New-York tribune., 1910-01-15
SNOW ARMY DESERTS.
Pay from Last Storm Brings
Depletion of Ranks.

While New York's streets were being
buried under the snowdrifts more than
three thousand men deserted from the
emergency army of the Street Cleaning
Department yesterday. The men were
among the eight thousand shovellers who
were paid for their work during the last
storm, and when the paymaster had fin
ished his work there was a general re-
treat from the snow piles along the prin-
cipal streets of the city.
With the depletion of the ranks of the
snow fighters more than half of the trucks
employed to cart the piles of snow from
the streets 10 the river fronts We're put
out of business, and the actual work OF
clearing the streets will not be properly
under way until this morning is wei!
along.
Despite the lack of men and trucks A. +.
Gunther. chief superintendent of snow
removal under Commissioner Edwards,
was. able to clear the main arteries Of
traffic last night.
Broadway was aanked with great piles OF
STOW which will be removed to-day in the
upper districts, while several hundred men
tackled the lower district frem Vesey street
to West I'd street. The lower section will
be cleared, off by the railroad company,
which also has had several hundred men
at work clearing several avenues in con-
nection with the snow removal agreement.
Commissioner Edwards took personal
charge of the snow removal throughout
the city when the storm broke early yes
terday morning. He ordered the employ
ment of every available man, and while
hundreds refused to leave the Bowery Iodg-
ing houses yesterday it is expected that
more than twelve thousand men will be in
the streets to-day.
The experience gained in the last snow
storm prepared the officials of the Street
Cleaning Department for the present snow
fall. Squads of men were ordered to Fifth
avenue. Lafayette street, the streets In the
lower part Of the city and the principal
congested avenues of the East Side. At
o'clock last night the snow had been
banked" temporarily to allow some sort of
traffic through these sections.
When the most important part of the
snow removal was under way, Commits
sioner Edwards and his superintendents
tested the sewer system of clearing the
streets. The big sewer at 18th stree,
was selected for the experiment, which
showed that the city. through the use of
its big sewers, could save S1.35 per load of
snow. A manhole was opened at Eighth
avenue. near 18th street, in which
the thermometer registered So degrees OF
heat. Then a full load of snow was poured
into the sewer. In less than one minute
the pile had been reduced to water.
The experiment proved the sewer system
10 have great possibilities, and further tests
will be made this morning. Officials from
the Department OF Public Works refused to
allow the use of the 18th street sewer for
further tests yesterday. 1t Is in this dis
trict that the Street Cleaning Department
has had the most trouble in disposing of the
snow.
With a haulage OF more than two miles
it has been almost impossible to get carts
for the removal OF snow from the shopping
district, which borders on the 18th street
sewer The only available docks are at
West 10th street and West 30th street