St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-27
The ROTARY SNOW PLOW.
A Detailed Description of the Great Snow
Drift EXcavator.
HOW 1T DOES THE WORK.
Goes Through the Hardest Snow at the
Rate of Six to Eight Miles an
Hour.
specisl Letter to the Globe.

genius OF Il. Leslie has contributed 10
the important list of Inventions of the
present century, ana this fact is found
in nothing less than the rotary steam
snow shovel.
For weeks citizens of Wahpeton had
been longing to see the famous ''snOw
plow," and when Agent FitZsimmons,
of the Northern Pacific road, '''phoned"
over the city Friday that the rotary
pillow would arrive that afternoon nat
urally put the anxious on the lookout,
and from the tall hose tower the formid-
able train could be seen on the Breckin-
ridge flats, fifteen or eighteen miles
away, and, as the train approached.
hundreds of people gathered about
the big snow banks near the
depot and awaited its arrival. When
from three 10 five mills away the plow
encountering drifted snow naturally put
the two locomotives at work, which, to-
geth er with the machine itself. emitted
an immense cloud of black smoke, form
ing background against which was
shown the great volume of Snow as it
was thrown to one side from $50 to more
than 200 feet from the track. Much
after the fashion an immense hose
throws water, the train moving west
ana gentle wind from the south. In
Breckenridge yard, mile away, Il
scene was much enjoyed by WahpetOn
people. But when the
MAGNIFICENT MACHINE
was brought across the river and en-
cOuntered Il big and hard frozen drift
near our depot. going through it with
the greatest ease in the world, landing
the SHOW go fecj away. formed one of
the grandeSt sights Imaginable, the sun
shining brightly. and being low in the
West. added 10 The grandeur. The
crowd realized rs one mind that
\ great power was ut work,
that The genius of man had destroyed
the force OF the greatest obstacle to rail
WAY locomotjon ia the Northwest, in
voluntarily and in the same breath sent
up rouSiNg cheer. Ii was. indeed. a
grand sight. The train consisted of the
pillow. two locomotives. dead engine.
taken out of drift between here and
Fergus, and Supt. Roots private ear.
TIT PL0W CONSISTS
Of an immense boiler and machinery
built upon low double trucks. all framed
over in a substantial and becoming
manner. being ten feet square in front,
into which heavy iron frame is adjusted
Il wheel OF disc covering the surface.
likv The fam of wind mill. which, when
at work. reyOlyeS at right angles to the
line Oi movement with tremendous We
lUCltt. cutting its way through the hard
packed and frozen DRIFT at the rate OF
six or
EIGHT MI Is AN HOUR
and sitting the snow back into the BODY
= al the square frame onto Il heavy steel
fan, revolving With equal force, it is
thrown from here cut through shoot
in large volume. As above stated. This
disc tan and spout may he turned to
work 10 either side. according to the
direction of the wind. There is
an engine on either side of the
boiler. each having capacity OF
Pa horse power. wholly TO run the disc
and tan. all built in the most substantial
manner possible. In addition to this
there is the hanger, located at the bot
TEN. which takes up the snow between
the rails. leaving the track perfectly
clear. The entire steam shovel is built
With as great care and high finish as is
locomotive, and likely costs more
money. The tender carries 1000
gallons OF water and from
twelve TO fourteen tons of coal.
enough, it is estimated, to last
week. and at present requires two
locomotives 10 push ii forward and hold
il up TO It's work After being shown
the machine your correspondent was in
trOduccd To the inventor. +. Leslie. and
Supt. Root. Of this division. The latter
was greatly taken up with the machine
saying they had lifted 655 miles of
blockade since Tuesday. it then being
Friday afternoon, Under ordinary cir
cumstances and the old methods it
would have taken week to have opened
the road between Fergus and WaphetOn.
which was done in four and one-half
hours.
Mr.. Leslie explained that although his
machine had been in use and in process
of Improvement the past five years. this
was the first trip he had made with it.
and being so well pleased that Oh the
spot he spot he divided $50 among the
working force as present. Itwas work
ing Just as he intended it should work
but he still promised valuable improve
mentS. The inventor explained that he
had experienced difficulty in teaching
engineers that the machine was to be
run steadily. that it should approach a
snow bank steadily and 90 through it at
ali even pressure. That the
OLD BUCKING PROCESS
was thing OF the past. There
Should be no more backing uD of
locomotives, no more straining of
AhoShiiVIS. IO LlOlc DuTnlDg OF rails;
nor no more risk of life when the
rotary steam shovel headed the train.
MIR. Leslie was very earnest in the re-
mark that the Northern Pacific system
had actually burnt and actually
destroyed rails this winter alone entail
ing greater loss than the four rotary
plowS the company now owns had cost.
1t not only ruins locomotives to "buck''
snow, but it destroys the rails when
ever the engines come to a stand
still in a drift, with the drive wheels
spinning round. not to mention the loss
OF life. Mr.. Leslie feels confident that he
COULD FACE ANY BLIZZARD
that ever blew at any stage of it. fan
ming the freshly drifted SNOW out of the
way, and bring train through on not
far from schedule time. There is really
no chance for throwing his machine
from the track. They are now in use
by the following companies: Union
Pacific, Colorado Midland. Southern Pa
cific, Oregon Railway & Navigation
company, Northern Pacific and the Chi
cagO, Milwaukee & st. Paul.
Mr.. Leslie has been an inventor all
his life, being now forty-six years of
age. His home is at OrangeviIle, On
tario, Canada, his people having re-
moved from Ireland when he was an in
FAINT. His steam shovels are built at
Paterson, n. j., at Cookies Locomotive
works.
WHY MINERS LOSE REASON.