The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-23
CLEANING STREETS BY WATER
HIGH PRESSURE FLUSHING PLAN
TRIED on TEE Plaza.

seyt' - &1~ s@a@ NNsIA
OF n. but Commissioner Beosel FINDS
Some mart Left-R1rh Aveuus Gets .
soaking. Too-ro Tackle west street.
Commissioner Bensel OF the Street Clean-
ing Department he'd an exhibition on the
plaza last night, with Deputy Bill Edwards
a. chief marshal. IL was the first trial Of
q proposed method Of cleaning the streets
by water.
About 0 o'clock some forty white wings
solemnly took up a position on the plaza.
Shortly afterward Deputy COMMISSIONS
ward footed up In an automobile and
got things in readiness. Guests Of the
Hotel Savoy and the New Netherlands
and members OF the Metropolitan Club
gathered on the balconies to see what
was coming of.
Deputy Edwards led the way 70 a dark
corner OF the park. where a queer looking
machine was drawn up. 1t was a cast
iron water wagon. but at first sight it looks
like n Of the Great Lakes whalebacks.
The wagon is the invention OF Harry s.
Dewey. president Of the Atlantic Street
Flushing Company.
According to Mr.. Edwards the wagon
exhibited last night weighed $500 pounds
and had a water capacity of $50 gallons.
In the front is an air tank which has a pres
sure OF IS pounds and the air pressure
forces the water out at the rear in two
strong streams which spread fanlike for
a distance of ten feet on each side. Mr..
Dewey asserts that the wagon will do away
with the necessity for hand labor in clean
ing the streets.
After the wagon and it's workings had
been fully explained TO the newspaper men
Deputy Commissioner Edwards took an
extra hitch on his trousers and led the way
out into the plaza. Commissioner Bensel
had not yet arrived. so it was determined
to hold a rehearsal.
First several horse sweepers were sent
on a trot over the asphalted plaza in an i'm
posing array. Then the water wagon got
busy.
With a loud swish the water poured from
one Of the hushers in the rear and IL was
feared that Deputy Edwards had been
swept away, but both he and the Sherman
statue were intact. After the wagon had
sone up n down the plaza it was shown
that IL had cleaned away the surface dirt
neatly and piled IL up on each side OF the
plaza. Then the white wings gathered it
up.
Commissioner Bensel arrived after the
wagons first trial.
W are merely making an experiment.
he said. The whole idea is 10 find some
method OF cleaning the streets more thor
odghly and with the use Of mechanical
apparatus rather than by hand. II this
flushing wagon proves a success the city
could save a great Ceal OF money on hose
and many other things After the traffic
of the day was finished fifty or sixty OF
these wagons could be sent out n clean
the streets more thoroughly and in less
time han ia done at present"
The street sweepers were then sent down
Fifth avenue from Fifty-eighth street and
the wagon started in to clean up Fifth
avenue. the idea being 10 stay on the job
until morning. After COMMISSIONS Bensel
had followed the water wagon for some
distance and seen its working he and Deputy
Edwards went back over part of the avenue
and ran their hands along the asphalt.
There was some dirt left.
Il can't say just yet said the Commits
sioner, that | am entirely satisfied. In
the first place the capacity of this wagon
is not great enough, as it has TO he filed
every two blocks. IL is unquestionahiy a
great improvement on the old sprinkler.
however. Wednesday night we are going
TO test the wagon on West street, which
will be a more severe test"