New-York tribune., 1920-02-15
$4,000 Called
To Join City
Snow Battle
Continued from page l

than 5000 men were at work in this
district opening streets for the delivery
of food at noon yesterday.
The total strength of the army OF
snow fighters, as shown by figures at
the office of the snow removal bureau
was
Street sweepers ...............,.. $500
Extra employees -. ................. 11,43H
Contractors men .;............... 2,62e
On contractors trucks. ks....,.,... 1113
Volunteer (policemen) ........... 1000
Volunteer (fremen) ................ 1000
Volunteer (market men). 5000
Total Observation-Disclosures. 25677
This is the largest number Of men
employed in the streets in the three
boroughs that are under control of the
| Department of Streets since the storm
of, November A. 1t is expected. how
ever, that nearly twice that number
will be available for similar service in
the city to-day, because of the closing
of virtually every industry for the day
In the event that $4,000 men actually
appear for work in the streets, it is
expected that business will approach
something more nearly normal activ-
ity tomorrow than on any day since
the blizzard paralyzed the city.
Woman Runs a Truck
The one woman VOLUNTEER was Mrs
Margaret Wheelock, member of the
American Legion. living at 80 Madison
Avenue. Mrs. Wheelock told repre-
sentative of the Snow Removal De-
partment that she could handle truck
as we'll as any of his men.
Every we'll There is a truck" said
the street superintendent.
When last seen Mrs. Wheelock was
ing snow, thus relieving one male
worker to handle a shovel.
Mayor Hylan passed most of his day
inspecting streets in the market dis
trict. He waded in slush, showed pro-
testing workers how to swing their
picks and drivers how to handle horses
and motor trucks.
The Beach Street police station was
made the headquarters for volunteer
workers, who were given picks,
shovels and, in some instances, warm
gloves to make work possible. Power
was concentrated on Hudson Street
first, as one Of the main arteries for
food delivery. 1t was expected that
by midnight last night West Broad
way, Canal, Jay, Duane and other
streets used by commission men for
handling food would be open to traffic.
used in the uptown districts will be
concentrated in the streets below
Fourteenth, in the hope that the en-
tire lower end of Manhattan NAV be
reclaimed before the hour for the re-
sumption of business tomorrow morn
ing.
Surface streetcar transportation
thanks to the bright sunshine and the
continued thaw, improved decidedly
Job Hedges, receiver Of the New York
Railways lines, predicted that most of
his cars would be running to-morrow
if there was no further freeze. Repre.
sentatives Of other lines were SLIGHTLY
less optimistic, but reported material
Improvement in all TRANSFORMATION ia.
cilities.
The baby tank that appeared in the
streets a few days ago as the pushing
power for one of the biggest plows
ever seen on the city's streets, accom-
pushed so much during the afternoon
that it probably will be reinforced by
two dozen more such fighters early
next week.
THE tank is the greatest little snow
remover we ever saw" said Arnold B
MacStay, c missioner of Streets. at
pushed more snow and ice in a minute
than score of men could move in an
hour. We are going to get more of
them just as soon as the plows can be
lmprovlsed to work with them"
yesterday the tank attracted attcn-
tion as 1T plowed through the snow at
Elghth Avenue, near Forty-tifth Street
1t is credited with more tons of snow
and ice, all dumped into sewers. than
any other one agency used in the fight
against snow.
Inc nre menace, due to impossible
streets, was the subject of serious dis.
cusslon by two organizations Of bus;.
ness men during the day. Both de.
manded that action be taken to remedy
the condition. one organization chare-
ing that its offers of assistance had
been refused
posed OF taxpayers of that Section
sent letter to Mayor Hylan CHARGING
that all efforts of the property owners
OF the West Side to aid in the SNOW
removal have been rejected.
Copeland Townsend, president Of the
league, said yesterday: "Snow ha,
been permitted to remain piled up IL
me lntersecting streets the West
Side to such an extent that business
has been completely demoralized and
trafiic IS at standstill.
Condltlons are so bad that FIRE
ladder truck was stalled for twenty
minutes on the way to fire Thursday
afternoon in West Seventy-se como
Street. West Seventy second Stree
property owners offered to cart the
snow away at their own expense and
dump 1t carefully into the lake in
Central Park, but the Park Commits.
ing. ""''p
We have endeavored In every wav
possible to help the city, but no at.
tention has been paid to our offers.
Garbage and snow has been piled in
such manner that it is proving to be- be-
great menace, and the TAXPAYERS .rs
gong to demand some activn or an
explanation from the city"
Worth Street merchants organized
themselves into body for the purpose
or undertaking the removal Of snow
from that street, between LAFAYETTE
Street and West Broadway. In =
statement issued after an afternoon
meeting this paragraph concerning the
fire peril appeared:
I'VE have referred casually above to
the fire hazard, but the recent fre at
S21 Broadway has made US realize the
tremendous Importance Of this, and wa
think 1t kmirht he wau ~ urr> ,,~~r