The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-04-15
The Turbine Mater wheel.

In view Of the fact that Green
Creek viii be brought in to empty
its waters into the Sandusky, and be
made to contribute to the general
prosperity Of our city, by turning
machinery that will give employ
ment to numerous artisans, it may
be well enough to consider the
amount Of good that it might accom-
phsh by the use of proper appliances.
And in order to do so, we do not
think we can do better than to give
the following article from a recent
number Of the Scientific -AmcricaR,
which exemplifes how great pur-
pose a small stream of water may
subserve:
MEssRs. EDITORS: A very inter
esting and successful experiment in
driving large Touring mill, with a
high head Of water and very small
Turbine wheel, has Just been CON-
pleted in this place The Casca-
dilla Brook is one OF the smaller
streams that comes down the hills
that surround our town, through q
very beautiful glen, with numerous
cascades, and hence its name.
Near Cascadilla Place, is largeand
costly building connected with Cor
nell University. These cascades are
high and the glen is very deep, and
whole gorge is a plcturesQe one to
its lower end, where is the mill Of
which I have spoken. The last one
hundred and twenty-five feet fall be-
long to the mill. The capacity of
the stream in very low water is only
about ten or twelve cubic inches.
The problem Of the mill was to
make available this high head, at
the minimum capacity Of the stream,
so as to drive at least two run of
stone, in the lowest water, and at
least four run in ordinary water, and
the bolts and other machinery.
which with fans. and cleaners Of
grain, elevators, etc, make quite
quantity and variety in modern
mill. The first indication was pipe
for the water This was decided to
be Of iron, laid in a trench up the
slope Of the nil, just outside Of the
rayine. The second was q suitable
wheel; and it was decided that if
speed could be had, the whole mill
could be driven by a very small
wheel.
The matter ultimately took this
shape. From a stone dam not quite
quarter Of a mile of, fume has
for years run along the side of the
gorge, to a spot few hundred feet
up the slope from the mill. Near
about one hundred feet perpendicu-
lar hight above the wheel pit began
the iron pipe and was laid down the
slope three hundred and twenty feet,
TO where it branched into two parts.
one for the plaster mill that grinds
the Cayuga plaster, that great fer
tilizer for our wheat lands; and the
other to the Touring mill, some one
hundred feet further on.
These branches were laid with
sixteen inch pipe. At the Touring
mill the branch terminates in a glob-
ulsr case some three feet in diane
ter and two feet high. In this is To-
ca1ed first the water wheel gates.
and list beneath them the, at first
sight, insignificant little wheel, only
eleren and halt inches IN diameter.
This wheel is supported on a two or
two and a quarter inch steel shaft,
whicn comes out of the globular
case by a water-tight packing; and
on the top Of the shaft is belt pin
ion about q foot in diameter, with a
belt of the enormous width of six
teen inches, which belt passes about
a'wheel seven feet in diameter, and
which wheel is connected by a cog
pinion 20 the large common driver
of the four rUn of stones of the mill.
This gives the stone driver and its
upright shaft about tWenty-cight
revolutions to the minute; While the
pUny water wheel, in its little iron
case, shall make the surprising num-
ber Of nine hundred revolutions per
minute. As they say of inheriting
property, this is planning with ''large
expectations" Of the wheel. But
can say that 1 have seen this actual
ly accomplished. The wheel runs
its nine hundred revolutions as qui-
city as if it had for years understood
the business, and was not novice
in high speed; and as certainly and
smoothly drives the four run OF
stone, and their bolts, and the other
packing and cleaning machinery.
So quietly does it do its work
that we can hardly realize its full
power; for turning Touring mil
stones is no child's. play, even fol
thirty and forty feet oyershot wheels.