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7
Snow.
The snow storm commencing at about 7 o'clock on
the morning of Wednesday, January 6th, will long be
remembered, as much as nine inches of snow falling in
about five hours. The subsequent alternations of thaw
and frost increased the difficulty of dealing with it.
Ninety additional men were employed for some days,
and 9 tons of salt were used on the main roads. The
whole of the main roads were kept clear, and the traffic
carried on without interruption.
In order to give an approximate idea of the difficulty
of removal of the snow (except at enormous expense),
it is calculated that as much as 4,000 cubic yards (after
compression) would have had to have been carted from
Bethnal Green road alone. This, allowing two cubic
yards to a cart-load, would be equal to 2,000 cart-loads,
and it would require 100 horses and carts for two days
to remove it,. allowing 10 loads per cart per day. There
is also the immense difficulty of disposing of it when it
is loaded into the carts. It cannot be carted to the
Thames as is done in the City, and it is to be borne in
mind that the slippery condition of the roads after a
fall of snow, succeeded by a sharp frost, not merely
makes it difficult and somewhat dangerous to carry on
the ordinary traffic, but is an equal obstruction and
hindrance to the carts and horses employed in the
removal of the snow.
The judicious use of salt on paved roads only, the
heaping of the snow at the sides of the roads, clearing
the channels and carting the snow from the narrow
parts of main roads seems to be the only solution of the
difficulty at a reasonable expense.
Large quantities of snow were carted to Hereford
street and Usk street and melted by steam from the