Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-04
How Italy Clears Away Snow.
ILondon Tiues January 20.


The secretary of the institution OF civil en- yi-
neers SENDS us the copy OF paper by Signor E.
Bgn ami Sormanf, Of Milan. recently published
by the institution, upon snow clearing Ia that
CITY. In Milan the sn0w-cartS are empted into
Inc nav1gahle canals and numerous water
courses by which the city is inUerSected. and
latteriy also into the new sewers IN the central
portions OF the city, which are promptly flushed
whenever it SHOWS DurI0g the winter OF
let9,so the cost OF clearing the 1855 900 square
yaiuS total area OF squares, streets and lanes
within the City walls averaged 900 Ser inch
deptn or snow fallen. and for the SOP $40 square
yards outside the walls the average cost was
so4 per men depth, equivalent In each case
the clearing OF the more freauented sIree es
Is completed within eight or ten hoars after
IL mas stopped showing, and of the rest within
twenty Iour nouTS not reckoning night. The
organization OF the admirable arranramenIS
by which this work is Accomplished with such
remarkable rel ma despatch and efficiency is ascrbed
by the author 10 his predecessor In It's direction
Signor Anibale Gaffdrfni. The city is narcaIe1
out Into small districts, numbering liz for last
winter, or varying extent according to the
Importance or the work in each. Al average
rate OF pay per inch depth OF snow fallen ia
settled for the whole area OF each separate dis
tr1ct, according TO its extent and the particular
conditions affecting the several streets and
Squt res comprised within it. Each district is
allotted TO contractor, who usually associates
with himself six TO ten partners besides the
leborers whom he employs. He has to Ind
carts, horoes and carriers; the necessary impie-
meLtS-spadeS, SloyelS, brCOls. ScTaperS mat
tocks. barrowS &c.-are furnished bt the -ity
under suitable sttDulationS for insulfng proper
care In their use. A copy is given OF The COM
plete form OF contract now employed, COM
priSlng upward OF thirty clauses; the contracts
are made annually and the same persons n.
most always apply for them again year af err
year. The contractors come principally from he
traces that are interrupted by winter-p tyiors
Diick!ayctS and maS0nS and gravel Quarrymen.
FOR the direction and supervision or the work
the whole City IS divided into four sections
over each OF which is appointed an engineer
With an assistant, who are aided in the general
arrangements by the police surveillance Paw
ment Is made only for work effectually done
In each snow storm the depth OF snow fallen
which Is the basis or pay, is ascertalned by
means OF number OF stone posts fixed In suit
able open spaces clear OF shelter from build
1ngs, ana each capped with a nat horizontal
slabor stone. AS soon as 1t stops showing. or
two or three times during a storm OF several
hours, the depth OF snow caught on the slabs
Is measured by the engineer In the presence of
Two OF the contractors In his section. The
NUMBER OF men ordinarily engaged in snow
clearing On a winters day is not less than 2 600
ana has sometimes risen to 900. TIE stock OF
implements found oy the City, representing
capital OF about 81 900, is housed In two stores
IN opposite quarters OF the city. Ia the winter
or 1871 the total fall OF snow amounted to
403i inches, and the whole expenditure for
Clearing IL within the city walls exceeded
IS, 400; while In iSI7-'7S the fall was only 81,
inches, involving an expenditure OF less than
81 ,04G for Slightly larger area Tables are
given Tor the last ten winters showing the
depth or snow that fell in EACH the extent of
area cleared inside and outside the CITY walls
and the cost OF clearing.