New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-08
Loading the cart.
Ash Wagon Built by Convlcts
Works Well in City Tests.

Gales may nloN ana w ilte w Mss H'"'
dump their ashcans but if the hopes of
Commissioner Edwards OF the Street
Cleaning Department are fulfilled there
will be no dust flying about TO pima the
ewes of passersby. For Big Bill yester-
dav gave a demonstration of ne" col
Letting cart which he believes Will gather
in all the ashes without letting single
bit go flying down the wind to sung ihe
taxpayers eyes and make them ferVentiy
wish they lived somewhere in SpoteSS
Town where ashes and White Wings anc
all other little discomforts OF DIG CITY
were never heard Of
The demonstration began yesterday Al
51th street and Fifth avenue and ehdeu
when the big machine dumped It's LOAD OF.
the dumping grounds at 10th street ana
the East River. Although IT has ca
pacity Of five times the carts now in use
It's load was gathered in this distance
without letting a single binding gram
escane IN This respect II tdSes after the
place where it was invented. for II was
devised and built In Sing sing prison py
some Of the inmates there.
The secret of IT all lies In the ten ooors'
four on each side and two at the rear
through which tho ashes are emp''e"
from the cans into the body OF the cart
These doors are so devised that, regard
less Of the direction from which the "ind
is blowing they swallow the ashes from
tho cans so sreedily that not hit
escapes The side doors are SO hinged
together that one or all OF them can be
opened at a time 10 accommodate any
sized receptacle.
Easier for White Wings.
The new cart is OF the automobile type
constructed Of steel. and fitted with a
dustproof cover. which also confines All
odors during the transportation OF the
load TO the dumping grounds
When the dumping grounds are reached
the load is discharged automatically by a
mechanism which the operator works
from his seat. raising the front end OF
the body to vertical position and az
the same time throwing open the two
rear doors.
In addition to being humane to the
passing public. the new cart is much
easier on the white wings than the pres
ent make Of carts. At present IT IS a lift
Of SIX feet before a can is dumped over
the edge Of the cart. In the new type tn"
lift is only four feet and a half-a dif-
ference Of eighteen inches at the point
above mans shoulders, where the strain
is heaviest on the workers. In the past
the street cleaners have suffered from
many strains and ruptures from the hard
lifts they had TO make, but the new de-
vice eliminates this.
Another feature for the protection Of the
worker Is a safety clutch. which locks
the body OF the cart when It is being
raised to discharge It's load. so that there
is no chance Of it's falling This part OF
the operation Is also done expeditiously
consuming only "A minute and a half in
the tests OF yesterday. Inspector Butler
in charge OF the tests. said the mechan-
ism could be so arranged as 10 take only
a third OF this time
Built by convicts.
The new cart was designed and con-
structed by convcts at Sing Sing under
the tutelage Of instructors Not one OF the
men who worked on the building and re-
building Of IL ever had any experience az
machnist. but they grew 50 engrossed
with their problem that they worked at
night in their cells on the plans, evolving
many useful suggestions as to details.
The carts VIII cost about 5000 each,
many times the cost OF the present vehi-
cles Commissioner Edwards, however,
expects To recommend their adoption
strongly. as it is computed that the in
creased capacity and economy OF opera
ton. should the department be entirely
equipped with them, Will effect a saving
Of 81 100 A day in the work, besides doing
IL with greater comfort TO all concerned.