The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-25 00:00:00

IMPROVED WATER-WHEEL.

In February last, we not;ced one of those newly
patented mills, erected near How-wood, and gave a
brief account of its general appearance and advantages.
We then stated that, as far upwards as 20 horse
power, the principle had been fully tested, but that
doubts were entertained by some, whether it would
hold equally good, as the power increased. This has
now been tried, as far upwards as a 60-horse power,
and to this extent the soundness of the principle is as
fully proved, as it was with a wheel of one-twentieth of
that power. The trial we allude to, was made at
Greenock on Wednesday last, in presence of a number
of Shareholders in the Shaws Water-works, proprietors
and managers of mills on the line of falls, and other
distinguished gentlemen of Greenock, interested in the
general progress of discovery and improvement.
The wheel now under notice, is erected on one of the
falls of the Shaws Water Company, on the rising ground
above Greenock, and is intended to drive the ma-
chinery of a wool spinning-mill, nearly ready for the re-
ception of its machinery, belonging to Messrs. Neil,
Fleming, and Reid.
The height of fall is thirty feet, and the quantity of
water used was, as nearly as may be, 13,000 cubic feet
per minute. The power produced by this column of
water on an overshot wheel of the best construction,
would be about fifty-three horse power ; there is, there-
fore, a balance of about seven-horse power in favour of
the Patent Mill

But this does not show its advantages fully. In an
undershot mill, where the fall is but three or four feet,
the power obtained is only thirty-three per cent. In
the more favourable case of a breast mill, with a fall of
ten or twelve feet, about sixty per cent. is obtained, and
in an overshot wheel of about thirty feet, not more
than seventy per cent., under the most favourable cir-
cumstances, is obtained ; while in the case of the patent
mill, the gain is equal to about eighty per cent.. To
this may be added, that whether the quantity of water
be abundant, with a low fall, or scanty with a high fall,
the new mill is calculated to reap alike from both all
the derivable advantages.
There is another point, too, wherein the patent mill
has a very decided advantage over the common water-
wheel. A water-wheel of thirty feet diameter makes
about two revolutions per minute ; hence to bring up
the speed necessary for ordinary manufacturing pur-
poses, a great deal of gearing must be made to inter-
vene. This will ti-cquently occasion a loss of three or
four horse power—a loss which is avoided by giving a
revolution of ninety to the first moving shaft, while all
the expense of the intervening gearing is saved.
The subject of expense is in this, as in most other
cases, a question of primary consideration ; and, in this
respect, the advantages of the patent mill are still
greater than in the case of power. A waterwheel
and its arc suited for the woollen m:11 to which we
have been referring, would cost about 1,5)01., or,
adding the pipes for conveying the water to the wheel,
about 1,7001. ; while the price of the patent mill, with
its conducting pipes, will not exceed 5001.
As the height of the fall increases the advantages of
the patent mill increase in a still greater proportion.
The four most prominent advantages of the patent
mill over the water-wheel, are, first, its first cost is a
very great deal less ; second, it produces more power
with the same column of water ; third, it is better
adapted to every kind of fall ; fourth, it adapts itself by
the regulating power of its governor far more effectively
to the varying work it may have to perform. Its
secondary advantages are, that it is more speedily fitted
up ; it requires far less room, inasmuch as its pit may
be floored over, and no space lost. The quantity of
material being small, it admits of easy removal, mid
its simplicity of construction is so great, and its fric-
tion so little, as to remove almost everything like tear
and wear. _

On the whole, we conceive this is one of the most
remarkable improvements ever made in the application
of water as a moving power. The wasted resources of
mountain streams which, both in this and other coup-
tries, it may bring into useful operation are incalculable ;
and we feel we are but doing our humble duty to science
in giving it all the publicity we can. The improvement
is not speculative ; its practical working may now be
seen in this country, from a mill of three horse power
up to one of sixty, and from a fall of five feet up to one
of thirty ; in all cases the r, sults being in proportion to
the weight of the column of water in motion.—Paisley
Advertiser.

ENTERPRIZE AT THE CAPE OF

GOOD HOPE.

In examining the numerous rivers whose embouchures
are on this coast, it has been remarked that nearly all
of them have their outlets on the eastern or left banks
and which has been attributed, in part, to the retroces-
sion of the sea, and, in part, to the violence of the
south-east gales, which drive lip large quantities of
loose sand to the western side of every inlet. A most
interesting experiment, on this subject, is now making
at the mouth of the bowie. This river, like all others
on this coast which we have had the opportunity of in-
specting, is characterized by being choked up on it:.
western shore by banks of sand ; the aim of the projec-
tors, therefore, is to remove this obstruction, and to
prevent the accumulation of such impediments in future.
The former part of the task is comparatively easy, but
the latter can only be accomplished by means of the
power of the river itself, and which, when confined within
a narrow channel, will, it is supposed, give such an impe•
tus to the receding tide and stream as shall carry out
all that loose sand with which, from tame to
time, it may be encumbered,—either as the ef-
fect of the tides, or of those south-east gales to
which we have referred. That the effect of following
out this principle will be to deepen the channel, those
best informed on Vie subject do not entertain a doubt
—and of which, indeed, it is said, an example is af-
forded at the Little Umgszi River, on the Amaponda
coast, about 150 rriles further to the eastward. This
river presents, on its western shore, a bold and rocky
bank, and which continues unbroken until it communi-
cates with the ocean. The stream has, in conse-
quence, such force, that the south-east gales are
effectually counteracted. The outlet remains on the
western side, and is so deep that ,t is said the natives
have never known it to be fordable.
At the Kuwie, the spirited projectors are endeavour-
ing to accomplish by art that which—in the above ex-
ample—has been done by nature. They have, how-
ey,a, fp clear away the obstructions accumulated during
a course of ageo? and which, should their efforts be
crowned with success, will a bright example of
enterprise, that, if followed up generally, may he at,
tended with the most lasting and extensive benefits
to the whole colony, 'that an undertaking of
thisportance d magnitude should be carried
t an
o
plotion,
without the concurrence of un-
looked-for delays and difficulties—it would be folly
to expect. Both have been experienced ; but
in a very mitigated degree to what—considering the
nature o the opposing powers—might reasonably have
f
bceti I)otwithstanchag„ however, all the