New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-15
WASHING SNOW AWAY
WATER. Sun, roc COMBINE
Good Progress Made in Cleaning
Cify-H0usehoIders at Fault.

Having obtained permission 81 the Water De
pRrtment 10 use all the water necessary Commits
tioner Craven Of tho Street Cleaning Department
started large force % mon flushing the streets
early yesterday morning. The work viii be con-
tinued untl MI the streets are ia good shape. SO
anxious the COMMISSIONS TO improve the con-
oitions that the flushing gangs worked all day.
causing complaints H. some cases from pedestrians
and drivers whose progress was interfe7ed with.
sad Office OF the department, how
aey could not be sure that the temper
Hture would not drop Al night so that the use q
water would be impossible
What the rain and fog did not do on Wednesday
done by tie snow contractors yesterday IN
getting rid o. the that fen n the last storm.
The contractors stin wrestling with the Ice
thai holds what remains of previous fails. It was
said yesterday that ali the scheduled streets above
18th street would be freed from snow and ice by
this afternoon ana that sunday night would see
the entire schedule completed.
The department has a hard Job its hands TO
get tho accumulations OF snow and Ice out Of some
Of the side streets not the schedule. The ice IS
sixteen inches thick on the level in some places,
and there many solid piles Of ice ana snow
rising 10 n height Of six feet or
Conditions are exceedingly bad in many Of the
residential streets not the schedule
through the failure Of the householders obey the
law about keeping their cutters open. Instead
they have heaped the from the sidewalks
right over the cutters This has caused much
but the heavy thaw or Wednesday. with no outlet
for the water. caused some OF the streets turn
into lakes. which overlooked onto sidewalks and
van into areaways and coal holes in some cases.
The Street Cleaning Department does not feel
that II IS all responsible fer this condition. but
at the same time viii break OUT these cutters
and relieve these streets just soos possible
Seven hundred emergency men are assisting the
regular in the department in breaking and pill
Eng the fee.
Fire Commissioner Lasltry had the mer in the
various engine houses throughout city oper all
the hydrants in the vicinity yesterday, which helped
the Street Cleaning Department in its work Of
flushing the streets.
That Conliaiasioner Craven is not so callous 10
criticism some people would have the public be-
1eve is shown by the fact that he has been gath
ering statistics show that the increase in the
0umner OF deaths from pneumonia TINS year rs not
confined 10 this city Last week an article was
printed showing that there had been a marked in.
crease in the death rate here IN The months of
January ana February over the same months IN
1905 This attributed in the article 10 the un-
usually had condition Of the streets. Commission
er Craven at once wrote 10 the health departments
OF dozen more cities Replies received from
Albany, Boston. Buffalo, Chicago. Cincinnati
Cleveland and Rochester all show a marked in
crease IN the number Of deaths from pneumonia
IN January and February Of this year over the
same months last year. except in the single case
Of Cincinnati. Here there was a marked de-
crease. for explained
IT matter Of interest 10 me said Com
missioner Craven, speaking of the figures he had
collected, to whether the increased death rate
from pneumonia hero was local and perhaps due. as
stated by some, 20 the condition Of the streets.
cities. and find That they have had even larger
increases IN deaths from pneumonia