Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1892 — SLEIGHING BY STEAM. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SLEIGHING BY STEAM.

Sierra Snows to Be Defied by a New and Novel Propeller. I The Fultoh Iron Works, in Nfew I York City, is completing the machinery for a very curious machine, thelike of which has never been known before. It is a machine sleigh-like in construction, and is intended to be used in hauling passengers and tow- • ing logs and other freight in i Sierras, and, fact, wherever snpw ‘ exists. ' Should it prove the success that it i promises, the problem of Arctic ex-' ploration will be solved, for even in a • mountainous country it will be about as fleet as a Hudson River iceboat, i while on level stretches only birds of enwearled wing can keep up with it. ' i This strange machine is the invention of Amos Lane,,of Truckee, who some months ago discovered the buried gold of the famous Donner party. : He first built a model , which was run in the regions around j Sierraville by hand power. , Now he ! is making a sleigh twelve feet long, wnich will carry a six-horse power engine and weigh, all complete, not over 1,800 pounds. j Its mechanism is peculiar and is attracting much attention. The novel craft will mainly be used between Tahoe and Truckee to transport freight and passengers. Aside from carrying ordinary freight and '

passengers from point to point rapidly, Mr. Lane intends to use it as a “tow boat” in hauling loaded sleds around the mining and wood camps along the line of the 'Central Pacific where show falls so heavily as to obstruct other means of traffic. Mr. Lane built ’ his first motor sleigh two years ago at Sierraville, and was his own engine and engineer. He worked it by a hand crqnk and was able to make ten an hour over a level, and climb Considerable grades. He estimates that with the vehicle now being made, basing his calculations on comparative power, weight, i esistarice and paddle-push-ing surface, he can double this speed.

THE SIEBtIA SNOW CONQUEROR.