The New York herald., 1921-02-21
$50 War Tractors. Manned
by Firemen. Attack Drifts
and Help Keep Traf-
fic Moving.
SUBURBS HARD HIT
Surface. Tube and II Lines
in the BOrOmghs Oper-
ate. Some Slowly But
Surely.
STATEN ISLAND TIED UP
Two Men Die While Clearing
Sidewalks-WOman and PO-,
liceman Killed by Cars
Holiday Helps Cleanup.

1Oliudy IlClpS OlCdHup.
Winter delayed. struck New York
city Yesterday with cumulative force.
The snow. which has been absent dur
ing the last three months. swirled
down upon the town in a blizzard thai
covered everything before dark with a
blanket twelve inches thick on the
level and six or eight teet deep in
drifts
The Weather Bureau reported that
the storm ceased at 1906 p. NJ. after
twenty-five hours of incessant snow
fall. The total depth as reckoned by
James II. Scarr and other weather
officials was twelve and a half inches.
The men charged with the duty Of
keeping in motion the city's traffic on
street. railroad. elevated and subway.
saw silver lining in the dark snow
cloud yesterday. It was the fact that
the storm selected Sunday as the day
for its paralyzing assault. 1t gave the
street cleaners and the men who
twenty four hours start before tne-
beginning OF the necessary daily
traffic. Had the snow come on any
other day Of the week the streets
would have been snarls Of immovabls
trucks, drays. automobiles, trolley
cars and other vehicles. while the rail-
roads would have gone under in their
effort 10 get thousands of commuters
and hundreds OF tons OF freight TO
destinations on time.
wind Causes Huge Drifts.
As 1t was. New York came through
the first day OF the storm in good
shape. considering that storms which
deposit foot or more of snow on the
streets are fortunately rare Ten to
twelve thousand men, working all day.
with others taking their places al
night. kept the main east and west
arteries OF ,rafiic in Manhattan and
in the other boroughs open and al
most clear of snow for at least half
or three-fourths Of their width. Tho
surface cars OF Manhattan and OF
Brooklyn kept moving during the day
slowly but surely.
In the outlying boroughs and sections
OF the city. and the great suburban dis
trict around. conditions were not 20
good. Here the snow was reinforced 5y
q gale estimated 10 reach at times
speed OF a mile a minute. Tie snow
piled up. as is its pervorsc custom. in
drifts no plough could bulge. at the most
inconyenient places.
Of all the roads leading into New
York. the Long Island was the hardest
hit. and particularly the north shore
lines o, the system. The snow In the
open places buried the low third rail bee
meath mounds OF short circuiting fakes.
ard ice did its part in keeping the -hoe.
OK trains from contact with tho "juic.."
The result was train delays lasting
hours
Tractors DO Good work.
Tho leaders in the assault Of the Street
Cleaning Department on the sndw
mounds were the caterpillar tractors. a
sift OF the war These little machines,
which the Germans could not stop. were
not stopped by the highest OF drifts
Through or over them they went. with
hremen az The wheels and street clean
ing employees handling the small but
effective plough IN front Their success
depended largely upon the men who op-
Grated them Some OF these acquired
the knsck of dissipating drift or driv-
ing the snow back into the piles other.
merely charged over the drifts without
aiding tho work OF getting rid OF IT,
Seven deaths. al least. are traced 70
the storm Five mere due TO exposure
or overeNc-tion In forging through drifts
rhe other two were due to accidents
Thomas i. Dunn. a retired captain
in The Fire Department was found il-
ina in the snow IN front ~ his nome.
1855 Topping avenue. The Rsonx. With
a snow shovel near his nands lie was
carried into the house. where his wire.
Mrs Alice Dunn ard nve children. ne
oldest II. were waiting for him to re.
turn Cant Dunn. who made fine
record during his eighteen years % SER
vice IN lighting hres retired three years
aso becaus, of NJ. health
Another man who died while shovcl-
lins snow vas John McAvoy. who lived
In RoNeil lodging house. Iiis body
was found IN a snow drift in 'front.' x
3S Spruce street
ENertion IN going 90 church through
The snow caused the death OF two per-
sons. William Charles % 3s9 Dccatu-
street died Of heart trouoi.. IN HOLY
Rosary church. Brook yn Against thc
advice ot relatives. Mise Anna Bailey.
sj. of ioi Washington street. Jamaica.
insisted upon going 20 mass YESTERDAY
morning In 81. Nonlca's Roman catholic
Church. Jamsi ica. she was seized with
hesrt trouble IN the church When pr.
Eclters from the Jamaica Hospital ar
rived she was dead.
Adam Fink. a resident of Fourth
street. Midland Beach staten Island,
.lfsa .r fraunI. rI,.r of,-