The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-16
LACK GRIT.
No Sand tor
Sidewalks.
WALKING UNSAF {.
Street Department RemiSs
in Its Duty.

the authorities VINO nave charge OF the
condition of streets and sidewalks in
this city to say that they are COM
pletely sandless. In the past, employees
of the street department have had grit
enough to face the dangers of the icy
streets which the citizens have to
travel over and to spread sand on the
glairy pavements when they were in a
condition similar to what they are at
present. This year, however, the price
OF sand has risen or the department
has run out of the article, for not a
single grain of the life-saving earth
has been spread on Worcester's miles
of sidewalks, every inch of which is
like a creased board.
There must be a special providence
that watches over the pedestrians of
this city, or else everybody that has to
travel by the shank's mare route has
developed by practice the sure footed
ness of mountain sheep, for accidents
nave thus far been very infrequent.
rms is nothing for which the street de-
partment can take any credit to itself
however, because the authorities
have done absolutely nothing so far to
prevent accidents happening.
IL is DONG no injustice to anybody to
say that the condition Of the sidewalks
OF this city at present is disgraoeful
innings were getting so that it was
Lalrly safe to walk along the streets a
rev days ago, but the snow fall OF the
Hrst OF the week put things in a worse
condition than before. The snow fall
was too slight, apparently, for many CT
the householders to remove the snow
from their sidewalks, and it was lust
heaVy enough to pack down hard and
make toboggan slide of every brick
ana concrete walk in the city. Unless
any one Is web-footed, or has claws like
a cat, he is in danger of his life from
the time he sets foot out of doors till
ne IS safe inside again. The street de-
partment has no idea that it would be
good thing to have sand on the walks
and the excellent precedent of past
years, When the employees of the city
USED TO come around after every storm
ana thoroughly sand the sidewalks at
the expense of a comparatively few dol
lars, is forgotten
The reason for this doubtless lies in
the present status of the law in regard
10 the removal of snow from the side
walks. In past years it has been the
law that in case of injury to pedes.
TRANS from falling on slippery side.
walks, the injured person could recover
damages by bringing suit against the
city. The law now reads, however. in
such a way that a person injured by
railing on the sidewalk can only re.
cover when he can prove that the side.
walk was defective, in addition to its
snppery condition. Taking advantage
OF this, everybody seems to think thai
nothing should be done to render the
sidewalks safe.
1t is true that according to the city
ordinances, householders are compelled
to remove the snow and ice from theii
sidewalks, and to render them safe fol-
travel by the use of sand or other ma
terial This is defined beyond question
in section 3S, chapter Il, of the city or
dinances, which is as follows: when
ever any sidewalk or footway, or any
part thereof, mentioned in section Sc
abutting on any building, or lot of land
shall be encountered with ice the oc.
cupant, or the owners, agent or person
having charge of such building or lot
shall cause such sidewalk or footway
to be made safe and convenient fol
| travel, so far as it abuts upon suct
lot of land or building, by removing
the ice therefrom, or by covering the
same with sand or other suitable sub
stance"
1t is plain to every one that this or
dinance is not being enforced! The
sidewalks of this city are not covered
with sand or some suitable substance
and they are most decidedly cucumber
ed with ice. According to the ordin-
ance. it is the duty of the householders
| 10 do this, but it also seems that it il
the duty Of some one to see that it is
done. The authorities are cOgnizant Of
the condition of the streets, but they
are taking no steps to have anything
done in the matter, If 1t is not the duty
of the street department to sprinkle
sand on the walks and render them safe
| for travel, it is surely the duty of the
private individual. An order issued Il
| the police to have the ordinance observ-
| ed would be the easiest solution of the
matter, if the street department does
not see fit to attend to the trouble. Nc
matter on whom the responsibility lies
the fact remains that the sidewalk!
Of the city are now in a condition thai
makes it dangerous to travel oVei
them.
When it was possible to recover dam
ages from the city for injuries received
| by falling, the city employees went
about sprinkling sand on the icy places
after every storm, and they did it in
a thorough and efficient manner, too
| but now, since it is impossible to get
any redress for a broken limb or q
| fractured skull, the authorities sit back
and let things take their course, while
the city hospital prepares or ought tc
prepare for a carnival of surgical OPP
erations. The city authorities realize
that every one in the city can break his
neck, if he is unfortunate enough tc
do so, and has practically no chance
| of redress, hence the apathy shown.
The attitude taken on this question
| is just that taken by the street de-
partment all the winter thus far, OF
utter disregard for the rights of the
travelling public. During the snow
blockade, the department spent the
city's money in a series of childish per-
formances that did nothing but excite
smiles from the cynical and curses
from everybody else, and resulted in
the blocking of traffic twice as badly
as was necessary. Now that the snow
problem has solved itself for the time
| being, the question of the icy walks
has succeeded it, and is receiving the
same amount of intelligent treatment
as did its predecessor.
According to the ordinance, it is true
that the street department cannot be
blamed for not placing sand on the
walks, if it chooses to stand strictly
within the limits of its legal privileges
1t is not required to put sand on the
walks; the householders must do that
But it is a fact, or supposed to be one,
| that the street department is in charge
of the streets of this city and respon-
sible for their condition. A street de-
partment is usually supposed to be
charged with the duty of seeing that
the streets and sidewalks of a city are
in such a state that they are safe and
convenient for the use of the citizens of
| the municipality But no one would
ever suppose that the authorities of
Worcester took such a view of the mat
ter. 1t would rather seem that they