Snow Business is big business at Harvard. Two inches worth of whiteness on University walks warrants mobilizing the Buildings and Grounds snow army at any time of the day or night, on any day of the week.

With the help of their newly acquired cattrack plow, a tractor with enter pillar treads, the department claims it is ready to cope with any blizzard and have the local University grounds dug out in 12 hours. This includes the grounds of the Business and Medical Schools as well as those of the College and Graduate Center.

Depth Seeker

"There is a man on duty ready to measure the depth at all times," said Daniel Gow, foreman of the clearance team. "Twelve to 14 men are called out to start work immediately, joined by some 50 more in the daytime. If things really get bad, we put every man in the department to work."

To speed up the process, five truck plows, four sidewalk plows and a number of snow throwers are used. These latter contraptions are wheeled along like lawn mowers. They scoop up the snow and spit it out a chute along the side of the walk.

An estimated $18,000 per year is spent to keep the walks clean. The bad winter of three years ago cost the University $48,000.

Almost as much money is spent in spreading sand on the walks and later in clearing it away.

Elaborate preparations age made for winters annual visit. Sticks are put up at various points as guides so the plows can find the paths. Wooden steps cover the concrete ones on may University buildings. "Their purpose," explained Cecil A. Roberts, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, "is to let the air circulate under the snow so it won't freeze."

Cleaning snow from the roofs is another feature of the job. Formerly, fear of avalanches would keep many away from class building doors for days.

"We have only one complaint," said Gow, "Why does it always have to snow on holidays in the middle of the night."