The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-05
RAILROAD REMOVES
SNOWFALL CHEAPLY
Storm Cost New York $4,000
600; Pennsylvania Line
100000.
TRAFFIC SOON RESTORED
But Tracks Are More Easily
Cleared Than Busy
Streets.
TRAFFIC SOON RESTORED

ANOW thot tuO ViOW Hoo BOH0 SOHifrIiS-
sioner Fctherston Is finding time TO study
In detail the hundreds OF suggestions on
snow removal that have been offered to
| him.
They have como into his oflcs from all
sources In prose and poetry. in poorly
spelled communications. pencilled dia-
grams, finely executed blue prints and
! IN words OF four syllables. One OF the
most interesting studies for the Com
missioner is the methods used b. differ
ent railroads In opening Up their lines
| after the big blizxard Of March I. which
| tied UP the city's streets for 30 many
days.
Tho Pennsylvania Railroad has 1900
miles OF tracks in New Jersey. the storm
centre: tho city has 365 miles OF streets.
The Pennsylvania Railroad opened for
trafic twenty -four hours after the snow
had stopped falling: New York still re-
members the days that passed before
even the main bearers OF trafilc-Fifth
avenue. Broadway and the busy cross
town streets-were passable for vehicles
Of any description; tho long blocks that
resulted at busy crossings. the huge
mounds OF snow that waited for days be-
fore they were touched.
Cleaning a railroad OF snow In a much
easier proposition than cleaning tho same
number OF miles OF streets. A railroad
finds Il necessary on most OF the line only
to throw the snow of to the side. whereas
In cleaning q city the snow has to be
carted TO the dumps, sometimes mile
or more away. But the Pennsylvania
problem was just as gigantic. considering
the difference OF mileage. az the city's,
and now that all the work has been done
IL has been possible TO learn IN detail
how the Pennsylvania went to work and
what difficulties IL had to overcome.
Repairs OF the actual damage done cos,
the road more than 100000 the loss,
direct and indirect. amounted TO about
$4,000. 900. While the effects OF the big
consideration for the executives of the
| road. and that was 20 open tho line and
restore the service They did this at one
nth the cost OF the ctty's work.
The snow began early Saturday night.
and on sunday morning the telegraph
wires were coated with ice three inches
thick. They began TO sag: at 4 o'clock
, In the afternoon the wind increased and
the wires began to go down. The gale
was Just hitting It's gait trains were still
running. but at from Ave 10 ten miles
an hour.
The Storms First DamaSe.
At nrst reports OF trouble on the lines
came In thick and fast then the reports
ceased. for all the railroads own wires
between New York and Philadelphia were
down This was at o'clock sunday
evening. By O'Clock orders had gone
out to star. no more trains from New
York and Jersey City. Trains were locked
tight In the snow; those that could move
travelled slower than a man could walk,
finding IL necessary TO stop and buck the
snow frequently. Trains let Phi. adelphia
sunday afternoon on time. but when they
reached the storm centre they moved
/ feet an hour instead OF miles.
When the snow started to fall Satur-
day evening the regular snow cleaning
| organization of the road went 20 work
automatically. This organization moves
| like clockwork. The road has a regula =
! storm manual. book OF thirty-slN pages.
! which outlines the work every one OF
| the 1900 members OF the organization
! Ia to do In storms. No orders are given
/ the manual gives the orders, The book
also tells where extra laborers can be
| got how many men can he obtained a.
different places, where the snow ploughs
and Hangers are kept. Ut even provides
I a traffic schedule in case OF severe storm.
and instructs linemen. foremen. track
laborers. carpenters. supcr!ntendents AMI
4 sigralmen In their duties.
II was this regular organization that
attacked the blizzard soon after the snow
| began to fall. The superintendent OF the
| division. the engineer Of maintenance ot
way and the division operator were on
| the Job and stayed on the job from early
Sunday morning until late Monday. when
! the blockade was broken. They kept n
touch with their organization by tele-
phone and telegraph. Every man that
/ could be spared was sent out with ganCl
/ OF lsborers. Laborers were hired from
every city that could furnish them
Great stretches OF the road are banked.
and the snow was not deep there. bu,
this advantage WAS offset by the depth
| OF the snow in tho cuts. The laborers
| had TO be fed while they were on the
! portant detail that had to be attended to.
II was so cold In the open stretches that
men could not work longer than nve
minutes al time; then they had to &c
back to the freight cars and thaw on,
their frozen muscles
| Trains of laborers we're started out from
! Philadelphia and New York, working to-
ward the centre: other towns furnished
more train loads Of snow shovellers. Har-
risburg sent 800 men Altoona sent 800
on the first order and 500 later on Mon
day morning Philadelphia and New York
sent the bulk OF the extra men, and all
told on Monday morning more than s.
| 900 extra labcrers were helping the reg
ular organization OF the railroad.
LoeonOtaves hack the sn0-