Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-03-17
A RIDE BEHIND THE SNOW PLoW.

Among the things which | have always longed
to sec, is the work of the snow-plow, dciven along
the covered track, and through heaped SHOWS drift.
ed into deep cuts. This / have at length seen
The train came to Watcrtown from Cape Vincent
; n. Y, with two engines and 4 snow pillow. When
we reached Pierpont Manor, the conductor kindly
acceded to my wish to 20 forward and take a
berth with the engineer. | was soon in position.
For two days it had been storming. The air was
murky and cross. The snow was decendlng, not
peacefully and dreamily, but whirled and made
wild by fierce winds. The forests were laden with
snow, and their interior looked murky and dread
full ms a witch'S den. Through such scenes | be-
gan my tide upon the pillow showing engine. The
engineers and tremen were coated with snow from
head to foot, and looked like millers who had never
brushed their coats for a generation. The floor
on which we stood was ice aud snow half melted.
The wood was coated with snow. The ocomotive
was frosted all over with snOw-wheels, connecting
rods, aXels, and everything but the boiler and
smoke-stack. The side and front windows were
glazed with crusts of ice and only through one lit
tie spot in the window over the boiler could | peer
out to get a sight of the pillow. The track wa in
distiuguishable. There was nothing to the eye TO
guide the engine in one way more than another.
1t seemed as if we were going across fields and
plunging through forests II. random. And this
gave no mean excitement to the scene, when two
ponderous engines were apparently driving us in
such an outlandish excursion. But their feet
, were sure, and unerringly felt their way along
, the iron road, so that we were held in our courses.
i Nothing can exceed the beauty OF snow in its
own organization, tn the gracefullness with which
it falls, in the curvature of its drift-lines and in
the curves which it makes when streaming off on
either side. 1t was never long the same. If the
. snow was thin and light, the plow seemed to play
. tendcrly with it, like an artist doing curious things
!, for sport, throwing it in exquisite curves, that rose
=, and fell, quivered and fell as they ran. Then sud
denly striking a drift that had piled across the
track, the snow sprung out, as if driven by an ex.
i,I,.n, t,ropt onl ti;rtr foot IN set, onl hole
i or like long-stemmed sheaves of snow-wheats peat
~ out fan-ike insntly, the drift past, the snow seemed
m nv instinct of its own to attract, and played agaiI
or in exquisite curves, that rose and fell about GU
o. pillow. "Now you'll get it" says the engineer, "il
~ that deep cut" We only saw the first dash, as i
the plow had struck the banks of snow before
90 could put on its graces, and shot it distracted an,
" ~headlong up and down on either side, like spray o
70 flying ashes.
t IL was but a second. For the fine snow rose u
Is. round the engine, and covered it like q mist, an
in. sucking round, poured in upon us in sheets an
clouds, mingling with the vapor of steam, and tn
IL. smoke which from impeded draft, poured out, file
ID. the engine-rOom and darkened it, SO we could nc
he see each othera foot distant except as very film
", spectors g~lowering at each other. Our engineer
ne. had on buffalo coats, whose natural hirsutenes
irl was made more shaggy by tags of snow melted il
Ter to iciclcs. To see such substantial forms changin
back and forth every few moments from y clearl
nv earthly foym into a spectral l%ightness, as if the
nd went back and forth between body and spirit, WI
not a little exciting to the imagination.
ez- When we struck deep bodies of snow, the Ell
CINE plowed through them laboriously, quive
ng ing and groaning with the load, but shot fort
re again nimble as a bird, the moment the snow gre
yer light.
nd Nothing seemed wilder than to he in one of thol
whirling storms of smoke, vapor and snow. YC
on one pOndrOus monster, and another roarir
close behind, fastened together, and looming u
when the snow mists opened II little, black and te
ION rible. 1t seemed as if you were in a battle. The
was such energetic action, such irresistible powe
such darkness and light alternating, and such ftf
MT halflights, which are more exciting to the imma
The ination than light or darkness. Thus whirled {
us. in the lOsOm Of a storm, you sped across the opt
fields, full of wild, driving snow, you ran up to ii
opening of the black pine and hemlock woods, M
plunged into a cave of darkness, and wrestled YOU
he way along through their dreary recesses, emergir
'ty to the cleared geld again, with whistles screamir
IN and answering each other back and forth from e.
lat CINE to engine. For, in the bewildering obscuri
es we have run past the station, and must choke dow
ma the excited steeds and rein them back to Il
depot.
% We think Mazeppa's ride, dashed to a wild hor'
/ and rushing through tie forest wolf-driven, to ha,
u been rather exciting. If a man in n bu falo hun
:: by some strange mishap should find imself throw
:" from his horse and mounted on the shaggy back
!, an old, fierce buffalo bull, and go off with q rusI
~ in cloud and dust, among ten thousand tramplin
~ fellows, pursued by yelling lndians,-tlat to-
- would be an exciting ride. But neither of the,
" would know the highest exilaratiGn Of the chas
- until in n wild storm, upon a scowling day in jan
n ua"y he rides upon a double engine team behind
>, snow-plow, to clear the track of banks and burden
Of snow.-hdependeia.
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