St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-03-18
A NOVEL RIDE.

n NOtEL RIDE.
Over the Lake Road ON Snow Plow
$50 you never rode on snow pillow,
yOu say Well, if you would like tc
make a trial trip be at the engine
house tomorrow morning at six O'Clock
sharp, and you can have an Opportu-
nifty"
The following morning at ten min
utes before the time named, you pre-
sent yourself warmly wrapped in your
heaviest wearing apparel The day
promises all you could ask for, clear
sky with a strong west wind, that
gathers together the inhnitesimal par
ticles of snow and piles them up IN
rounded, well packed drifts across the
track, or drives them into the deep cut
with such density as to resist the pas
sage of an ordinary train.
While the "bOys" are gathering one
by one with their large tin pals filled
with rations for the day and perhaps
the night, you pass into the engine
house to keep warm. The smoke is
curling lazily up from the stack of the
two huge engines that are to do duty.
The little clouds of steam that rise
from the open cylinder cocks weave
misty wreaths around the headlight
while the heightened exhaust at regu-
lar intervals of the slowly working air.
pump, suggests the heavy breathing
of some sleeping monster of the dark
regions.
1t will be some little time yet before
we start; let us go ont and see the
pillow. This consists of what looks like
an ordinary box car, emily narrower,
with the pillow fastened on front capable
of being raised from the rails by means
of a large lever that projects into the
car some ten or twelve feet. The low
or edge is covered with a strong piece
of steel about two feet in width with a
projection that runs between the rails.
This has to be raised to clear cross
ings, switches and the guard rails on
trestles. The front of the pillow when
working is supported by two heavy
cast iron shoes that slide along the top
of the rails.
The wings on the sides of the car
are pushed out or taken in by means
of gearing operated from within by
two upright rods, mounted at the top
by spoked rims like an ordinary brake,
only larger. When extended they are
held in position 10y blocks of wood used
in place of iron dogs. There are preb-
ably one hundred of these blocks in
the car and they will be needed, for
something will have to yield if the
snow proves too much for the wings
and these will split and give way when
iron ones would not. There are two
windows in front for the Two men who
keep lookout ahead and others on the
sides for them to direct in extending
the wings. A cord extends back to
the gong in the cab to signal the en-
gineer.
Everything being in readiness for
the start you climb into the place with
the rest and are slowly pushed down
to the whistling post. Perhaps you
have been revolving in your mind
whether you had better go or not as
there are some chances to be taken
and the only reason you have for go
ing is its novelty, which may prove
anything else before you get back.
But while You are undecided the stop
is made, the whistle blows to signal
the fiagman at the crossing, you move
ahead again and that ends the deliber-
alton.
You have gone but a short distance
before you discover that SO far as see
ing anything outside is concerned, you
might as we'll be buried one hundred
feet under the snOwdrifts. Having
nothing to entertain you without, you
begin to take another inventory of the
assets and liabilities. The latter seem
to gain with the increasing speed of
AS nominally nothing. You think, that
behind you are two 40-tOn engines
pushing you over the rails at the rate
of 80 miles per hour, while before you
the accumulated drifts "clOsed en-
masse" are quietly waiting to contest
your passing and you feel somewhat
anxious as to the result. But little by |
little your courage increases as you
think that so far nothing has happen
ed and begin to get interested in the
mems movements. The point of the
pillow is down and following the ine-
qualities between the rails causes the
huge lever within the car to vibrate |
up and down continually. At times it
strikes the top of the car and back up
On the floor with force enough to crush |
the luckless party who should get in
its way.
"Downr shouts the man on the
lookout. The men ranged on either
side seize the lever, and bearing it
down, hold it on the floor till the
crossing is passed. "Let her CO."
shonts the man, and the point is drop
ped onto the rails. Soon our pilot
slides hack a side window, and waves