The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-31
THE EVENING STATESMAN. wAIIA wAILA WASHINGTON

Caterpillar is the ease with which 1t
may be operated in soft soil, there be-
ing no possibility of the wheels sinking,
as is the case with other traction en-
gines, the wheels of which rest upon
the ground in but one spot. A dem
onstration of the work of the cater
pillar in soft ground was given yester-
day, when Mr.. Nelson's machine pull
ing the nine plows without sign OF
stress upon the mechanism Those
who witnessed the operation Of the
initial machine to be placed in this
section of the Northwest were heartily
pleased, and Mr.. Nelson as we'll as Mr..
Holt and Mr.. Boswell were the re-
cipients of many compliments upon the
enterprise displayed in the installation
of the caterpillar" in the Inland En-
pire That it has come to stay is adj
mitted by all who learned of its Won
derful capacity in the wheat fields,
and indications are bright for an un-
precedented sale of the machines dur
ing the coming year.
Development.
During the winter of 1905, Benjamin
Holt, equipped a Holt Bros. standard
farm steam traction engine with plat
form or caterpillar wheels, and prov
ed the value of his idea on one of the
Islands reclaimed from the San Joa-
uuin river. some few miles west of
Stockton. This was the first embod-
iment of this invention conceived sew
eral months before.
Experience with several steam en-
gines of the caterpillar type solved.
one after another, the peculiar pro-
blems involved in designing, building
and operating a wheel of this kind.
In the fall of 1905, was built the first
gasoline caterpillar traction engine, No.
1901. A year and a half of experience
with No. 1901 resulted in No. 1902.
While the engineers, who are SUI
pervising the construction of the great
aqueduct for the city of Los Angeles,
were seeking a solution for their diff
cult problem of transporting material
and supplies from the railroad to the
line of the aqueduct, they learned of
Mr.. Hollis. invention, and in Septem-
Der, 1908, purchased No. 1908. So eff
cient did No. 1903 prove, that after
two months use they were able to
convince the board of public works
of the city. of Los Angeles that it was
greatly reducing the cost of transpor-
tation and they bought two more, and
after several months trial, 25 more.
In the meantime, others began to
learn of the great economy of the cat
erpillar, so that at this date more than
100 are in actual Operation-plowing
harvesting and freighting.
The Engine.
The weight of the traction engine
is carried principally by two trucks,
each of which has four wheels running
on a track. This track is made of steel
links and is, in fact, and endless chain
which passes over two sprockets, front
and rear-the rear one being the driver
and the front one a blank sprocket
(wlthout teeth) acting merely as an
idler The truck wheels run on the
inside Of the track chain, while Oh
the outside of each link is a broad
plate shod with a pressed steel CORFU
gated shoe. These plates and shoes
support the track chain as wooden
ties support railroad track and form
the tractive surface, which enables
the engine to work on soft ground
and gives it its great power at the
drawbar
In fact. the platform wheel may be
to the geared locomotives
running on cogged tracks, which are
USED by some railroads where excess
sive grades are found. The drive
sprocket at the rear corresponds to the
gear on the locomotive. The links
of the track chain having good
"bite" on the ground keep the cham
from moving on the ground when the
sprocket turns just as the ties of the
cogged track keep the track from
when the gear Of the locomo-
tive rolls forward on the cogged track
carrying the locomotive and train with
it, so the sprocket of the caterpillar
rolls forward on the chain carrying the
tractor and the plows, harvester or
wagons with it. But here the COM
parison stops. For a clogged track
must be laid the whole length or the
road the geared locomotive is to trav-
ell on. while the caterpillar is continu-
ally picking UP it's track chain behind
and laying it down again in front.
1t lays It's own track; it carries its
track with it wherever it goes; and
So is able to go almost anywhere.