The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-24
STREET CLEANING.
Progress Of and Advantages Claimed
for the Block System.
COMMISSIONER NICHOLS VIEWS.
A Visit to the Different Sections
Now Being Operated.

| 4vOW 0OA3A6 ORC4 cbtO0s
The new or ''bock" system of cleaning the streets
adopted by the Police Department. Is enjoying a
practical trial Is II SUGGEST is question asked in
many quarters. 10 obtain the answer Of the Police
Commissioners to this query III. Nichols, who is the
Commissioner specially ntrustod with the Street
Cleaning Departments, called upon yesterday
Mr. Nichols was Just looking over pile Of reports
from the department, and, calling out to his messen-
ger, he said:'s uspend this man, William Ward, OF
the Eighteenth ward, for failure the ashes,
| until tho charges against HIM are investigated"
Turning round to the HExALD's representative Com
missioner Nichols exclaimed, "rhore you see, Is one
out Of dozen, probably, that shall havo to sus-
| pend to-day upon charges that they have not per-
formed their work properly. A very erroneous i'm
preston seems to exist In the public mind that
discharge any men Tor incompetency or failure
to their work efficiently, while the fact ia that
nearly every day about dozon such suspensions
take place. Wo have great deal of trouble on This
score; Tor of course they suspended or
dismissed they go to their political friends who
ommended them, ana these sraightway swoop down
| upon u.s."
but Is II a fact that ost OF these labOrers ON
| poyed in cleaning streets old, broken-down men,
who pensoncd upon the city because they could
not make their living in any other way?"
at is true that many old men, but they are all
able TO do fur days work. Why 1t does not take u
Hercules sweep the streets, does Up II you were
here and old mon applying for work your
heart would ache, assure you, and am only sorry
that cannot give more work 10 them II the Street
Cleaning Department did not give many Of those old
men a chance to earn their living the probability IS
that the city would have to support them US paupers
THE NEW PLAN SUCCESS.
Uhow IA the new plan of cleaning the streets work.
ing, Commissioner"
al think far superior cleanliness goes, It Will
be success You know we have Experimental for a
upon Eighth avenue, and certainly that avenue
which was formerly OF the dirticst, 10 cleaner
than II has been for long time past There is
no doubt In my mind that the streets will be better
cleaned than they we're under the old system"
"And to the question Of expense?"
"rhat Is somewhat premature Tor US to decide for
we have had scarcely time enough to compute tho
precise comparison on the point OF expense l am
Afraid however, that II will be more expensive for
under the present plan many avenues and urees that
wore formerly cleaned only twice or three .mes a
week will now be swept every day. OF course the
cost OF the additional labor will be considerable.
however II We can only Keep the streeta clean and
still be able ~ keep within our appropriation VIC shall
| DO satisfied"
"Many OF the still very dirty, Mr.. CON-
| undoubtedly thoy are, but you must remember
tho difficulties We have to contend with. No matter
street
they cannot succeed II they have no place to take The
art TO- Az present We dumping the Jersey
shore at Bayonne Tor OF course, IN such weather as
this to-day, for instance we cannot send scows
out 10 sea. But how long that will last we do not
know Peoples cArelessness has great deal TO do
with the apparent failure Of the department to re-
move the ashes and garbage promptly. Why. the SER
want girl In my own house the other morning COM
planned that the refuse had not been taken away
night before. What time did you put the barrel out p
uskcd her. and then asccrtained that was ELK or
seven O'Clock In the evening" while the carts pass be-
| r.. M,
passed several hours before she had put hor bar
rel out Mos. people think that tins Is a
aud winter, rain or shine, 1 drive about tho
city two hours Of the DAY TO see II the streets
! properly cleaned. On Sunday forenoon give up my
church and West aud South streets and the
kets, which are thoroughly cleaned on that day-one
the heavy trucks and carts thai Der them dur
ing the week. THIS very morning have already m
specLed the dumps at Forty-sxh street and Twenty
third street, East RIVER"
| BROADWAY AND FIFTH AVENUE
Ills the new stem 10 DO applied TO all the
| and streotsf"
81 mink SO, with the exception of Fifth avenue and
Broadway. In these Two thoroushfarcs tue traffic Is
too great TO apply the day system Of cleaning by
sections to them, aud they will, as before be
cleaned at night Ny machinery You spoke about the
bad condition Of our streets and avenues TO be sure
some OF them irightiu Look at Third avenue Tor
| instance. We can't do anything there account oil
| the excavations of the Elevated Railway winch are
| In many places on both sides vi the avenue. On
| Sixth avenue were also greatly hampered when
tho Gilbert road dug their excavaons but, AS rule
they took first SIDE OF the avenue when that
| was nn,shed they took up tho other, while here on
Third avenue the excavations both sides and
tue condition oil the avenue - something irightiul to
| contemplate"
Beng very much preoccupied with street cleaning
and police business the Commissioner requested Cap
tain Gunner to take the writer 10 where
the system now being tried, SO that he might
the work was being done. Captain Gunner stated
that tho new system was being tried GU this day on
Sixth, Madison, Fourth and Lexington avenues. He
| first look the writer TO Sixth avenue, where four
blocks havo been assigned each aDorer his
tion. 1t is only just to say that the men, who were
! evidently not aware vi Captain Gunners approach
until he called them, working ail along ave.
nuo In steady, iaithuI manner. Though many OF
the old men IN the cold, plt'iess blasts Of
the wind presented u sad appearance, nearly all
seemed 10 handle the broom sufficiently vol for all
purposes. Whether their work might not be done
more rapidly by u set OF sturder and stronger
another question, Captain Gunner stating that II
eight hours per day to sweep their section OF four
blocks once, and yet the pnul appearance OF these
cid men Was IN itself sufficient TO demonstrate the
| great cruelty OF their dismissal. Sixth avenue
tolerably coan, but not nearly so clean US Eighth
avenue. which was roaliy In excellent condition. In
Madison and Lexington avenues tho men were also
working well, although these being usually clean
avenues their task here was Tar lighter Tho greatest
trouble apparently experienced yesterday was that
the carts could not follow tho progress OF the sweep
ngs quickly enough, so that the heaps Of dirt which
had been swept together In tho middle oil the avenue
| would DO partially scattered again by the keen wind
CAPTAIN aUSxERs HOPES
III think tho new plan Will DO SUCCESS" Captain
Gunner said f not IN point OF expense, certainly
regards tho superior cleanliness OF the streets. The
great advantage OF the plan. you sec, that II
likes the responsibility OF the cleanly condition OF
| each block upon certain man. We tell u man, for
| instance, that Sixth avenue from Twelfth TO Six
teenth street, is his section, which no must sweep
every day and Keep thoroughly clcan. II we nd the
| avenue dirty between these blocks VIC spend him
| ut once and put another man on the section. vi
course before laying out any street or avenue the
now SYSTEM and before beginning 10 work by sections,
| the street or avenue IN question should be thor
oughy cleaned by gangs wuo are better able to
away The heavy stun and put each section IN such a
condition that cacl sweeper thereafter by his sole
work Keep 1t ciean. To-day we shall begin the new
plan on Ninth avenue, Canal, Blocker, Fourteeuth,
Twcnty-third. Forty-secoud and FiItynnth streets.
| As to the question OF expense, week will probably
elapse before give you Tho exact figures"
| PLANS TO BK DISCUSSED.
One OF four plans OF cleaning tie streets already
talked about will probably DO agreed upon mt today