The New York herald., 1877-12-08
OBSTRUCTIVE SNOW.
Second Street Cleaning Conference in
The Mayors Office.
MORE POLICE PHILOSOPHY
A Proposition to Melt the Fleecy
Covering.

i
Nearly IN hour yesterday consumed In the
Mayors Office In consultation as 70 devising some
means by which Tho city be thorough cleaned OF
snow during the coming winter Among the gentle
mon present were Police Commissioners Wheeler and
Erhardt, Chauncey NJ. Depcw, counsel for New York
Central Railroad; j. W. Foshay, President Broadway
and Seventh avenue road; s. II. Siawson. President
Central Crosstown road; A. Hance, Superintendent
Dry Dock and East Broadway road; George Law. Jr.,
President Ninth avenue road; IL. b. Wilson, Supcriu-
tendent Eighth avenue road; j. A. Marshall, Madison
avenue stage line; John G. Hawkins, Superintendent
Bureau Of Machinery, Philadelphia Exhibition; John
/ Mulaly; Dock Commissioner Vanderpoel; I. II. But
| Ter, superintendent Sixth avenue road; Pilot Com
missioner Snow and others subject OF
rious complaint among citizens Of NIL classes
has becn tho wretched condition OF the streets
during the season when snow tails to considerable
extent conflict o authority exists or is claimed to
exist as to proper disposition OF the snow between
the Police Department, Dock Department, Health
Commissioners and city railroad companies. Tho
florence yesterday naugurated by tho Mayor with
the Intention OF coming to agreement upon tho
knotty point
STATING THE QUESTION.
Mayor ELY Informed the gentlemen that he had in
vitcd them tnere 10 discuss the practicabty OF
moving The snow and Ice during the coming winter.
\ At u meeting held in the Mayors Office Tuesday
last to consider tho subject OF street cleaning was
shown that tue absolute control of the subject was
vested In the Police COMMISSIONERS, but II was also
shown that in order to get rid OF tho sweeping
and garbage II was necessary to have the cooperation
Of the Health Board, the Dock Department, tho
Pilot Commissioners aud the coast baiins and as no
Two of these seemed TO be IN harmony the OF
cooperation seemed not to be 1atterinp He hoped
that tho railroad who practical
mon oil business, would come to conclusion as
/ uueQ h ram kinuf INT latta
had been written to hun by Mr.. John Mualy relative
to the subject about to be discussed.
Mr. MuLLALY then read com ication from Con-
eral Graham, formerly Chief Engineer Of the Dock
Department strongly commenting tho plan submitted
plain his proposition. rho leading points oi his
| statements were AZ iol0ws:-
OF the Mayor with mo heads OF departments, Mr..
Aawley, clerk to tho Police Board, stated that, 10
| $1,000, 000 What" said he, sshall We do with It
This, :, he observed, ''is OF the embarrassing
Mr. Hawley Is at tho rate OF $4,000 per mile for the
removal Of snowfall one foot deep and In street
sixty feet wide.
Reduced to simple figures wo lnd that in n
fall OF SIX inches over surface OF mile by sixty
iect there are los 400 cubic feet OF snow
loads. Estimating tho cost OF removing IL at MY
OF il tho whole winter fall oa's OF snow '0t 10
two fect deep (and during some winters IL has
exceeded Ave fcet the cost will be tour times
this amount or nearly S. 900 To remove y60 loads
OF snow would require $50 carts, allowing each cart
TO remove one load per hour and working twelve.
hours out oi the twenty lour Experience has proved
the impossibty OF performing the work by such ap-
pances as 70 NEE, the requirements Of trade aud
travel Indeed, the Police Department has on moro
than one occasion admitted ITS tmpractcability.
We would propose, therefore, the application to the
work OF removing the snow OF the element which
Nature herself employs-hcat--wuh TINS dilerence
that wo would substitute aruncia heat IN conoen-
traed form, obtained by tho process OF rapid oombus
ton comparison OF tho cost or our method with
the present sy ysem shows difference oil about 81
800 Whilo the OF removing 3, 96O loads Of snow
would be but slO0 In l5s 400 cubic feet OF
arc, uo wing vo half DO nds 10 zach cubic foot
s7l 200 pounds One pound OF COAL the lowest cal
culation, Is capable OF converting seven pounds oi
water into seam and this steam possessing q latcnt
heat OF about 1000 degrees in addition to tho
sensible heat, Will reduce forty pounds of snow to
water Thus for every pound OF coal consumed we
dissolve forty pounds OF snow Then forty into
ST., 2oo-!he number OF pounds OF snow on surface
one mile long oy sixty cct wide, the iopth being SIX
inchcs-gves Il, 7SU pounds or about eleven tons Of
coal. In this calculation only the superheated steam
considered, but whom to this Is added the heat from
the furnace, which makes an addition equal 10
at least thirty por cont, aud which Is all discharged
through tho descending aaes atcmperaturo OF from
500 TO 600 degrees II win be seen that he elect is
oversstimated. The eleven tons OF coal can be pur-
chased Tor 50 por ,on aud thus with The OF tho
engineer, fireman and other expenses will exceed
500, or one-tweneth the cost OF removing The
amount OF snow by carts
Mr. MuLLALY then stated tho process by which he
proposed TO melt tho snow ny using patent machine
which has heretofore been described.
Mayor ELY-Has this machine over boon testcdY Is
1t practicableY
Mr. MuLLALY-it has never been tested except by
models. We have been deceived by gentlemen who
undertook to do certain things for ua
Mayor ELY-How much would II cost to erect Of
these machinesf
Mr.. .MuLLALy-About 1000. Tho first would prob.
ably cost more than any OF the others.
RAiLRoAD COMPANIES AND POLICE.
Mayor ELY wanted to know II there ever had been
any cooperation Detwccn tho different railroad COM
panies and the Police Department In tho mattor
moving snow and icef
Mr.. HAwLEY answered that no regular corporation
had ever been inaugnracd There had been several
w ere haWay
IN come instances directly antagonistic.
Mr. FosnAY alluded to the fact that somo years ago
there was controversy between the police and tho
companies, the latter ut the tme agreeing TO urnsn
carts The little snow which had been removed last
wiutcr on their road had cost The company Dctween
$4,000 and 81, COO
Mayor Ely suggested q plan by when open cars
might be used Tor me removal CT snow and Trans
portaton could be furnished Ny the railroad pan
ior these cars Tney could be carried to desr-
mated docks and Their loads dumped into river.
Branch tracks might be constructed where necessary
down TO The rivers sdo. Ho tMayor Ely understood
that Mr. Jacob Sharpe oil the Twenty third street
road, had mado satisfactory rraneeincnts in this
connection as lar as has route was concerned.
Mr. FosIAy alluded TO the difficulties thai might DO
experienced by the Dock Department in furnishng
proper dumping places along the docks,
Mayor ELY thought that some general arrangement
might be made between all tho railroad companies.
Sucn plan would alone require tho consent oil the
Pilot Commissioners, who had charge Of tho waters
around tho city,
some discussion here The time md labor
required TO VII these oron cars with snow Mr..
Fosbay remarked that II would depend principally
upon the condition of tho snow-wbethor u was
frozen soft. Much additional switch laying would
be required and nearly all the work wouia have 10 DO
dono night
Mayor ELY said that f the snow removed at
once oil course DIRT would be mixed with IL Ho
thought that legislation would bc needed to solve tho
present difficulties. II they only found out what
necessary 10 DO done hon they could got at soe way
VI accomplishing H.
Mr. MATTHEW KANE. OF the South Ferry road mar
ted the difficulties experienced by cty companies IN
keeping their tracks clear They were bound 10 take
away the IRON between tneir tracks, while citi-
zcns compelled uudor ordinances TO clear tho
snow the aks, and also to Keep the guttors
In front Of Their premises IN proper condition. Tho
hnos aud frequently ashes ana garbage then
thrown back tho tracks aud became piled up in
the streets.
cosuNDRrM foR rHE POLICE coxMssIoNERs
Mayor ELy--l would ike 70 Hsk the street Cleaning
Department whether II cannot suggest some means
by which their esoutatves coud cooperate with
tho raroad companies In carrying this worK
PROPERTY
Mr. HAwLEY answered by stating that ho was not
able TO suggest any plan. When Air. Disbeckcr
entered into an arrangement with some OF the rail-