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One of the most serious inconveniences of railway traveling incidental to our northern climate in the winter season, is the frequent interruption of business occasioned by heavy falls of snow. Sometimes, for the space of a whole week, the traffic on certain roads has been suspended from this cause. It is therefore not surprising that ingenuity should be directed in devising some apparatus for a speedy clearing of the track, so as to enable the traffic to go on uninterruptedly. { Our engraving represents a machine for the purpose of removing snow from railroad tracks and roads, and it is also applicable to other purposes, such as removing earth ditching, c. A snow plow constructed on this plan has been tried on various railways, and found to operate successfully. It may be used with horses on turnpike and other roads, and will answer for ditching in sandy soils. Fig 1 is a perspective view of the machine, placed in front of the locomotive, supported by the bars, A. B is a chain, by which motion is given to the flyers from the engine by passing over the obliquely placed wheel, C, which in its turn rotates the wheels, D andE. On the axles of these three wheels are placed the radial arms, F; those attached to C and E have fans,/, on their ends placed obliquely to them, so as to throw away the snow up the bank during the motion of the machine. The flyers, G, on D, are at right angles with the arms, and have a point in the center, H, whicli bores the way through the snow while the flyers, Gr, throw it into f. The arrangement of C and D will be better understood by reference to Fig. 2, which is a section through them, a is the frame supporting the wheels, C, D and E, which have shafts, b c and d1 attached to them; on these shafts are fitted the frames, g, and they hold the arms, F, carrying the fans,/. This machine is the invention of Jesse Urmy, of Wilmington, Del., from whom further particulars may be obtained. It was patented Nov. 10, 1857.
