New-York tribune., 1920-02-19
Hylan Names
Snow Removal
Board of IL
Fire Chief Kenlon Heads
Committee That Will AS.
sist i'm the Task of Open
ing the City t" Traffic
Plan for Future Storms
Officials Will Draft Cam
paign to Prevent Another
Such Period of Paralysis

Mayor Hylan appointed a committee
Of eleven yesterday to take up the
burden of clearing the streets Of snow
and formulate plan which will enable
the city to weather severe storms with
less inconvenience. Street Cleaning
Commissioner MacStay is member Of
the committee and Fire Chief Kenlon
Is its chairman. There is consulting
engineer for each of the three major
boroughs.
Besides Chief Kenlon and the Street
Cleaning Commissioner, the members
OF the snow removal board are Police
Inspector Thorn, Nelson p. Lewis, chief
engineer of the Board of Estimate: :
John P. Leo, Of the Board of Standards
and Appeals; Merritt N. Smith, of the
Water Department; Edward Byrne, of
the Department of Plant and Struct-
ures; Health Commissioner Copeland
and John P. Binzen, Philip Farley and
Amos Schaeffer, consulting engineers
IN the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan,
respectively.
The Mayor discarded the pick and
shovel with which he has been helping
to clear the streets nearly every day
since the blizzard Of two weeks ago in
order to reorganize the department.
ne ne summoned the heads of practically
all the. departments and announced his
new plan and the fact that the fire
chief would have charge of the task.
IN announcing his decision to ap-
point board Of snow removal. the
Mayor gave out the following state
ment:
Owing to the recent unprecedented
fall Of snow in this city, which on ac-
count of the accompanying extreme
cold, soon became huge banks of
frozen snow and ice, almost impossible
OF removal by ordinary means, the
health and business of our citizens
were seriously jeopardized.
Many, factors contributed to inter-
1ere with the prompt removal of snow
and ice accumulations.
The men who held snow contracts
with the city failed to perform their
part of the agreement, and the streets
winch should have been cleaned within
reasonable time were lift for davs
with snow piled mountain high.
The traction lines failed and nep-
iected to clean their car streets, which
they are under obligations to keen
clean at all times. Cars left standing.
often in the middle Of streets, impeded
both snow removal and traffic.
The Street Cleaning Department. on
account of the most acute shortage of
men, was able to secure only a small
1raction OF the snow removal gangs
which have always been available for
this work heretofore. Owing TO the
prevailing high wages in private en-
ploy, it was dificuM to induce laboriug
1orces to accept temporary city work.
The situation was unprecedented
because of the continuousness of the
snowfall, the extreme cold creating
banks Of ice, and the lack of manual
labor for immediate service. We were
therefore obliged to resort to unusual
methods.
"All vehicular traffic, pleasure and
commercial, except vehicles carving
necessaries of life, newspapers and the
Ike, was ordered suspended for sew
eral days. All engaged in the trans
portation business were asked to offe,
their trucks and men to the city in the
emergency. Householders were urged
to set themselves Immediately to the
task of cleaning their sidewalks and
cutters, piling the snow in way to
facilitate the work of the snow re-
moval crews.
with the combined efforts of the
Street Cleaning. Fire, Police, Water
and Plant and Structures departments
and the Offices of the borough presi-
ueHtS, Cne ICY StfeeCS and huge snow
banks were Immediately attacked
This whole-hearted cooperation has
shown very good results, and we may
soon expect the return of all our streets
to normal condition.
Notwithstanding the possibility of
repetition in the future of all the
adverse factors which existed in the
present snowstorm, feel that. BY
closer cooperation OF all departments
which can aid in snow removal. any
similar situation of excessive snowfall
can be successfully handled.
In order that we may have the besj
thought. on this subject of snow re.
moval for the present and future
have asked the heads Of the several de.
partments to recommend men Of practi-
cal experience in each of their depart.
ments. These gentlemen l have an.
pointed as q committee to confer and
investigate the problem Of snow re-.
moval and work out plan along mod.
ern lines to handle Unprecedented stu.
ations such as we are just passing
through"
wv NJ