Evening star., 1909-09-03

.AutOmoDlle SWeeperS.
Experiments have been made with auto
mobile sweepers and sprinxlers of 15-
horsepower and driven by gasoline, which
have proved slightly more economical
than horse-propelled machines.
The sprinkling of streets is accomplish
ed by means Of handcarts with a capacity
of forty to fifty gallons; by carts pro-
PEELED by horses. with a capacity OF from
go to $50 gallons, and by hose.
House refuse is placed in boxes which
the householders are required to provide,
which are placed on the sidewalks in time
for the early morning collections. The
contents OF the boxes are sorted on the
sidewalks by ragpickers just before the
arrival of the collecting carts. These
ragpickers are an institution in Paris and
are probably the best organized and most
efficient body of unofficial scavengers in
the world.
A few minutes before the collecting
carts arrive. the ragpickers, clad in nom
descript garb and powdered with dust.
appear and with much speed and system
spread q square of burlap or other cloth
upon the sidewalk and tip the refuse can
over upon it, The contents are quickly
overhauled. the gleanings being thrown
into large sacks. The refuse which is of
no use to the picker Is then dumped back
into its original receptacle. the burlap is
taken up and the worker proceeds to the
next house.
When the sacks are full they are taken
to some neighboring side street which
serves as a kind OF central depot. from
which they are later hauled away by
carts drawn by good-looking horses.
The carts for collecting the refuse are
large. high, open. and built, after the
common French custom, with two wheels
and provision for horses harnessed tan
dem. Two or three men accompany each
cart one remaining inside and the others
throwing the receptacles in to him to
overturn and empty. Even here there is
some picking done, desirable matters
being placed In separate bags or baskets
hanging to the outside Of the cart The
refuse is hauled to boats and to depots
on the outskirts Of the city to be burned
or taken to the country to be used as fer
tilizer
How It's Done in Berlin.
Berlin, with an area of about twenty
five square miles and population, in
1905, OF 2.O4O,14S Inhabitants, is the third
largest city in Europe. It is the greatest
manufacturing center on the continent, is
very enterprising and In respect to its
methods OF municipal administration Is
regarded as a model city.
The sanitary regeneration OF Berlin
dates from the purchase of extensive ter
ritory in the environs, in 1861. but it was
not until the advent of the era Of pros
perity which followed the wars of 1861
II and the establishment of Berlin as
the national capital that the admirable
public works and institutions which now
exist and which are practically self
sustaining, were begun. 1t Is said that
the waterworks and gas works more than
pay for themselves and that the sewage
disposal works bring in a considerable
income toward the payment of their oper-
ating expenses. Every department seems
10 be run nearly as we'll as though 1t
were private enterprise, in accordance
with the German idea of municipal ad-
ministrat!on.
Berlin has been made sanitary city
in spite of. and not because of, natural
conditions. Its situation is peculiarly un-
favorable for drainage and a great deal
of pumping in a low. sandy plain
auired to supply, the city with water
and to carry off the sewage. Thu
drinking water is pumped and filterel
and delivered under pressure from con-
siderable distance in the suburbs. The
sewage is collected from different paris
of the city into a dozen central districts
1t is then pumped long distances into the
country, where ii is used to irrigate
farm lands owned by the municipality.
In such works as the construction OF
streets. sewerage and water supply sys-
TENS the German plan is to keep steadily
ahead of the demands SO that the city
may never out2row its sanitary require
meuts. This is in direct contrast y
American practice. and Is the more re-
markable in the case Of Berlin. for, since
its transformation beginning forty years
ago. the city has more than doubled In
population.
Inter den Linden.
The streets Of Berlin are long, straight,
wide. well designed and generally Well
paved. The most famous street is the
Unter den Linden u96 feet widel, the
scene OF the capitals most fashionable
shops, hotels and restaurants.
Berlin makes an energetic effort to
keep It's streets clean. The organization
Is military in type and many of the de-