New-York tribune., 1921-02-21
l2,45O City Employees
Fight Heaviest Days
Fall i'm 20 Years; 35-
Mile Wind Forms Drifts
Long Island Rail
Lines Paralyzed
Staten Trolleys Quit;
Complete Removal by
Wednesday Predicted

Winter yesterday buried New
York under the heaviest single days
snowfall recorded in twenty years.
The storm cost the lives of six per
sons.
Twelve and half inches of snow
fell. New Workers, dreaming Of a
bizzardless winter, awoke to find
the sidewalks piled high with
frozen drifts, roofs and buildings
thickly festooned in white, traffic
seriously impeded and the streets so
blocked that l2,450 snow fighters
with shovels, tractor snowplows,
trucks and ashcarts were pressed
into emergency service.
The storm, formed by an area of
low barometer moving northward
and thirty -fve-milc wind from the
northeast, although technically not
entitled TO be classed as a blizzard
because of the comparatively high
temperature, brought the heaviest
snowfall since November 26, 1900,
when thirteen inches of snow fell.
Only two heavier snowfalls were re-
corded for single day since 1888.
Last years February blizzard, which
caused Suspension of traffic for al
most week and cost the city moro
than $5,OOO,OO0, was spread over a pc
riod of three days The heaviest fall
for one day was six inches, although
the accumulation exceeded fifteen
inches before the snow was removed.
Train Schedules Disarranged
The North Atlantic states, from
Maine to Pennsylvania inclusive, were
in the storm area, and throughout this
great territory snow lay from twelve to
twenty inches deep last night
Through trains were delayed for hours
in many cases and local train schedules
were disarranged. Many suburban
trolley lines were blocked completely
and roadhouses in Long Island, New
Jersey and the Hudson River counties
did thriving business, many motor
lists being compelled to abandon their
cars and seek shelter afoot. Although
the storm was severe in Albany the
traction company managed to maintain
service on the lines which it reopened
last week when the state troopers got
the upper hand of the strikers
The Weather Bureau reported that
the storm passed away at 1906 o'clock
last night. The fall, as recorded by
the Weather Bureau, amounted TO
twelve and one-half inches.
The forecast is Clear and colder"
Assurances were given by the Weather
Bureau that a cold wave headed from
the West probably will not reach New
York. But it was said the weather will
be cold enough to keep the snow on
the grounu.
Work of clearing the streets was
continued all night. Officials of the
bureau of snow removal reported thst
with the progress made yesterday and
with to-morrow's holiday Wednesday
will find the streets clear. Estimates
Of the cost to the city, the surface
lines and private enterprise in the
first days battle with the storm were
placed at si,000,000.
About 10000 persons, believing that
the city was to enjoy a snowless win
ter We're suddenly called upon TO re-
move drifts. OF these 12,450 worked
under the direction of the bureau Of
snow removal of the Department Of
Street Cleaning.
Tractor PIoughs Operated
Besides the trolley lines. which kept
their ploughs going constantly. the CITY
operated 80 tractor ploughs, $50 trucks
and 1900 ash carts. The tractor
plows, built on the caterpillar style.
which were bought after the collapse
OF the city,s efforts to cope with last
winters blockade, were given their
first test. Each tractor was kept trav-
cling over given circuit, with the re-
suit that Broadway Fifth Avenue
and other thoroughfares, ordinarily
crowded, were provided with cleared
paths walled in by snow heaps.
Some outlying districts were virtu-
ally cut off from Manhattan. These
included long Island points, where in
t.ruroan trains were blocked because
Of snowdrifts on the tracks Officials
Of the Long Island Railroad reported
that on some branches of the road the
drifts were six to eight feet high and
that high wind made it impossible to
clear the tracks.
Anxiety was felt that trains in New
Jersey bringing foodstuffs TO Manhat-
tan might be delayed. Special at{en-
ton was given to clearing the streets
about the markets in lower Manhattan
SO Ihal To-Day distribution might be
unimpeded
Battling with the snow in Manhattan
began before daylight The storm be-
gan at l2:lo a. m: BY o'clock a
i4-l4 signal, for the second time in
the history OF the experience of tba
Fire Department, was sent to the Io3
iirehouses in the greater city. Fifty
one of the frehouses are located in
Manhattan. At the same time Captain
Charles W Rankin, at Fire Headeuar-
ters, was notified that all the city's
caterpillar tractors were to be supplied
with gasoline, and the machines Tor
the first time made ready 20 combat
the snow. Similar warnings were sent
10 all the police stations.
The result was that policemen and
hremen were sent to knock at the
doors Of the eity's 5000 street clean
ers and to 1000 others enrolled as
emergency iaborers to report for duty
Ihe whole force was commanded bv
@ohn J. Condor, superintendent and
Aag