University Maintenance Department Ready to Unleash Its Vast Snow Removal Mechanism If Icy Flakes Fall

In spite of the fact that the recent snowfall caused the first white Thanksgiving in seven years, the college snow fighting machinery was fully prepared to cope with the situation. In fact, the Maintenance Department has been expecting an early winter and is ready, should snow fall again today.

Last week the only signs of this protection in the Yard were the four feet high burlap pentagons which surround the shrubs on all sides of Appleton Chapel. Now, however, boards cover the steps of Widener Library, the Chapel, and Fogg Museum, and wooden walks will soon be placed on the gravel paths that have not yet hardened, and steam pipes will be put to use in Wigglesworth, Hollis, Stoughton, and Lehman.

The Maintenance Department constantly keeps in close touch with the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory where C.F. Brooks professor of Meteorology and

director of the Observatory since 1931, and E. Monroe Howard, Jr., research assistant, are studying the indications given by the clouds. In short term forecasting of snow storms certain clouds fortell a day ahead and give rough indications of when the snow will begin, how severe it will be, and how long it will last.

When the large four story building near Dunster House facing the Charles, which houses the Maintenance Department, receives word of a snow fall of two or more inches, it prepares to send out its tractors and ploughs.

The personnel of the Department consists of thirty groundkeepers, in addition to which are hired 100 more or less extra men depending upon the size of the snow fall. These labor crews, which sometimes include students are hired and start work from the basement of Harvard Hall at 6:00 o'clock in the morning