The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
roST OF BIG SNOWSTORM.
.rUyES SPENT IN REEPING TIE
1" err STREETS OPEN.
,.,, p,r storm Cost eliO. ooo-Ths Twin
"s..-.,,,.t,on That Attacks the snow-An
-, or Wien and Carts Enplsyea-nu
'.,.,co TO Health or snew Removal

,o .nowstorm is n costly luxury, even for
80 80 rich os New York. 1t takes q lot of
,s..h, foresight, and hard work, and no end
L TO get rid Of II. Maybe 1t isn't exact
w. nroncr thing TO criticisc tho ways OF ma
" hut after hearing the officials Of the De-
Nn,or, NJ street Cleaning talk about the
pIT.m NJ snow removal, one is rather forced
pV"..ol,dc that II would he n fine thing indeed
w. another flake fell on Manhattan Island.
~, only does IL take time and money to get rid
:, ,rov. hut "a fall Of snow is considered very
V.hcaI,hy, Yankee genius cannot stop nature
" h.r vovs. but IL can outwit her; 1t can't pre-
n.at ,bc snow from falling, but IL can get rid
~, In a hurry after 1t does fall, and so folks
pughtn't TO complain
Inc with the title of Snow Inspector Is charged
",, Tho duty OF removing the snow. The
ur,,,nt Inspector il II. :. Stidham, and he has
rr.n with the department n number of years.
NJ stidhaln Is a Cornell man and possesses that
sn..,hinr. or.dic.trying spirit characteristic Of
Corrcll men. with this he fights every storm
,h., comes, and the storm IS usually the worse
NV wear after "A tusslc of u few days. He is
a,-ectly responsible to the Commissioner, and In
,.., many men are responsible to him.
when asked about the method Of removing
,r,v under the present contract system the in.
1nJM u"uN'
sector SAID:
The present system OF getting rid OF a fall Of
,now is the result of n gradual growth. Just
how the department gets at it is an interesting
.nry. Tie average person has a wrong idea
oibe modus operandi. He thinks that just any
man comes along. with any Kind OF cart, goes
,no any street no chooses, shovels up a load of
NOW. carts II down TO a pier. dumps 1t on a
,coy. and comes 20 the department and gets
maid for his pains. That is wrong in every par
ttcular. Before the first furry Of snow comes
IN tse fall. as suon AS the contract for its re-
naval is let to the lowest responsible bidder, a
pcrmanent snow organization is effected.
"Thc city is divided into eleven districts.
Zach district is made a separate and distinct
basis OF operations. Each is presided over by u
district superintendent, who is directly respon-
able TO me, and this superintendent has ALSO
hute authority over the contractors employees
IN the matter Of designating points at which
the work must be prosecuted and the number
OF shovellers and carts to be placed at those
points. Again. each district is divided into
divisions and over each division is q foreman,
who is responsible to his superintendent. These
foremen are usually subordinate officers of the
department. Take the Fourth district, for ex-
ample. 1t extends from Sixth street to Thirty
IuuTl0 slEtGL anu lloh SLAIN hNChuS W III
East River. That district has five divisions in
II, 30 its superintendent has Ave foremen under
him. Each SUP erlntendent has a typewritten
schedule from the Snow Office and every man
under him has his place and is put In it in time
Of storm. and this means much when you re-
member he has entire authority over the con-
tractors men as well as the departments.
so much Tor our organization. Now for the
Contractors. H. has office room with the
snow Inspector and his staff, SO both organiza-
lions are in constant touch. His force is or
gnnized by following the indicated lincs of divi.
zion into districts. with day and night shifts.
After a snowstorm sets in the contractor has
umple time to get his immense organization in
readiness for the Commissioners order to be.
LIN clearing the streets. His subordinates col
Zee. large numbers Of unemployed men at Ger.
tain fixed meeting places and divide them into
LLnSs Of pliers and shovellers. Hundreds OF
owners OF wagons and carts have already been
told at the beginning OF the season where to re.
tort IN tho event OF Il snowstorm, and at any
lime during the WORK OF removal a man with u
vehicle OF the required capacity Ia one-ton coal
tart Is the standard OF Il single load and holds
he aud one.half cubic yards is set Al work i'm.
ihediately upon application. Hundreds Of
curt, pour in from Jersey. Long Island. and up
i'e river every time 1t SHOWS. During the last
zane over driving her cart and said she had
tome 10 cart snow. She was put at work, and
|lth me assistance OF q strapping young
brother hauled eighteen loads to the pier and
Jumped 1t IN the river.
II would be a fine thing If these chronic
hickers who are always complaining about how
The department is cheated in The removal OF
s1ow would bear in mind that the snow contract
! ) one LOT The removal OF snow at a fixed price
by The cubic yard, and that the department des-
i.nates the streets to be cleaned, as-well as the
Hammer aud time OF cleaning. 1t is not a con-
ir.ct per inch,mile per snow fall or per area
.IcaFed, as many think, and 1t Is to the ~contrac.
lT 3 interest rs well ms the city'S- IN FRmnva ma
iIueh snow as possible and with tho utmost
, bSf Last year we paid AZ cents a cubic yard.
As me first scattering flakes OF a storm be-
In 10 fail tho call to arms of the permanent
fhnmV,w oFEanlzatiQn Is given, be. it day or night,
olt Inc order to begin removals not given init
ane snow ceases, unless the storm is seen to be
! neIly one. ] have Il telephone right by my
hei' and II the storm comes on In the night I
ah called W and must hurry to the Snow Office
~ once. Al! my subOrdinates are aroused and
"a' Tepor. al their respective posts Of duty,
Wv; ieIepAohe me are sent in every d.
NM ma anI soon me ice scrdpers, snow ploughs.
"G special sweeping machines are numbering
~, ;" =. "a! department stab!es in various parts
%,t .ne ctty, bound for the important avenues
YTnea they are to open up and keep cleaned.
,hro Iglepnones IN the department stations
saS Vu aSHno tae city and in tho contractors
wv GiueeS III all the surrounding towns. from
- " important, part of the supply of carts
, ~ Tfs"nf are kept buzzing with orders and in
e enle tnn contractors subordinates begin 10
b"o@t tntlr men. and as it Is es'imatod we
naSe oo.oDO~ unemployed In New York 1t is an
IN, matleE tnr them 10 secure one or two
'"'uslld men IN Two or three hours. The con.
a." So' , ylb1rG mates know where TO find work
"I !" longing houses and haunts on the east
III last year hundreds of the Iuen who APP
,."ss., meEe east. s!d5 tallors. and many OF them
~ poor weak things. almost unable to lift a
q ms year most of the men scom to be
, N De out OF, work. Occasionally q college
iinaIWI = refined chap who is in hard luck Is to
a !" ,v y among The shovelIers or pliers. FREE
nm.snr,'s unto;lunalcm men OF comparative refine
,n ~" apply because they must do something,
.Soro " over a period OF starvation. and still
,n M' frequently the shOvellors ana pliers are
81" VINO nave reduced loafng TO u fine art or
,nn w'U una 90 this work Just to make enough
nn mn W carFy on their regular business of doing
,HonnS fihally the signal TO begin 10 tele-
ii'noNO"4oi and the machinery OF both organizu-
worI = Sel III notion. The points at which the
woiAH, % negin are liked and the schedules.
Mar n alc pat into the hands OF the district SUI
.Innehuohts, remain the same for each storm.
div, 49, contractors force Is divided into three
uil.,.. on plIcrS, leaders and cIrtmen. The
snS are sent out first with shOvels and scoops
niles 'ueiF business /. TO heap the snow into big
t pJTes twenty or thirty feet apart. In a short
Lave ,he carts appear and then the shovellers
na an thelr inning, Tor they are kept busy from
ma W 10 the end of the work fIliag the carts,
uu VI cOurse, II is the business OF the cart
in /" ,b 20 lake the snow to the pier and dump /
lcou ~ river Tho snow is not transported on
H. W. aS many think, but dropped right into
-S liver, Is AL clean snow.
nsnn each loading place Is a department fore
is" As o. mhV, after a cart has been loaded proper
IN, sWes 10 he driver "A coupon At the dump
re pier u department foreman rAcaiyaa from