The New York herald., 1879-12-25
PARIS UNDER THE SNOW.

HOW THE PARIS AUTHORITIES REMOVE THE
SNOW FROM THE sTREETs-HINTs TO THE
STREET CLEANING COMMISSION.
The Paris correspondents of the London papers
devote much space to the unusual aspect Of Paris
under the snow. Says one:-''The American mete-
biologists deserve credit for having predicted this
snow storm. They further predict that the winter
will be abundant in snow. The wisest thing to do
is to construct some rough sleighs. by means Of
which the goods traffic in the city might be carried
on as usual. An American farmer will build
sleigh easily in day, slnge-hsnded. II thesFrench
market gardeners and darymen only knew how
easy it was they might bring their milk and
vegetables to market usual. and cries of
mourning would not be heard at the central
market lamentations in the kitchen. No
one who has not can imagine how Paris is up
set by the snow, and how thoroughly unprepared
it is to deal with it, Sixteen inches OF snow spread
over tho whole of the city is not to be dealt
with by means of shoves. brooms and mud-scrapers;
and yet that is all that the municipality do and
little by little slippery horsc-path is being cleared
in tho middle Of the main streets. hundred Of
men are employed. at al average salary Of three
francs a day. let say. working with shovels and
scrapers, and about eight hundred cartloads of
snow each painfully drawn by thrce four horses,
are daily discharged into tho Seine. which, with its
icebergs and snow blocks. resembles miniature
Polar The cost Of this labor is naturally
out of all proportion to the results obtained;
quantity of will cost the municipality
thousands OF francs. and IL the severe weather con-
tinues 1t will cost millions. II this sum were en-
p,oyed in the building OF rough seighs. not only
might the snow be removed rapidly. but the munci-
pality might make money by letting out sleighs to
business people If the climute is to become modi-
fled it will require public initiative to acclimatzo
the merchandise sleigh. Such advocates of progress
as the municipal councillors Of Paris ought to seize
| the idea with eagerness.
USE THE ARMY.
Another correspondent writcs:-"The Municipal
Council OF Paris held long sitting yesterday in the
course of which some very interesting information
concerning the weather and the poor was furnished
by the administrators Of the city. The question
opened by NJ. Engelhardt who asked II it was not
Paris to clear away the snow.
IN. Alphand. the Director Of Works. replied that
n and na but " a ,ns s latter
refused to listen to the appeal. on the ground
that the work would be TOO dang, rous for the
the snow. As regarded the military. the War Min
ister said it impossible to take the soldiers.
most of whom had Just entered the service. away
from their exercises without gravely compromising
the efficiency OF the army. NJ. Alphand then pro-
ceeded to answer the complaints made about the
delay in removing the snow. He said 1t was impos-
sioie. as naa Deen proposeu 10 ger ria OF the snow
it by means OF steam. II that done the sewers
would be Immediately frozen. and when the thaw
arrived Paris would be inundated and the de-
stroyed. Anuson has been made to the way in which
the difficulty was dealt with under the Empire.
but the truth was that the snow was not removed
more quickly then than now, and on many
sions the snow was allowed to remain for weeks to-
gether IN the poor quarters. At the present mo-
nent the city employed in removing the snow
IL 900 4, 900 horses and nearly three thousand
carts Already . 250, 900 cubic metres of snow had
been removed the streets. Allusions had also
been made to the way these things were managed
abroad. As regarded Brussels he I'M. Aphand) haN
been there during heavy fall of snow and could
assure the Council that it not removed anything
like so quickly AZ in Paris. Respecting London the
service different from that OF the French capital
The public thoro ghfares were. to speak, ia the
keeping Of the inhabitants who lived in them.
There general organization for the removal
o: the snow. In conclusion. NJ. Alphand contended
that everything possible had been done to clear the
streets aud restore tho public traffic
SEVERE WINTER
rhe authorities ut the Observatory have reason to
believe that the snow will last twenty days. The
Seine is frozen over in parts and at tho Pont st.
Michel this afternoon you might have walked
it on the ice. 1t was hoped that the rise OF the
waters announced yesterday would have carried
away the masses of floating ice, but such has not
been the 1t is needless to add that navigation
the river has been entirely interrupted. aud
most of the comes to Paris by water the price
of that commodity has risen largely within the
last few days Coal, too rs rising but there is no
ground for the alarm hat we snail have no gas.
Sea gulls have appeared i'll some quantity OH tho
Sciae they are invariably the precursors OF rsor-
WINTER This il tho fifth time since the begin
ming OF the century that the Seine has been frozen
Thc st. Martins Market. near tho Chateau
d Eau, fell in last night just before ten O'Clock.
Happily the accident happened ut night, otherwise
it iniht have caused the death OK hundreds OF peo
pie. as u was ohiy one man was scriousiy uJuryu.
The accident appears to have been caused by tho
weight OF the snow on the roof. which became too
heavy tor the walls to support. At Its meeting yes
terday the Municipal Council of Paris voted sum
OF 5OO.0O0f to lie placed at tho disposal of the Bu
du Bienrasance In the twenty ACCOMPLISHMENTS
OF Paris. Inc misery that has been caused by the
persistent cold weather has set people thinking what
bo done with the surplus population. and sew
eral Journals strongly advocating the colonza-
ton of Algeria. There is land enough there. 1t is
true: but IL tue surplus population refuse to &C.
knowledge the fact OF its superiuity what Is to bo
I Il,
all Frcnchmen, the Psrisans the least eager to
saek frps IA IA N nd n res