The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-19

A Successfup Experiment That The ChI
Has ste adtly Ignored.

A Successfui Experiment That the City
Has teadtly Ignored.
To THE EDITOR OF THE svN--Str: II
IL now almost two years since the mayors
| Committee on Pavements suggested
| speedy and economical way 70 removc
| snow through the use OF water jets ana
| the sewers. That suggestion or recon-
mendation was made as the result OF an
| apparently successful trial on small
scale. After describing what was done
| the committee In It's report said The
| test was not as complete as we could nave
wished to make IT, but sufficiently SO 70
| demonstrate beyond q question that win
enough water the plan is perfectly
| feas tbie."
FIumes operated BY water are the most
| efficient means for the removal or SUD-
| stances like snow.
| Practically every street In the city -
provided with sewers having manholes at
| frequent intervals on tho axis OF the
street water mains are close at hand II
is only necessary properly to connect the
| two to have a complete system OF fumes
| or sluices through which the snow could
| be shot TO the rivers a. rapidly a. u
| could be showed down the holes. ana II
seems the height Of folly not to make
use OF this equipment.
was performed with the use Of . single
line Of ~ inch fire hose attached to =
| hydrant and the stream from II directed
down the manhole while the snow was
showed In. Although the jet was far
weaker and smaller than II would have
been with proper attachment. Twelve men
| showing In snow as fast as they could
| were unable to clog the outlet The ex-
pertinent was first tried with the sewer
| on West End avenue. and then on Q very
| small pipe sewer In Sixty-seventh street.
Even In tho latter place II worked fairly
well and II was easy to see that II would
have worked perfectly II the Jet had been
heavier In spite OF this demonstration
| and Of the recommendation OF the COM
mittee no further tests have been made
| by the city officials.
| So far as know the only objection
| raised to this plan was that sticks ana
other things which might clog the sewers
were likely TO be thrown In with the snow.
This might be true II the snow was TO be
| dumped down 10 the sewers from carts.
but as II would he thrown In by hand
and only by men working under the eye
OF a foreman. nothing OF the kind could
| happen with Intelligent supervision.
| ono OF the chief advantages or the
method would be the entire elimination OF
carts II is the difficulty OF obtaining
| sufficient carts which IL tho chief cause
of delay under present methods. Even
when enough carts are available the
process is slow and laborious. The snow
| must DE naultu Ior loHB us
| tances to the dump through streets them
selves clogged with snow and at cost
out of all proportion to the results
achieved.
Under this proposed method the snow
nearest to the manholes would be showed
directly down them and as the distances
! would always be short, the rest would be
brought by gangs OF men working with
wheelbarrows with such n plan In opera
tlon the snow could be finally disposed OF
| almost as quickly as II can now be
stacked. and IL seems altogether probable
that under II the whole city should be
cleared In less time and at less cost than
IS required to clean a very few streets
under the present clumsy, primitive
method.
The committee was OF the opinion that
In order to put this plan In operation IL
would only be necessary TO equip each
manhole with an outlet pipe having a
four inch nozzle placed just below the
cover and directed down the manhole
TO the sewer opening In such way as
TO break up the snow and carry Il on
| as fast as thrown In The water would
OF course only be turned on during the
time the snow WIS actually being re-
moved. Incidentally, these water outlets
night be so arranged that they could he
used as fire hydrants and as such they
would possess decided advantages over
present ones, because they could never
freeze and would be out OF the way when
not IN use.
With a contrlvance OF this kind Il II
not at all likely that there would be any
hlockage of the sewers. even II the snow
was In large pieces and very hard but II
at times there was blockage II could
do no harm. because the temperature In
the sewer is always So high that snow
or tee would rapidly melt
The quick removal OF snow from the
streets Is a matter OF such great impor-
lance that no pains should be spared and
no time lost IN finding a way to accom-
pllsh IL II there il one II the only diff
Guilty In the way Of this plan is the lack
of competent supervision for the men
who are 10 throw IN the snow, that OBJ
lection should not stand for moment. for
II is entirely possible 10 overcome IT,
II the Mayors Committee on Pavements
was wrong IN the belief that the plan
recommended by II was feasible Il seems
as II that fact should have been thor
oughly demonstrated before now, for not
outstanding the apparent contempt with
which this and other far more important
recommendations OF the committee have
been treated by the city officials. they
were made 10y practical men OF standing
in the community. who We're actuated
solely by desire to benefit the city. and
their opinion was certainly worthy OF
more respect than has been paid to II.
ERNEST FLAGo.
NV NphK February Is