CLEARING BALL

Saw this big ball in Hungry Horse and I had to find out what it was used for. It is a 4.5 ton, 8-foot diameter ball used in 1950 for clearing operations in the Hungry Horse Reservoir. 

The ball was dragged at the end of cables by two large tractors. The height of the ball kept chains and cables free of stumps. The result was that clearing was as fast as a man could walk, men were safe from falling trees, and clearing costs were reduced.