New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-14
NO ONE TO SAND STREETS.
ICE GL4ZES ASPHALT.
Hit or bliss Lack of System-Dr.
WOOdbury Would Do 1t.

New-York faces another stormy winter with
absolutely no provision for the important public
duty of sanCing the asphalted streets. Already
there have been two days when Fifth and
Madison ayes were almost impossible In places
from the glaze of Ice upon the asphalt. Neither
the laws enacted by the legislature nor the
regulations of the Board of Aldermen assign
the work of sanding to any city department.
and there is no official who can be required to
do the work
In the emergency there Is slpshod way out
OF the difficulty. The Society for the Prevention
OF Cruelty to Animals calls up the Bureau
of Highways and requests the superintendent to
sprinkle send at the most dangerous points.
These requests are granted in the greatest pos
sbe measure. That the burden may not be
too heavy on the Bureau of Highways. the So
cety sometimes makes it's plea to the Street
Cleaning Department Then Commissioners
Woodbury. gathers up a few loads of ashes. or
buys a few tons Of sand. and covers much
slippery street as he can.
For several years attempts have been made
to get street sanding legislation passed at AL
bany but something has always happened to
the bill The city authorities seem united that
the control of sanding should be given to the
Street Cleaning Department, and that the eX-
pense be borne out Of a special budget BAL
10 that effect covering both sanding and sprink-
ing, was DrOuBNI up az Nlle ldSI ScSSIolA VI NiiO
legislature Unfortunately. it contained some
"tokers" In the way Of mandatory increases OF
salary and Mayor Mcclellan forced TO send
word to Albany that he could not sign it.
It was said yesterday on the authority OF one
of the Mayors staff of commissioners that a
new bill being drawn up, and would
be offered after the legislature opened. II
couples street sprinkling in summer and street
sanding in winter, and makes both the duty Of
the Street Cleaning Department. Commissioner
Woodbury., the present head Of that department,
is more than anxious to add these to his other
duties His views on street sprinkling were
fully set forth in The Tribune recently, In the
articles that abated the nuisance of slippery
streets from sprnkling. He considers sanding
of the greatest Importance, and will make every
effort to have the bill passed.
When Tribune reporter set out yesterday
afternoon to find out whom the responsibility
for sanding the streets rested, he referred
by several officials TO the Bureau of Highways.
superintendent George F. Scannell lost no time
denying any official responsibility, saying:
In the cause OF humanity have from time to
time ordered the sanding of certain slippery
asphalt streets, at the request of President
Haines Of the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty TO Animals. Day before yesterday an
officer of the society called me up; he said that
Madison and Fifth ayes. were impossible on
told him that no one had the right to order the
Bureau of Highways sand streets but that
If he wanted to put it in the form of a request
I would see that the matter attended to.
The bureau keeps supply of sand hand
for use in street paving and repair work. The
sand is purchased with the citys money for a
particular puAbOse. and I suppose that my right
to divert il for sanding slippery places might
be questioned. Anyway. I sent out three or four
carts and sanded the most dangerous places.
The chief engineer of the Bureau OF Highways
declared that several dangerous pavements had
been removed since last winter, and pavements
on which the ice sheet did not form substituted
He said that a contract had been let to repave
the most dangerous place in the downtown dis
trict-Liberty-st., from William to Nassau
and that asphalt blocks would replace the sheet
asphalt as soon as the weather would permit
John P. Haines. president of the Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty 70 Animals is most
emphatic in his demands that the legislature
afford the city relief in regard to sanding
He said yesterday 10 Tribune reporter:
The Street Cleaning Department has all Of
the machinery TO do this work properly but IL
is minus the money and authority. The city
should purchase a supply Of hopper wagons to
which automatic spreaders should be attached
These would spread the sand evenly from curb
to curb, and would be much more economical
than the present method of spreading by hand
With one department official responsible
for street sanding there is conflict of authority
and waste of energy. Sometimes II even hap
pens that Street Cleaning Department men will
sweep away the sand spread by the Bureau
OF Highways a my request. This should not be
possible In New-York. hope that all parties
interested will get together in this fight. draw
up comprehensive bill and push it through
the Legislature.
That credit may be given where credit Is due
I want speak of the humanity of the street
railway companies in sanding the tracks Of the
horseCar lines There has been a marked i'm
provement in this regard in the last few years
Generally they sand the tracks of their own
volition, but If they neglect II all we have 10 do
is TO intimate that sanding is advisable.