New-York tribune., 1879-12-24
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
srprrrs NEARLY IMpAssABLE.

STREETS NEARLY lMPASSABl4E.
GREAT prncxApn or STREET CARS AND OTHER
vrurcIrs-arroRis or THE sIRcETcLEANINe
BUREAU.
II would be difficult TO imagine The streets OF TINS
.;,v in very much worse condition than at the
nresent time The snow was partly melted yester-
tlay and the consequence was that IN nearly All tue
streets there were from four TO six inches oi suSh'
through which the pedestrian who wished TO cross
was compelled to pick his way as best he couiu'
The result was sometimes anything bus pleasant
young man who gingerly stepping across
PaTk-row. near Ann-st., slipped on Que of the car
tracks and falling almost entirely disappeared be-
meath the muddy mass Of slush which covered the
street As he gathered himself up. with the fqud
mass streaming from his face and clothing, 1t would
he difficult to conceive q more woe-begone lnui-
vidua
Broadway was the only street in which an atten'p'
had been made 10 clean away the snow lhe s.'ee'S
running parallel with this great artery ana inc
cross streets were therefore. IN very bad conu'o'
and the consequence that blockaces were ire
ournt on Broadway frcm Wall-st 10 Cana i-st. uur
ing mos; of the afternoon. From noon nnt'i nearly
O'clock the continuous stream of venleles Wa P 80
great TO be almost cn,lrey beyond ,he I7 :"
the police stationed at the Va 1ous CROSSINGS roI
two hours Churca-st. and West Broadway were
lined at intervals with long lines OF street-carrs,
while the crowded nature of the streets Oh eac sue
of the rails rendered NJ impossible In many instances
for the draws TO draw up in front of the warehouses
from which goods were 10 be conveyed. ~.
The same condition of things existed IN rultoh
Wall and Cortlandt sts aud 10 a limited extent III
tbo cross streets further down town. The streets
along the river fronts and ADJOINING. espec''v N
the vicinity of the steamship lines, were limmed
with vehicles the entire day ana Wen INTO tne
evening. Here the streets were IN worse eondl-
ton than elsewhere. There had Deen no euolt
made to clean them fOr some time before
the uov-fall. and as consequence IheS
were excessively dirty The snow was grounnu
L.. q tns.v NlIl1
lug snow draiune from the more elevated streets
above in places made small lakes along West 9nu
Front-sts.. aud the thrOngs who were competed 10
them toreach the various ferries iOuhH II any
thing but pleasant wading. The throng OF Vehi-
cles added to the difficulty, and at times even ihade
Capiain Williams on Monday evening began the
work OF removing the snow from Broadway. Inc
diniculty of procuring the necessary number of
horses and carts short notice prevented accom-
pllshing as much as was expected. Inc work was
prosecuted up 10 o'clock a. III. Then the cartmen
who had to make the rounds Yesterday to collect
ashes and garbage were excused unsu 4,
O'Clock "A. u. Ana these SOmprlseu tno
greater number Of those employed. Never
theless. 202i loads OF snow We're remover.
These were taken from broadway, between the
South Ferry and Seyenteenth-st. Very lew OF tbe
blocks were entirely cleared Of SNOW Iut there was
n wide roadway cleaned in the centre OF the street
the entire distance, and the snow lett on the slues
was not sufficient TO cause serious inconvenience.
Ii was promised by Captain Nilllams that tnis
should be entirely taken away during last nlght
Captain Williams hoped to have Broadway cleaned
to IWenty-tLlrd-St. Dy tniS morning. III ~ GU
gagged employing men with horses ami carts ali day
Yesterday lie viii also endeavor to have tine snow
,emoyet from Fulton, Chambers and CortlaudI-Sts
aud afterwar turn his attention TO some OF the
oiher streets and avenues. -
One of the proprie;Ors of the Fifth Avenue Stage
Line called at the Street Cleaning Bureau ana
stated that lac wished to employ large number oi
men with carts to remove the snow from tllth-9Ve.
IL he could procure a sufficient NUMBER thc stage
company proposed TO remove the snow IRON that
avenue from Fourteenth-st. 10 forty-second-st.
There is the same difficulty In disposlng Ot the suOw
as of the street dirt. The Dock Connlssioneis pro-
tested against the being dumped INTO the SIPS
on the ground that 1t contains so much drt' Ineie
were very few piers which could be used Tor this
purpose too, because being leased tney are
private property. The cOnsequrnce was that
The street cleaners were Obliged yesterday. 10
use their dumps at the foot of Laight anu west
Twelfth-sts North River. and at the foot OF Jack
son Fifth Seventeenth and Ihrty-eghth-sts,
East River What Is feared ut the present Time as
change of temperature. cold snap would make
the slush mass of ice, and this would have TO DE
removed, if at all, by the pick-a slow and costly
process.
The Board of Police, in executive session yester-
day decided To renew Its application to the Boaru
of Estimate aud Apportonment to allow the sum
of S135 900 for the purchase of twenty new scoWs
two steam tugs, thirty additional horses carts
and the necessary harness. and ten new sweeping
machines The amount asked for street-ceahlhg
proper Is $3.50 600. and Si0 600 for removing snow
and ice which, with the $135,0O0 additional
makes total of Ss25 900.
Commissioner NOOrhis is anxious that this amount
shall be appropriated. the ground of economy
There are now twenty scOws hired from private
for each scow. New can be built Tor Sl,OuO
each The amount paid for these hired scows IN
1879 is about S37, 900 For the hire of tugs there
was paid over $40, 1000. With proper tugs and
seows the task of removing the street sweepings
and refuse would be much simphhed.
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