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lEntered at the Posi -Office of New York, N.Y., as Second-Class Matter.] 



A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF ALL THE ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



Eighth Yeak. 

 Vol. XV. No. 370. 



NEW YORK, March 7, 1890. 



Single Copies, Ten Cents. 

 S3. 50 Per Yeak, in Advance. 



AN ELECTRIC SNOW-PLOUGH. 



The rapidity with which the electric motor is displacing the 

 horse as a motive power for street-cars is greater than is 

 generally supposed. Some idea of the transition going on may 

 be gathered from the fact that one company alone, the Sprague, 

 has sold about eight hundred electric motors in the last sixty 

 days, all for street-car purposes. When we consider that this 

 is the record of only one out of the many electric motor com- 



forward or backward, similar to an electric car. The reduction 

 in gearing between the motors and the oar-axles is greater tbao 

 in the ordinary electric car, so that a large amount of power is 

 available from the motors in case of necessity. It is estimated 

 that this plough will clear the track more speedily and effec- 

 tually than an ordinary snow-plough drawn by twelve horses. 

 The view shown is from a photograph of a plough wh icl^ has 

 been in operation for some time on a street-railway in Troy, 

 N.y. Although the season has not as yet offered much'chance 



SPRAGUE ELECTRIC SNOW-PLOUGH FOR STREET-RAILWAYS. 



panies in the field, the rapid growth of this branch of applied 

 science seems little short of marvellous 



The greater number of these electric railways are in the 

 northern part of the country, where, during the winter months, 

 snow often becomes a serious obstacle to travel. To rapidly 

 and economically remove this obstacle from the tracks as soon 

 as possible after each snow-storm, electric snow-ploughs have 

 been constructed, one of which, manufactured by the Sprague 

 Electric Railway and Motor Company, is shown in the accom- 

 panying illustration. It is fitted with two fifteen horse-power 

 improved motors, and is so arranged that it can be run either 



to show the capabilities of the plough, it has effectually taken 

 care of several light falls of snow which have obstructed th 

 tracks this winter. 



THE HALE PATENT PAVEMENT. 



The Hale pavement, shown in section in the accompanying 

 illustration, consists essentially of a shell of hard-bumed 

 bricks laid upon a board floor having a bed of sand below and 

 above it. It is constructed in the following manner. The 

 grade having been properly reduced and dressed to the required 



