Cleaning up a Blizzard.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14971, 19 May 1914, Page 6

Cleaning up a Blizzard.

Some conception of what the clearing away of the results of a blizzard in a city like New York entails is given by a writer in "Dun's Review." He asks us to picture, first of all, a etfeofc something over 2000 miles in length, the sum total of New York's roadways, of which 500 miles at least are classed as "principal thoroughfares," and to bear in mind that on this 500-mile stretch of road .every inch of snowfall means 175,000 cubic yards of snow to be carted away. Now, in February last, tho snowfall was altogether 17 inches, so tho magnitude of the labours necessitated can be imagined. The ordinary street-sweepings of New York amount annually to about 3,370,000 tons, and when a heavy snowfall occurs tho work of collection is interrupted until tho streets are cleared sufficiently for the carts to get about their work. This is the time when tho street-clean-ing commissioner must mobilise his army of 7000 men, his regular forces, and get in readiness tho 15,000 more Hands engaged months previously by tho contractors for the emergencies of the winter season: When the contractors get- word' from the etreetcleaning department to begin operations, each takes his appointed section of street and seta his carts and men to work. Every cart is measured to ascertain the exact number of cubic yards it will hold, and bears, a placard to that effect, while each driver carries a ticket that is punched when tho cart is loaded, and again when the load is dumped. In this way the chances of dishonesty are lessened, and the cost of snow removal regulated as fir as possible. About 4000 carts, and twice as many horses, are steadily employed in the work of snow removal. The contractors divide their toiccs into gangs of about fifty men, the price paid" to the contractors for rrery cubic yard removed varying from 42 to 56 cents, according to the district. The cost of these operations is no small matter. On an average it is estimated that an inch of 6uowfall on New York's streets costs 50,000 dollars to clear away. Therefore, the seven-

teen inches which blanketed the city last February entailed an expenditure of close upon a million dollars or £200.000.