MODERN METHODS OF STREET CLEANING 



material removed being 76,400 cubic yards. There 

 was a considerable amount of private dredging done 

 in addition to that carried on by the city. 



There were twenty floating or partly sunken vessels 

 or unclaimed boats cared for or confiscated by the 

 cleaning department. Some of these were removed by 

 the owners, others were raised by the city and afterward 

 reclaimed by the owners after paying the expenses 

 incurred by the city. 



As showing the difficulties encountered in preventing 

 the accumulation of refuse in the waterways, it is inter- 

 esting to note that the city removed, in addition to the 

 refuse, five hand-carts, a considerable number of poles, 

 logs, and miscellaneous large objects, and four granite 

 gravestones. 



The street pavements which required sweeping were, 

 at the end of the year 1906, 4,229,000 square yards in 

 area. Of this, 4,136,000 square yards were 

 stone or brick pavement and 93,000 asphalt. 

 The stone and brick pavements are cleaned by 

 hand sweeping, by sweeping done by means of revolv- 

 ing brooms propelled by horses, and by washing with 

 hose with water from the canals. The asphalt pave- 

 ments are cleaned by hand with hose, brooms, and 

 rubber squeegees, and by a combination water-cart and 

 revolving squeegee such as is employed in some other 

 continental cities. About 45,000 cubic yards of water 

 were used in washing the streets in 1906. 



The streets were sprinkled on 161 days, about 230,000 



cubic yards being used in this work. Sprinkling-carts 



are employed chiefly in the central part of 



Sprinkling 



the city and hose in the outlying districts. A 

 street-sprinkling apparatus operated by electricity has 



158 



Street Clean- 

 ing 



