1914-03-16a

“Tons of ice which make vehicular traffic difficult on the shady sides of business streets, and which have transformed most of these thoroughfares into a chain of miniature lakes, will not be removed  unless the citizens ‘holler’ loud enough for the works department to hear.”

          Hamilton Spectator.  March 16, 1914

          As the winter started to loosen its grip on the city of Hamilton in March, 1914, the increasing temperatures made for very difficult conditions for operators of the machines which comprised the “vehicular traffic” of the time.

          Generally, the lines for the Hamilton Street Railway’s cars had been kept passable throughout the winter, and the spring thaw had little negative impact.

          The other components of the city’s vehicular traffic stock were motorized vehicles, trucks and autos, plus a variety of horse-drawn conveyances.

For the most part, 1914 was still a time when most autos were taken off the streets, set up on blocks, and the tires removed. Some automobile and trucks drivers were starting to use their vehicles year round however.

The horse-drawn conveyances had little trouble with extreme winter conditions as sleighs were able to glide over ice and snow readily. It was more problematic for horse-drawn carts, wagons etc. when spring started to arrive as it was a question as to when it would be best to switch from sleighs to wheeled wagons. Muddy streets would be a problem for all vehicles, and in 1914 most streets tended to become deep in mud during the spring thaw.

What were added problems for all Hamilton drivers in mid-March 1914 were huge mounds of ice, particularly on downtown streets, notably King and James streets.

Throughout the winter, huge amounts of snow which clogged the streets after snowfalls were simply moved aside to clear paths for the street cars and the other vehicles. Which the constant freeze-thaw cycle, particularly late in the winter, those mounds of snow become frozen solid, and were slow to melt as spring was about to arrive.

Reacting to complaints about the ice formations impeding traffic, the Hamilton Works department issued the following statement :

“It would cost a great deal of money to send out a gang of men with picks and shovels to remove the ice. We are content to let the ice stay where it is unless the citizens begin to holler. That is the usual custom.”¹

¹ Citizens Must ‘Holler” ^: That is the Only Remedy From Ice-Bound Streets, Works Department Says.”

          Hamilton Spectator March 16, 1914.

Although unwilling to tackle the ice banks as a whole, some works department men were sent out to remove the mud that had covered many of them. The explanation was that “with the mud removed, a benign sun would rapidly do the rest – providing the present weather continues.”¹

The Spectator reporter assigned the story on the ice bank matter went on a tour of the downtown streets and described the situation as follows :

“King and James streets, particularly the former, are in a state that is not productive of wild admiration of city hall enterprise. Ice, many inches deep, has accumulated on the shady sides of the thoroughfares. Deep pools of water have formed, several ruts, jagged ridges abound, and passing motor cars produce fountains of muddy water not unlike the effect of the business-side of the street railway company’s street-sweeper.

“Practically the south side of King street, between James and Bay street, is covered in ice, while the conditions on the narrow section of King street, near Ferguson avenue, are much the same. James street presents a thrilling spectacle to the eye, while the market is a marvel in geological formation.”¹

Despite the inconvenience to the travelling public, the Hamilton Works department was not prepared to deal with the ice unless the people started to “holler.”

The cost estimated as being required to do the job was $400.