Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-03
Street Cleaning Force Actively
at Work Today.
BRUSH AND SHOVEL IN USE
Supt.s Wood Hopes to Complete Job
Today.
COST OF THE SERVICE SMALL
Expenditure So Far the Present
Winter Comes Well Within
= the Average.

The white wings and every one else
connected with the street cleaning depart
ment went to work at O'Clock this morn
ing with the intention of giving the city
a thorough cleaning before night
Sum Woods ambition is to sweep the
entire city clean in a single day He says
it has never been accomplished in that
period before. 1t may. not be accomplish
ed today. but the various gangs are work
ing at it tooth and nail. .All the available
wagons are hauling snow. the street
washing machine is belching water with
seemingly redouhled efforts and the brush
and-shovel crew is working under forced
draft.
Effect of Warm Spell.
The warm spell which followed that
cold snap loosened the ice and frozen
snow in great shape for the white wings
to clean up. Any resident of Washington
who has complained that there is too
much slush about the streets will prob
ably be glad to read that Supt. Wood has
complained of it, too, and is after it with
a vengeance.
Thus far this winter the snow and ice
have not cost the city much Congress gave
the District $4,000 last March. of which
not over $4,000 was to be used for equip
ment, such as snowplows. gutter plows
and notwithstanding machines. The
1855 which was used to clean up the
streets after the acknowledgements
March blizzard came from the balance
of the previous year. The District, there
fore. started out with $4,000 for cleaning
fo ho fO
do 1t with. In addition, there was a
small unexpended balance remaining.
Some Of the Expenditures.
The snow Of Christmas morning cost in
the neighborhood of 500 at the time.
There has been spent on machinery some
where in the neighborhood Of $1.061.
Other machinery has been ordered say
thousand dollars worth. so that there
is right now nearly $4,000 to use in
cleaning snow and ice and about $1,000
to be expended on equipment, If neces-
sary.
That shows there is no danger dur
ing the present winter of being caught
with blanket Of snow on the streets
with no money for its removal. The de-
partment believes that six-fOot fall
would be easily taken care of, as far as
money is concerned.
However. if the Senate does not amend
the District appropriation bill as passed
by the House there will be very differ
ent story next year.
What the Bill Provides.
The bill allows the District 5000 for
the cleaning up of snow and ice for the
next fiscal year. 1t costs about $1,000 a
year to open the cutters and clean the
street crossings. according to past rec
ords. 1t is entirely possible that there
will be enough snow early next winter to
call for an expenditure of $1,000, and
another blizzard might settle down upon
the city while Congress is away from
the Capitol on a recess. Supt. Woods
said this morning that the danger of be-
ing visited by a snowstorm when there
would be no money to clean the streets
with is entirely within the bounds of
reason.
The money for equipment is just now
being used in part for the purchase of
some sidwalk cleaners with which the
department is experimenting. They are
machines. ii is claimed. which simply eat
the snow. Mr.. Woods said this morning
that with twenty -four of them he would
figure on opening up every sidewalk in
the city within four or five hours after
he set the men to work.
capacity of the Machine.
The machines clean on the SIDEWALKS,
pass to the curb. sweep the crossing
clean, mount the other curb and 60 on
down the block as easy as if they were
endowed with human legs.
To keep the jobs in the street cleaning
department at a premium, the clerks
have arranged SO that there shall be no
delay, practically, in the paying out of
snow money. There has been a time
when the necessary clerical work delayed
the pay three days or more. Now the
clerks get right to work on the pay rolls
and stay at them until they are finished.
The consequence is that when man
quits or the snow has been removed the
laboring gang is paid off almost imme-
diately.