New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-27
TACKLES THE SNOW
BIG BILL" At WORK.
Street Cleaning Commissioner
Plans a Quick RemOCGl.


Whenever anybody says Merry Christ
mas 70 Big BIZ" Edwards after this
hen think OF yesterday and the day be
so7e and then grin
His Merry Christmas got well started
late Christmas Day afternoon, ran through
without = break until ! O'Clock yesterday
morning and then. after five-hour stretch
of sleep on his part. It was renawsd at
clock yesterday morning and kept going
uD : clock yesterday afternoon
In his capacity OF Commissioner OF street
Cleaning he kept regular department
force OF s.7ao men and S.e.o emergency la
borers going from O'Clock in the morn
fuE until in the afternoon yesterday. and
then stared another emergency force Of
about 500 night workers 10 cleaning up
the snow In downtown New York
-Ie il does not turn too cold and harden
rhe snow he said late yesterday. well
rave II pretty well cleaned UP in three
DAYS
From the afternoon Of Christmas Day
until ! o'clock yesterday morning Commits
Eioner Edwards. with Inspector A 2. Gun
the-. in charge Of the snow removal Of
nee. managed 10 get in connection with
several hundred excavating contractors,
and with fervent appeals 10 them and TO
employment agencies. landed an extra
force OF 800 men on the Job OF snow re-
-loval as soon as II was practicable 10
start H.
ROUNDING Up OF TRUCKS
-Four hundred extra -rucks resulted from
the Commissioner preliminary work and
10 those were added the so cars Of the de-
psrment
Large team owners complained yester-
day that the holiday. followed by Sunday,
made il extra difficult for them 10 get
their men on the Job. and this morning
commissioner Edwards says he viii be
sble TO operate between i've and six thou
sand trucks.
Forty plouEhs were busy in Manhattan
early Yesterday. and 10 these there We're
added fourteen more for the use Of the
light shift The extra fourteen were
available by reason Of q centre rush by
Deputy COMMISSIONS James J. Hogan.
,sho produced them last night after
playful session with the doors of q lighter
some where around the foot Of East goth
street
Hogan wasn't saying anything about
them but At the snow removal ONCE OF
the department II was said that those
fourteen ploughs had been previously or
dered from another city and. according 70
he advices received from the railroad
company. they were held n the lighter at
The foot Of East goth street
The Forty pIoughs used yesterday we're
Of new model, which was as much of sn
emergency affair as the whole work Of
Commissioner Edwards's department yes
-e-dav Road sweeping and grading ma
chimes were improved by the substitution
n q steel scraper for the ordinary broom
c~ mould board" and as the steel scraper
vas set al q slant and could be adjusted
either n CT out, II served the purpose Of
plough and showed the snow 70 one side
c- The other, where il could be piled up by
me laborers-
ExTRA PAY FOR SUNDAY WORK.
The emergency Iaborers used yesterday,
together with the regular men Of the de-
rartnerr who we're called cut viii get
twenty-five cents an hour for the Sunday
FORK. and to-day the regular department
men VIII get their regular pay. Extra
trucks brought their owners thirty cents
= cubic yard Tor all snov removed.
we want all the men we can get" said
Commissions Edwards YESTERDAY. and
any one that applies and can handle
ehovs1 will be hired or the spot"
The commissioner and Deputy Jim Ho-
gan put in the entire day yesterday in their
automobiles. keeping IL touch with the
pork. and urging every laborer 10 quick
uorA.
Tie emergency ploughs, ulade-over sweep
er. ana graders as they were. made posi-
HE another innovation when II was seen
-hat the streets that we're scraped could
be eauded IL the same time. Broadway,
--cm Columbus Circle south. Fifth avenue,
PARK Row 20 the Brooklyn Bridge and al
-e~-~ and r~ehouse streets were treated
thar wav yesterday, and the night work IN
he downtown district also was sanded
after sc-apinE-
P-bHc letting q snow removal contracts
haA been held I'd til December 81, but Com
EriEsfoner Edwards figured yesterday that
with The three-day emergency contracts
allowed by the charter ~ can get from 300
20 500 trucks and close 10 1000 laborers
IN die 100 today, and so MAKE a practical
-rear-I7 OF the storm inside the three-day
Emit. r The weather man wiI call ii on
ee u stands nov.