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One Day's Work (New Series)—No. 9.

9th September 1909
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Page 4, 9th September 1909 — One Day's Work (New Series)—No. 9.
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An 18-hour Spell of Duty on a 50 h.p. Municipal Petrol Wagon.

Recounted by a Member of the Editorial Staff.

I have fulfilled many strange duties during my business career, some of which duties were very pleasant whilst many more have been otherwise. One of my most recent " day's work " ma:well be included amongst the " otherwise " as, although the experience was most valuable to me from the educational point of view, it was far from refreshing to my much-offended olfactory nerve. For the purpose of obtaining notes and photographs for the preparation of " No. 9 " of the present series of articles, I was told off for a double shift on the City of Westminster's Thornycroft petrol wagon. My instructions were to the effect that I should report, at 11.30 p.m., at the Corporation's depot., in Farm Street, near Berkeley Square, and accompany the vehicle dnring its night's work, then, having worn out one driver, return to the depat and pick up a second man, with whom I was to remain until the machine was finally docked for the day.

With a water-tank body mounted on the four-ton chassis, we left the Farm-Street depot at 11.45 p.m. and proceeded to Golden Square. where some 700 gallons of water were put into the tank from the mains. We then commenced to perambulate many streets, distributing water on the way so as to soak the manure, and other refuse, on the surface, and make easy its removal by the jets of water which were, later, directed upon the roads. With frequent stops for the re-filling of the tank, we continued to wander through Broad Street, Berwick Street, Carnaby Street, Cambridge Circus, Coventry Street, Cranbourne Street, Charing Cross Road, Great Marlborough Street, Kingley Street, Leicester Square, Marlborough Mews, Poland Street, Shaftesbury Avenue, Wardour Street, and many other thoroughfares until four o'clock in the morning. Shortly after we left each street, it was invaded by a gang of well-organised '` flushers," who, in their businesslike uniform, and with handy implements, quickly completed the process of cleansing the surface of the roadway.

About 2.15 a.m., after watering Charing Cross Road, we pulled up, near St. Martin's Church, for more water, and, while waiting for the tank to be filled, I took an interesting photograph (reproduced herewith) of

• the petrol tank-wagon together with one of the old Thornycroft steamers owned by the City of Westminster Corporation. The photograph is of special interest because, I understand, the Highways Department of the City of Westminster Corporation is so pleased with the petrol wagon's performance during the past two years

that it is most unlikely that further orders for steamers will now be placed. It was 4.15 a.m. when we returned to Farm Street on the completion of the first stage of the work, and before

again leaving the depot it was necessary to exchange the tank wagon for a tipping body ; the exchange of bodies. was quickly effected, in the manner shown by an illustration on the next page. At 6.15 a.m., we made a start on the' second stage of the work--" dusting." We left the depot, with an empty trailer behind, and called first at Dufours Place, where we exchanged the empty trailer for a full one, and then proceeded to Old Bond Street ;. here, we unhitched our loaded trailer and "left it to be called for " on our return from the Piccadilly Hotel, at which place the bulk of our first load was taken on the wagon. I don't

know whether it was the loss of sleep, or the newness of the job that made me less cautious than usual, but the contents of a particularly " rich" bin quickly brought me to my senses and drove me to a more-respectful distance from the wagon and its contents, whence I could survey the scene—but beyond effective " range." From the Piccadilly Hotel, we returned to Old Bond Street ; this thoroughfare we " dusted " as completely as the occupiers of its shops would permit, and then, picking up the previously-abandoned trailer, we made for the Corporation wharf at Ebury Bridge, Pimlico, where the loads of both the wagon and its trailer were " shot " into a waiting barge. Once on the barge, the refuse is sorted by contractors' men, and all saleable goods, such as paper, wire, tins, cardboard, bottles, etc., are picked out ; the dust and other refuse is then taken down the river, and, finally, is deposited on a "tip," or is emptied into the sea at a considerable distance from any land. From Ebury Bridge, we went back

to Farm Street, and the day driver then took charge. More dusting followed, New Bond Street, Sackville Street, and Regent Street being amongst the principal thoroughfares included in the round. In many of these streets the army of " totters " was busily engaged in the sorting out of the contents of the bins before our arrival. It was quite ainusing, as well as instructive, to note how these beings "specialize " : one man will ignore everything but cardboard boxes ; another takes only wire ; a third has an eye for pieces of string ; whilst others eagerly seize on to such refuse as paper, cigarette ends, etc. Each " merchant " appears to know exactly those shops that are likely to yield the greatest load, and, consequently, many shops' refuse was left untouched by some of them. The system of " totting " is, I believe, punishable, but the authorities have practically arrived at the conclusion that the prosecution of these miserable wretches is useless.

" Dusting " was finished before ten o'clock in the morning, and then the tipping body was removed, and the tank wagon again placed on the chassis. Thus equipped, we set out for the third stage of the work, and this consisted of watering and galley flushing in almost every road west of Hyde Park Corner to the limits of the borough of Westminster. The total mileage covered whilst engaged on this class of work was about 35—most of the roads being traversed at least twice, and some of them three times during the day. Had the day been fine and warm, or with a " drying " wind, the day's work might have been much longer, but, as it was useless to continue the watering of roads which, after the middle of the afternoon, showed no tendency to become "dusty," we struck work, and returned to the depot a little after five o'clock in the afternoon.

The wagon is one of the standard "chassis 80" type of vehicle built by John I. Thorny-croft and Co., Ltd., of Basingstoke, and its 30 h.p. engine is well able to tackle any load which the Corporation employees choose to impose upon, or behind it ; four tons on the wagon and from three to four,tons on a trailer behind it is a not unusual load. Driver Fox showed me, with an air of pride, the condition of the wheels and shafts in the gearbox; the candition was exceptionally good, and the whole chassis, notwithstanding two years work without an overhaul, is in a capital state. The chassis is one of the same type which was awarded a silver medal, in Class E, of the R.A.C. trials of 1907, in which trials the same maker also scored a gold medal for its entry C19, as well as the special War Office diploma for the vehicle making the most satisfactory use of common paraffin as the fuel for its engine.


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