New-York tribune., 1920-02-11
$1,000 Workers Aided
bv Warm Weather i'm
Opening Streets From
Battery to the Bronx
Rain To-day May
Increase Trouble
Shortage of Labor and
9 Lack of Cooperation
= Are Blamed for Delays

relief Yesterday to city suffering
from paralysis brought on by the
snovstorm Warmer weather and
southwest wind couuteracted the effect
af the forenoon snowfall and aided
tine efforts of some $4,000 workers to
free New York from the grip of snow
and ice that is costing the city and
its merchants about $4,000. GOO a day.
In spite OF the elemency of the
weather and the efforts of the city
and traction companies, New York ap-
preached only little nearer normal
Trolley transit was virtually n, 4
ssrandstill IN Manhattan, trucking was
far below normal and nearly all busi-
ness dependent upon transportation
Sas shackled.
Reasons for the slight headway were
.vofold according 10 Arnold b. Mae
Stay. Street Cleaning Commi ssioner
One lay in the shortage of labor, which
made it impossible for the city and
contractors fer the removal of snow
20 muster more than 15,0o0 men be
tween them. The other lay in the storm
9,tself and had to do particularly with
traction companies which are trying
10 restore normal conditions. The
snow, sleet and ice accumulated so
rapidly that the slots were plugged
early in the storm in a way that has
deied efforts of the companies to re-
move them.
Concentrate on One Main Route
The forces OF the Street Cleaning
Department and their contractors were
concentrated in an effort to give clear
artery Of traffic from the Battery north
Previous work had cleared up South
and West streets, relieving the con-
Fes'ion around the wholesale markets
and insurng food supply to the city,
and Yesterday saw the clearing Of
Fifth Avenue from Washington Square
north: Of Broadway as far north as
Park Row; Of Canal, Fulton, Chambers
ans Forty second streets. Late in the
afternoon Lafayette Street was closed
q traffic and large force OF men
thrown in TO complete the clear road
from the Battery
The Third Avenue Railway Company
reported the following lines running:
125th Street Crosstown. Fifty-ninth
Street Crosstown, the Grand Street line,
.rom the East River as far west as
Broadway; the Amsterdam Avenue line.
'he Third Avenue line. from 125th
Street to Sixty-;ifth Street on one track
Little Progress Elsewhere
The New York Railways Company
had not made as much progress. Cor
poration Counsel Burr, acting upon the
Mayors letter, wrote to Job +. Hedges,
receiver OF the company, asking for in
formation as TO what has been done and
Is 10 be done by it toward resumption of
operation. In the course of the letter
Nh Burr said that his attention had
been called by the Mayor to the fact
thar no effort has been made by the
company tc continue the operation of
= lines or remove the snow and ice
rom It's railroad area" Mr. Burr went
on TO cite the railroad law and to quote
the Mayors suggestion that If neces-
sary the matter be taken up with Judge
-Slayer, of the Federal Court"
In reply Mr.. Hedges said that "every-
hing that could be done in the emer-
gency TO operate It's ears has been done
o} the management of the New York
Railways Company Mr.. Hedges
called attention TO the fact that the
concentration of vehicular traffic in
Streets occupied by car tracks had
greatly impeded the company, and
vehicles off the rails where snow was
being removed. He also asked for the
same opportunity to use sewers for dis
posing OF snow that had been accorded
TO contractors employed by the city.
Hampered by Vehicles
To date the New York Railways Com
pany has resumed operation on Lex
ington Avenue, between Ninety ninth
and Fifty-ninth Street, and from
frlftleth TO Twenty third Street, on
Sixth Avenue. from Fiftieth to Thirty
second Street; and on Broadway from
Fifteenth to Fftieth Street Yester-
day the company concentrated on
opening broadway south of Fifteenth
Street There. said Mn Hedges. the
work was particularly hampered by
vehicles.
Service on the Brooklyn Rapid
transit was normal, according to Will
IAN B Menden, general manager, cx
'etept for slight delays due to obstruc-
dons on tracks. All except few
suburban lines were running. The
same report was made by the Brook
En City Company, by II. Hobart Por-
ler, general manager.
General conditions in Brooklyn streets,
However, showed little Improvement.
according to Deputy Commissioner
Michael Laura. He attributed the re-
suits to the lack Of labor and CO.
operation shown by citizens Not a
single street in Brooklyn had been
Cleared throughout its entire length.
# Forecast of Rain Menacing
4 A forecast of rain by the Weather
bureau threatened to bring further
apmplications by flooding cellars and
subways. The responsibility for such