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23
Removal of Snow.
There were several falls of snow during the late winter, which involved
considerable additional labour and cartage in clearing the public
ways.
On the 18th and 19th January a severe storm and heavy snowfall
occurred ; the snow drifted very much, and it was difficult to ascertain
the exact depth of the fall, but it certainly was not anywhere less
than 6 inches, and was probably in many places considerably more,
but assuming an average of 6 inches only over the public ways of the
St. Giles district, it gives a total quantity of 60,000 cubic yards,
which quantity was largely added to by what was thrown on to the
public ways from the roofs and back yards of houses.
The Board's contractor did, I believe, his best to remove the snow
speedily, but the quantity was so large that your Board engaged
additional horses and carts to assist in its removal. The total quantity
of snow carted away was 9270 loads, of which 4080 were carted away
by the Board's contractor without extra charge to the Board, and 5190
loads by the additional horses and carts hired by the Board.
The total quantity of snow removed during the whole winter was
9490 loads.
Street-orderly Boys.
Eight boys and one man (as ganger) were employed during the
year in cleansing the public footways in the district during wet and
sloppy weather, and in collecting the horse droppings from the surface
of the wood paving in High Holborn and New Oxford Street in dry
weather.