Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-11
Street Sweeping by Hand.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
/ was glad to see a notice in The STAR Of the
experiment of the District Commissioners to
keep Pennsylvania avenue cleaner than it
is ordinarily by using brooms to sweep it
during the day. That this praiseworthy eff
OFT may prove a success. it VIII be neces-
sary to adopt a systematic plan for the
operators That will be necessary both in
the interest of economy and of perfect work.
By a carefully and well-executed plan | do not
doubt that any land all asphalted street Tor
streets can be kept in much better conditian
than they have hitherto been; also, if not at
smaller expense at auexpense not much in ex-
cess of the present machine broom sweeping
Forty or more years ago the only street clean
ing that l saw or heard OF in London, Paris and
Naples was done day and night by hand sweep
ing mot pushing brooms), shoyels and hand
push carts" Everything was removed
by this means. Droppings Of horses.
dirt from carts that was spilled in passing and
all other litter was removed continuously. To
do this work effectually and economically the
distances for gangs should be determined and
each gang confined witbin the assigned limit
For example. one man with a good stiff corn
broom, or a hickory split broom mot pushing
broom. but one to sweep with as We sweep our
floors and halls, with another man provided
with push cart and an iron or wooden shovel,
should be required to take one side OF. say,
Pennsylvania avenue from 18th street down
past the treasury Department TO the junction
Of 18th street and Pennsylvania avenue. and
then returning up the avenue on the opposite
side TO 18th street. This should be continuous
during the entire day except during meal
hours. The push cart man could stop where
ever there Was found any droppings or other
htter-the broom man would Use his broom to
put the hitter together and the push cart man
would shovel II itsAo the cart The entire
length of the street should be divided, giving
one carr, one shovel, one broom and two
men 10 not less than three squares on
Pennsylvania avenue, and larger number
OF squares on most avenues and streets.
IL Is improbable that more street cieanings
than would I'LL one hand cart would be col
leeted IN q day in u section but there should be
place of deposit near by each section, from
which horse carts or wagons should, at the
close OF the day. work, remove il TO its per-
manent place of deposit There are also other
isbor-saying devices by which economy can be
increased-such as having in the push Carts
movable boxes by which they could be emptied
by hftiug and capsizing them into the horse
cart or receptacle in place of shoveling from
one cart to another. Saving in this way the
hire OF horses where hand carts are used and
dispensing altoge her with the present mode of
machine street sweeping (Which does not
efectuSIly clean the streets, the EXPENSE OF
hand sweeping ana shoveling ought not to coat
more. II lnGeed as much, than the three or four
Tour morse teams and drivers now employed.
In the hand broom, shovel and hand carts
plan n strict supervision OF the men EN-
ployed will be necessary to see that they
do not slight their work. They mus. be con-
stantiy on the move; al! droppings quickly
shoyelsd into the hand carts and accumula,aa
dust collected by sweeping for the shovel ar d
hand cartman. These suggestions age the re-
suit of what has been observed in Great
Britain and on the continent of Europe II
they do any good toward cleaner streets (that
Is less dust when the wind blows) and save ex-
pense my object will have been fully accom-
plished- TlAvxIxl.