Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-13
THE SNOW SToRtI.
A Time Wbsn City Snow Flows Would
 Be Appreciated.

The snow storm which set in yester | day knocked out some kinds of out of door operations, but it gave the busi- ness of snow shoveling quite a boom. Up to II o'clock to-day eighteen inches of the white flakes had fallen. The whole town was out cleaning side walks. but their efforts did not amount to much. for tue paths filled in almost as fast as they were opened. The schedule on the trolley cars was dis carded altogether and they came in and went at any old time. People who were in hurry tumbled through the drifts, but folks who could spare the time took the cars and amused. them selves as best they could until they finally rounded up in Exchange place. While nobody could say much for the speed of the coaches he would be a critic of the worst sort that could note tie efforts of Superintendent Wales and his assistants to accommodate the public and not offer word of praise. The snow blows were out and big force Of men delVed into the drifts and tossed them into cars and carted them away; but even at that the service didn't amount to much. but it was the best the company could give and peo- Die appeared to appreciate that and as result few found fault, although many felt, somewhat disappointed when they had to step out of the nice cars and try their luck on foot.
 The. railroad trains were late. but considering the severity Of the storm I the service was not bad on the steam roads. The down trains came near making time, but the ones coming in from down the road were anywnere from half an, hour to an hour late
 xoTsy sIiTnnrxy &a11eA- T1fNn0S and the city will be fortunate if it does not have some suits for damages from people who came down on coal chutes and iron hatchWays. The smooth coverings over coal holes ill the sidewalks were the worst things pedes- trians had to encounter. Very few of them are covered with anything to pre- vent one from slipping on them, as the ordinance relating to that matter re- quires, and as soon as q foot touched them away it went, and all that was attached to the foot followed 1t with frightful rapfdity, and it isn't neces- sary to print what they say about ev- everybody aud the city officials in par ticular when they regained their feet and learned the cause of their sudden collapse. These smooth caps should be covered with old bags or rubber, especially during the winteT snOnths. The law says they shall be. and even though there never was law passed on such question it would seem that a due regard for the safety of life and limb would suggest the pfopriety of securing them So that they would not be menace to public travel.
 People tried hard to keep the walks clear, but such a thing was out of the question. It is great pity that city officials cannot be convinced of the great beneflt of the use of a few snow blows on such occasions as this. Near ly everybody admits that they arc good things, but for some reason or other the authorities don't take much stock in them. The city should have had a dozen of them out bright and early this morning. They would have saved large sums in wages to factory hands. who found it practically impossible to get 10 the factories and stores. women especially, who could hardly be expect- ed to push their way through over 4E foot of snow and then sit ad0WBI to work with wet feet. They would .n0as cost much and the service would lHf greatly appreciated in all parts of the town. It would be practically all many receive in the rounds of the year in return for what their share of thA million dollars which the aldermen {. and as everybody will have to help make up the sum total the comfort and convenience of all should be consld- cred in the disposition made of it. It is not fair to compel people to pay for public Improvements and then force them to do a large share of it them. selves. A few hundred dollars ex- pended opening lip the avenues to the several places of employment when 3 big snow storm comes up would he well spent money, and because people manage to get along without the ser- vice is no reason why it should not ba rendered. At the meeting of the alders men last night Chairman Blakeslee gave short talk on the splendid bust ness capacity of the men connecteA with the present city administration. which was all good enough in it's own way. but it is safe to predict that the distinguished fnanciers and business men on whom MT Blakeslee bestowed so much praise lost more to the tax payers by letting the sewage disposal plant get into the courts than would
 pay for caFtfng off all the snow that will fall on the walks for the next ten years and dumping it into the Nauga- tuck river. And, by the way, if MT BlakesIee and his board of aldermen do not get move on them these same financiers and business men will soon be In q position to tell the city that it
 must cease making dumping place for snow of the Naugaruck river. so
 that prabably it was on account of their keen insight into what pertains to their own personal affairs and not because of their sound judgment on municipal matters that prompted the
 chairman of the board of aldermen to
 hold them up as paragons in finance
 and business engineering.
 The Baldwin street trolley was
 stalled at ScoviIl's bridge about. 8
 o'clock. and had not been relieved at
 noon. This caused an all around kick,
 but there being no relief at hand peo-
 pie managed to get along without the