Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-08
Early History of SaW-mills.

have them St!i thinner they were heWn on
both sides to the proper size. This simple and
wastefu manner of making boards has still
been continued in Russia to the present time
Peter the Great tried to put a stop to it by
the forbiding hewn boards to he transported on
river Neva The saw. however, though so con-
vcnent and beneficial, has not been able entire
ly to Danish entirely the practice Of splitting
timber used in roofing, or in making furniture
and utensils and indeed, it must be allowed
that this method is attended with peculiar ad-
vantages, which that Of saving ueyer can
possess. The woodsplitlers perform their
work more eXpendtiousy than sawyers, and
split timber is much stronger than that which
has been sawn for the fiSsure follows the grain
Of the wood and leaves it whole whereas, the
saw proceeding in the line chaiked out for it,
divides tAe fbers. and by the means lessons its
cohesion and solid,ty. Split timber, indeed,
often turns ont crooked and warped but in
many purposes to which it is applied, this is
not prcjud;cal, and such lanltS may sometimes
be amended IS the fberS however retain
their natural strength and direction thin
boards particularly can be bent much better.
This is an advantage in making pipe-staues, or
sievcframes, which require still more art, and
in forming various implements Of the ike kind
Our common saw, which needs only to be
guided by the hand Of the workman, however
simple it may be was not known to the inhabi-
tants of America when they were suJdued by
the Europeans
The saws Of the Grecian carpenters had the
same form, and were made in the like ingen
ious manner as ours are at present. This is
fully shown by painting still preserved among
Il, ,F
are represented at the end of bench, which
consists of a long table that rests upon two
four-footed stools The piece of wood which
has to be Sawn thr ugh is secured by cramps
The saw with which the gcnii are at work has
a perfect resemblance to our frame saw. 1t con-
SStS Of a square frame, having in the middle a
blade. the teeth of which stand perpendicular
to the plane Of the frame. The piece Of wood
which is to be Slwu extends beyond the end of
the bench, and one Of the wCrkmen appears
standing and the other sitting on the ground.
The arms in which the blade is fastened, have
the same form that given to them at present.
In the bench are seen holes, in which the
cramps that hold the timber are stuck. They
are shaped like the figure I, and the ends Of
them reach below the boards that form the
top of it, The French call cramp of this
kind an roiet
The most beneficial and Ingenious improve
ment of this instrument was, without doubt, the
invention Of sawmills, which are driven either
by water, wind, or by steam Mills Of the
kind were erected as early as the fourth cen
,,r. ~ Clr,,.,,,. an tho snoII rivor Ronr or
I.,.r c,. tl,,,I ,,,so,,ir. s,.ool,s ,,r,,orIr of
,,.,tar,,,;I, ro. ,,,tir,r s.ona md oat iio,G.r
:, a,,,,,+ J., ,I,,lta3 tLot t}oso u,oro ip,an,oI
- 4o, tbo,, r,ijIs for p,orrr,otrrinr ho,rfs or
that both kinds were erected at the same time
Tho 49,. however of cuttinr marble with = saw
: r.r, ia pI;.v coniocfnras That i was in
yontcd in Taria .t Ieast he knew mo- bu.I3i,.a
inarnstoI win marble If gra, ter antiooitv tLan
the nalace Of King Mapso|us. at Halicarnassus
This edii,e is celebrated by Vlrnvius for the
baoptv If its marble and pTnv nivps an ac
.onr+ of tho d;liarant kinds of sand psod for
cnttinr il for If j. the sand pronerIy saws he
and not saw which nrodpccs tbiS effect T1e
Iottar nrosses dovn tho former and rphs il
o,roi,.,t tLo ,oo,,Ia and tho co,rsnr tho sand
=; tLo I,r,ror .iI Ia rho time racuirod to nolisb
,,o r,,rr11 ,,b;cb bos hcop ont law # Storos
g +raa1a,, no,.I- l,ind which ora rdood softo,
rhon ,norITo and which ,yonId rrc,,iro los. forca
tbon wood wora sowr ot that nnriod
INIT il onnenrs that the far harder CLASSY kinds
If s,o,o tvoro so,vr than Iso for we orn told of
tbo .d;ycororv of . bpildinr which was enrrnst
ed witb emf agatc corneiian IanisIaznIi and
omatbvsts Therr is however fouud no ac
.or,t j., o,,, of tho @ rock or Roman writer's
nF = mill for sau.ine, wood and as tha writer's
nr noIorn times sncak Of sow-mi}ls rs now and
nnconomon Il would seem that the oldest CON
strucfion Of them has been forgotten. or that
some imnroyemcnt has made them appear en-
rirrv new.
When the Infant Henry sent settlers to the
island of Madeira, which was discovered in
800 and canscd European fruits Of every Kind
10 bc carried tbither. he ordered saw-milIs to