Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-02
THE STREET RAILWAYS.
Superintendent Akarman Says This Beats
Anything in His Experience.

In all my experience in railroadine
I've never experienced such a storm as
this" This statement was uttered by
sUpt. John N. Akarman, of the Consoli-
dated street railway, Monday afternoon.
lust as he had succeeded in getting the
main line of the road open and started
cars making regular trips Mr.. Akarman
arrived at the office early in the morn
ing and Immediately set about doing
What was possible to get some of the
llnes clear, although the prospects at
/ that hour We're not bright All the com
pany's road machines drawn by six
norses each were set at work during the
nlght and were kept going back and
\ forth all night in an endeavor to get the
snow clear of the tracks. The men and
horSes worked heroically, but the task
was beyond their powers. In many
places drifts varying from to 10 feet
IN height were encountered.
Towards daylight the storm let up in
It's fury to some extent, and then the
machines made some impression on the
drifts. That the machines were able to
do this was fortunate for the men who
work in the shops, for without the path
thus made many of them would have
been unable to get to their places of ein-
ployment The fury with which the
until the actual work of clearing the
tracks was commenced. The snow plows
and sweepers were of little use in the
beginning owing to the thickness with
which the snow was packed. This heavy
layer of snow prevented connection be-
tween wheels and tracks, thus insulat-
ing the plows. After a while, when the
tracks had been cleared sufficiently by
the road machines to get start, the
plows and sweepers were sent out and
eventually proved their value
Upon the arrival of superintendent
Akarman at the office he set about get
ting force to clear away the snow. and
\ hired shoyelers and sleds as fast as an
plication was made for EMPLOYMENT.
This force was placed in charge of the
veteran foreman, Tom Fairbrother. and
numbered about 100 sleds. and more than
200 workmen. These We're immediately
set at work upon the main line of the
road from Lincoln square to Webster
square. Work was necessarily slow
owing to the immense quantity of snow
to be cleared away, but by 10 O'Clock the
workmen had succeeded in getting the
east track open. The cars which had
been stalled in the storm for 12 hours
were thus enabled to get into the barn.
Crews from the motormen @and conduc-
tors were made UP and cars were run
back and forth for short stretches to
keep the line open. Occasionally a
sweeper and plow would@be sent out to
clear away any snow that had been
brushed on to the track.
While the work of opening the main
line was being pushed, large gangs were
set at work upon other important lines,
the object being to get at least one track
open. The Union depot was soon access
iil1e by car. and fer a stretch the Quin-
siRannond line was opened. The idea of
opening the other lines could not be en-
tertained. as the snow banks along the
narrow side streets We're piled high. and
the only path for sleighs was in the val
lev of the tracks. Even If the tracks had
heer cleared this constant travel would
have brushed the snow on to the tracks
insulating them and preventing the pas
sage Of the current from the tracks to
the wheels, Consequently until a suffi-
eaent force could be spared to clear away