New Ulm review., 1922-11-08
GIANT EXCAVAT0R !.
SPEEDS new ROAD.
HUGE MACHINE MOVES 5000
CUBIC YAkCS CT DIR
EVERY DAY. ".-4 F.
CONTRACT HIGHWAY NO. Z
WILL BE COMPLETED BY
CHRISTMAS.

Through the use of giant dragline
excavator which can move 5000 cubic
yards of dirt day, Winston Bros.
company will have the contract for
three miles of road work on Trunk
highway No. from CORTLAND to New
Ulm completed by Christmas so that
the road can be open for travel, ac-
cording to an announcement made
last night by Ralph Wooden, agent
for the contractors.
The giant machine which is one of
the few of it's type in the Northwest is
now engaged in making 20-foot fill
on the east side of the Minnesota river
and leading up to the new bridge which
has been constructed over the river.
The excavator moves three cubic
yards at one scoop of it's mighty bucket
and during the course of day can
handle 5000 cubic yards of dirt, Mr..
Wooden explained.
Hundreds Watch Engine.
Hundreds of persons have stopped
their automobiles and watched the
excavator gobble up dirt in the two
weeks it has been in operation. At
times the congestion of sightseers along
the present highway has been so heavy
that traffic has been almost blocked.
The excavator is operated by a
semi-diesel engine of 100 horse power
which burns fuel oil. The engine
house is IS feet square and revolves
on sub-base resting on the ground.
From the front extends 70 foot boom
which acts as a guide for the scraper
bucket.
Swings On Base. !
The operator throws forward a
lever and the engine swings on its
base. He pulls another lever and the
bucket at the end of the boom drops
into the hole it has been excavating.
A third lever causes heavy cable to
pull the bucket toward the engine un-
til it has scooped up it's fill of dirt.
The bucket is dragged through roots,
stumps and immense stones without
any extra putting on the part of the
smooth running motor. Once full,
the bucket is hoisted aloft and swung
by the long boom to the future high
way bed where it drops its load OF dirt.
The engine is walking tractor and
by dropping drags on each side to
support it's weight can be moved from
place to place. '' ~
Operated 20 Hours Daily,
The excavator is operated 20 hours
a day, being only quiet when it's crews
are eating. 1t is equipped with two
powerful search lights for night work.
The cost of the machine was $37,50O
or $500 more than the entire amount
of the Winston Bros. contract for this
particular piece of work. It was built
in Chicago by the Monaghan Machine
company and shipped in sections to
New Ulm. Frozen ground up to a
foot in thickness will not interfere
with the operation of the bucket, Mr..
Wooden declared.
On the New Ulm side of the Mime
sofa river Winston Bros. have the
contract for the fill between the new
bridge and the railroad tracks. Here
they are now operating a smalle,
dragline excavator with a capacity o1
one cubic yard.
Two Crews At Work.
The big machine is operated by two
crews, each consisting of an enginee
and an operator. Two men are KEEP
busy on the dump. The machine
consumes six gallons of oil an hour
The engine house can be closed so tina
inclement weather will not Interfere
with the work of the excavator.
Winston Bros. are also employin,
40 men and "a head Of horses in ex
cavating along the hillside back from
the valley. .5noI . q Tof.aaEa 81
.