The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-02-21

this was a decidedly hazardous method
of procedure, inasmuch as many drifts
contain masses of solid ice in the
center. and indeed the element of
danger involved was strikingly EVIL
denced some years since at Truckee,
Cal, when a train OF eight locomotives
pfopelling large plow charged solid
drift, with the result that the pIow was
completely crushed. every one of the
locomotives was more or less damaged,
and over half the men comprising the
aggregate train crew were disabled.
Experience such as this quickly de-
monstated to the western railroads that
some more effective and less costly
method of battling with the snow must
be evolved, and the rotary snow plow
was devised. The rotary pillow, al
though of very heavy construction, in
volving weight of about 100 tons, is
based on very simple idea. A large.
stanchiy-constructed car with armored
sides carries in front an immense steel
wheel fitted with blades somewhat re-
sembling the propeller blades of the or
binary steamer. This wheel. which is
about II feet in diameter and is set in a
shield, is actuated at high speed by a
steam engine within the car. In a
chamber at the rear of the wheel, and
connected with it, is fan from which
communication is effected by spout.
capable of adjustment to either right or
left.
The operation Of the rotary pillow in a
snow drift might be compared to the
manipulation OF a gigantic auger. and
the snow removed from the track in
front of the plow--tlle boring" it
might be termed-is driven out by the
fan just as chips are expelled from a
planing-milI. A rotary pillow will make
its way through drifts at speeds vary
ing from two to ~ miles an hour, &C.
cordfng to the solidity of the barriers
encountered; but inasmuch as the snow
removed by the pillow is buried a dis
lance of from so to 100 feet, a reason
ably wide part is cleared. If a drift
is encountered of such depth that the
rotary pillow is entirely buried in the
mass, it is necessary to reduce the size
Of the embankment by handshoveling
until a level is reached which will permit
of the funnel from the fan clearing the
snow and providing an CUTLER for the
snow removed by the pillow.
An important factor in surmounting
winter obstacles to transportation is
found in the snow-sheds which are en-
ployed to greater or less extent on
almost all western railroads These
sheds are necessarily of the staunchest
timber construction, and some idea of
the expenditure involved may be gained
from the fact that one transcontinen-
tai line has on its road total of SO
miles of snow sheds, costing, on an
average, $64 foot, or upward of
$1,000,000 in ALL In addition this rail-
road has during some seasons made
OUTLAWS which have aggregated as high
as $1,0o0,000 year for the repair and
maintenance Of the sheds. Another
costly means of affording protection
from snow blockades Is found in the
construction on mountain sides of tim
bed "glances," or huge fences of logs
designed to divert snow-slides from the
railroad tracks Dynamite cartridges
are used to break up the miniature gla-
ciers which occasionally form on rail-
road tracks in the mountainous dis
tricts OF the west
Very interesting. by way of contrast,
are the methods of combating snow
followed by the railroads Of Great Bri-
tain. In season each of the principal