New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-18
SEVEN INCHES OF SNOW.
NAGLE GETS HIS DESIRED
OPPORTUNITY
SAYS HE WILL HAVE THOUSANDS OF
MEN AT WORK CLEARING STREETS
THIS MORNING TRAFFIC SOME
WHAT HAMPERED.

Depth of snow at mIdnight-About seven
inches.
Weather prediction for to-day-Fair and
colder.
snow shoveIIers at work by n. m. (prom-
thfrty-fve hundred.
Carts hauling snow Cpromisedl-Between
eighteen hundred and two thousand.
The first real snowfall of the winter visited
this city yesterday, and brought with II the de-
sire of PercivaI E. Nage's heart-an oppor-
tunity TO show New Yorkers whether he could
clean the streets or not. BY midnight the snow
was between six and seven inches deep on the
level and still falling. Mr.. Nagle promised
TO have several thousand men and teams at
work the streets by { a. to-day.
Let 1t come" he said. L don't care how deep.
My department cope with it, We are in
splendid shape, and early Sunday morning
Will turn loose army of men and carts upon
the streets, and show New-York what kind Of
street cleaner I am" Being asked how many
men would be included in this army, Mr. NagIe
referred the reporter to his assistants for ali
details.
There was another in this city yesterday
who looked out upon the falling more wst-
fully perhaps than Nagle, almost praying that
II would come down fast and long and not turn
10 rain. That was F. B. Sargent, the general
superintendent Of the Uvalde Asphalt Paving
Company, which holds the contract from the
city for removing the from the streets Of
Manhattan and The Bronx at 30 cents cubic
yard Since November l Mr.. Sargent has had
a staff Of inspectors. time keepers and foremen
under salary ready to begin work at hours
notice, but has not had a chance 10 earn
penny for his employers, Of show what he can
do with the staff which he has organized. He
said:
BY o'clock on Sunday morning confidently ex-
pect to have between -yc9 and 100 men at at @ worA
Sunday is the worst day in the week 10 begin such
out work on their day of rest, but am
offering . cents aa hour to sweepers and shovel
4605 men fhat they win come out when called. All
dav have had NV ii INSPECTORS and foremen out
warning the men TO be ready. and we nave
branch headquarters all over the city, where
shovels enough for all stored; SO that there
soon as Broadway has oeen cleared 70 the polnI
where the gang Just DeloN began, each squad Will
the clearing made by a similar gang on another
fares, it is hoped, will be ready for business on
As to-day is Sunday and the stores along Broad
way will all be closed the street sweepers
nscted with the Department have been ordered to
Broadway Sidewalks before my men clean the
not sEep1 eariv in tis rlsFnine before the snow
s removed % TroEn the ne. street ohe WoTS OF IN eear @
again on Monday
The snow is TO be removed from Fifth-ave this
year. Formerly it has been allowed TO remain,
when deep enough for sleghing but the advent OF
the automobile and the objections Of residents Of
the avenue have caused change in the system.
, y qufnplnE W Places along the me yeriTopts @ OF tne
secured, and will be used for the dumping OF the
snow removed from the streets
IMPORTANT THOROUGHFAREs FIRST.
Central Park TO the Battery the streets leading to
ferries and the wide avenues will De tackled hrst.
Twentythird. Fourteenth and Houston SITS. and
VIII work south. hope to beat all records for
the first days work on any big snowfall There
will be no scandal this year arising out ot delay
tickets. Last year some men were paid as low as
l2ls cents an hour We offer 25 cents and can
thus get the best class Qf labOrers-
Inspector Bradish. of the Street Cleaning De-
partment. said that under the terms of the new
contract with the UvaIde company If it did not
put many to work the streets as he
ordered. 1t could be mulcted by the city 10 the
extent Of 500 an hour Cor every hour Of delay in
so doing and he intended 70 order enough men
out to insure the streets being reasonably ready
for traffic by Monday morning. The Department
does not undertake TO clean all the streets IN
Manhattan even. The great cost OF snow re-
moval makes II practically Impossible 10 re-
move snow from all the streets. Manhattan be-
low Houston-st.. where every thoroughfare is a
busy one, is cleared Of snow everywhere.
Between Houston and Twenty y-third SITS. about
two out Of every three streets are cleaned
Above Twenty-third-st. only One-third OF the
street surface of the borough is cleaned. and in
the sparsely settled regions only avenues and
through streets are touched.
Practically the first fall Of snow this winter
began early yesterday morning. II came down
lightly first, and by noon had reached scarce
ly an inch Of depth. But by o'clock the flakes
began 10 fall in earnest and by go o'clock
there were more than two inches on an aver
age. and in places the drifts stood five or six
inches deep. Open places. like City Hall Park
were completely covered with white and the
park employees began the work of scraping and
sweeping the crosswalks in front of the City
Hall
AIR FULL OF FLYING FLAKES
When the toilers Of the city started for their
homes last evening the ploughs were out
and the air was so thick with flying flakes that
IT was difficult 20 see more than few yards
ahead The city's ordinary force OF street
sweepers was put to work last night keeping the
cutters open and the crossings clean. and clear
ing space about each fire hydrant Fire Com
missioner Scannel sent notices TO the fire engine
houses that additional horses would be supplied
10 them II they were needed.
There were Two views 10 be taken OF Central
Park during the afternoons storm. To some the
Park q desolate waste. with nothing TO re-
lieve the monot0ny but trees denuded of leaves
and fighting the wind. To others, however. the
Park a beautiful picture Of immaculate
white with patches OF silver and interlacings OF