'sHandbook (1893), 226. It was demolished in 1925 to make
way for the store of Saks & Co.

In this year, M- Dripps published a raap of the city on 19 folio
sheets.—Descrip. ot Pl. 138, IH:  707.

In tliis year was published, hy H. H. Lloyd & Co.j a raap en¬
titled: Tke surroundings ofNew York city, embracing the territory
occupied by the homes ofNew York business men, size, 35 i 27 in.

From 1876 to 1885 were published by J. B. Beers & Co., in five
folio volumes, mapa ot tbe Twelfth, Twenty-third, and Twenty-
fourth Wards, called JVm- York city from official records and surveys.

A centennial note, issued on Jan. 6, 1776, to help pay for the
 

Colles' water works, is redeemed hy the city and Is ordered to be
preserved "in a costiy antique frame."'—N. Y. Times, Ja 7, 1876.

Trinity corporation has made plans to build, in the spring,
"an East aide chapd and school-house on the site of the old Quaker
burying ground on Houston atreet, near the Bowery." The build¬
ing waa consecrated in 1877, as the Chapd of St. Augustine.—JV. Y.
Times, Ja 16, 1876; N 30, 1877.

Closing services are hdd in the old Fifth Avenue Preabyterian
Church, s. e, cor. of 19th St. Tbe structure has been presented to the
Centrd Preabyterian Church and is to be removed to 57th St.,
near Broadway; tbe land on Fifth Ave. haa been bought by Arnold,
Conatable & Co.—JV. Y. Times, F 1, 1876. See dso L. M. R. K.,
IH; 931.  See, further. My 27, 1876, and O 12, 1878.

Moody and Sanky hold their first meeting in New York, at Gil-
more's Concert Garden (formerly Barnum's Hippodrome), and
more than 10,000 people are present. The roeetings lasted until
April 19 and were enthusiastlcdly attended,—Chapman, Life and
Work ofD. L. Moody, 163-65. Tbey continued their evangdistic
work throughout the U. S. and In Great Britain until Mr. Moody's
death in 1899.—Ibid. See dso Sullivan, Our Times (1926), 1:265-67.

The legislature passes an act "to prevent injury to animds in the
dty ot New York," raaking it a misdemeanor to throw in the streeta
nails, glass, or other substances which might "maim, lame, cut or
otherwiae injure any animal," or to put salt, saltpeter, etc., for
mdting snow or ice, anywhere eicept on curves, crossings, or
switches of railroad tracks.—Laws qfN. Y. (1876), chap. 16.

A fire which broke out at No. 444 Broadway consumes 30 build¬
ings; loss $3,000,000.-JV. r. Herald, F 9, 1876; JV. Y. Times,
F 9, 10, 11, and 12, 1876.   See alsoHarper's Weekly, XX:   165.

The N. Y- Elevated R. R. Co. ia granted a revocable right of
way through Battery Park.—Mi'n. & Doc, Bd. Com. Dept. Pub.
Parks (1879-1880), 247. SeeAp 5, 1877; Je 9, 1880; and Je30,1891.

The Sodety of the Sons of the Revolution has its Inception at a
meeting hdd at the N. Y. Hist. Soc. John Austin Stevens was the
leader.-Drowne, A Sketch of Fraunces Taoern (1919), 19; "Hist,
of the Soc. Sons of the Rev.," in Whittemore's Heme j aftke Am.
Rev. (1897).  See D 4, 1883, and My 3, 1884.

Tbe board of ddermen appointa a committee to report how the
common council "ahall proceed to evince Its deep intereat in the
forthcoming celebration of the Centennid as weU as how a friendly
cartd can be established between New-York and Philaddphia" to
aid the exhibition,-JV. Y. Times, Mr lo, 1876.

Words are first transmitted by electric telephone, at Boston,
between Alexander G. BeU and bia assistant, Thos. A. Watson.—
Casaon,H;s(. of tke Telephone, 32-33; JV. Y. Times, Mr 7, 1926.

A contract ia made between the Gilbert Elevated R. R. Co. and
the Loan and Improvement Co. by which the latter agrees to con¬
struct and equip the road covered by the charter of the former com¬
pany in conformity with the requireraents of the Rapid Transit
Coramission. Work was immediately begun on the road, but was
interrupted by legd proceedings, which culminated in an injunction
and a stoppage of aU construction work until Sept., 1S77 (q. v.).—
Rep. ofthe Special Com. on R. R; Appointed . . . to Investigate
Alleged Abuses in the Management ofR. R. (Albany, 1880).

The city acquires by condemnation proceedings the land at the
junction of St. Nicholas Ave. and 123d St. This became Hancock
Square,—Prendergast, op. cit; 51;L.M. R, K., Ill: 970. See 1898.

On this day and on May 27, 1S91, the city acquired by condem-   .
nation proceedings the land bounded hy East End Ave. to Eaat
River, 84th to 90th Sts. This became Cari Schurz Park.—Prender¬
gast, op. cit; 51; L. M. R. K; III; 969.