New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-29
SC1CENGER PARALYSIS.

| Douht'css the condition OF our streets might
he worse than it now is. but doubtless IT never
was. Tie palalysi, Of Mr. BrcnnanS depart
mcut seems to bc complete. The faculty OF
| memory is trcachcrouS. but when some TWO
| million persons rccocct the same thing they
| are likely TO be pretty close TO tho fact. The
| inhabitants Of Now-YCk. fixed and Heating,
number nearly two millions and all the tcsti-
monv available shows that they are agreed upon
| these two points that vast mass OF con-
| glomcratc filth was never before impartially
distributed throughout this city, and that so
complete an Abandonment OF activity by the
street Cleaning Depart ment was never before
known. That is the giN OF all conversation
ON the subject Of all newspaper reports. and
rrac. ically Of all official declarations For the
superintendent and his assistants do not vent
IRE to deny that the situation Is what 1t Is
plainly seen t. be. They are aware that 1T
would be perfectly ridiculous 70 blink the facts
and therefore they contnc themselves to ex-
planationS and excuses.
VIVA; does their attempted justification
amount to? II is true that FOR several days
their difficulties were unusual and numerous.
\ continuously low temperature filled the rivers
and the bay with ice, and at the Same timo
heavy precipitation filed the streets with snow.
~covs wee frozen in at thor mootln@s, ana
if they could have been liberated they could
not have been sent 10 sea ana the white
hl1nkct- oiiginally white-whch covered the
city was too big and heavy To be carried of
auicl,ly bv all the mon and carts that we're
rr,curablc For just about one week. we should
say. Mr. Brennan was comparatively helpless.
IL, 4. IN a
FIVE da,, he ha, been waiting with altogether
too much complacenCy for something TO turn
up instead Of turning something up himself.
We suppose that the something to which he
Ia, been cheorfullY locking forward with hope
md confidence j. an oldfashioncd January
fhaw He has imagined 4 flood Of warm rain
Gc.ccnding and washing the city clean without
expense Of money or toll Ia his department.
Many of his >c)ws WIRE released days ago from
the icn which held them. and the rivers and
bay have been easily navgabc for At least
week. Bat the pr, >pcct Of bcncdcton from
tho clouds was too alluiing. 20 little human
effort has boon expended on the streets during
This time that its effects are net diSccfnihlc
cvccrt in small spots here and there. The
glcat majority or citizens attend 10 their vari-
uus pursuits by day and night without cncoun-
toling Il single Sign Of activity on tho part of
the sup rintcndcnt and his mon The sun has
considerably diminished the bulk Of filth. but
in the process has concentrated its vilcsi Gle
men> into an unspoakaby offensive and poison
ous stow. If mankind were disease proof the
streets Of NowY York would impose on tho COM
muniiy an un>ghtly. Stcnchful and costly bur
den which it would he hard 10 bear; but tho
Il. { n
breeding in the filth makes the misery and the
shame of the situation insupportablc.
The implication OF the Supcrntcndcnt's ey-
.uscs j. tha, the conditions are unprecedented
70 they are. but not in the way he means.
They are unprc cdeltcd in this particular, that
no other chief oe the street cleaning force ever
had 80 much money. 80 many facilities and 80
good law 10 work WITH There have been
heavy SHOWS and low temperatures before. and
he ob.tac!cs which they have imposed have
hccn far moIc vigorously and successfully at
tucked with far inferior resources under other
administrations. That is the practical con-
c,usi'n Of the conference held on Thursday, and
hat is Tho conyic ion OF the whole community.
II is to BE- expected that Mr.. Brennan will now
make an energetic effort. and that with the
help Of nature he will accomplish a good deal
l,ut he will do we'll in that case, to refrain
from pointing with pride to the result Of his
abcls. They will not obscure the fact that
for many days the city was in disgraccfu
condition owing in grca. measure to the in
efficiency Of his department.
There is ono lesson 10 be learned from this
experience which il thoroughly committed may
be worth its cost. namely the absurdity OF \
system which makes the ocean in theory. but
in reality also the rivers, bay and coasts the
lc"crtacle OF a great citvs refuse