The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-12-08
TIE HYDRAULIC NILS.


In the matter or Touring mills Wichita has
been unfortunate In one sense. Three -four.
ing mills have been destroyed by fire within
ten years. But now We are probably better
supplied IN that particular than any city in
the State. We except none. The new mills
Of Diefenbaugh, Lewis & Co., that have
arisen, phGnix-like from the ashes of the old
water-mills are complete, and named sThe
Hydraulic Milis.' They are located on the
banks Of the Chisholm creek SEINE fifty rods
cast Of the city limits where their broad and
high walls loom up against the eastern sky
in imposing proportions. The main building
is 4oxG feet on the ground, and four and one
half stories high including the machinery
basement. The foundation basement walls
of the old mill which spanned the creek have
been cemented with water lime and convert
ed into forebay. Three Lefel wheels fur
nished the old mills with power, now a SIM
pie Victor turbine transmits twice the power
OF all the Lefels combined The water in the
iorebay stands at depth of nine feet over
the Victor at the bottom of which il is sub
merged. The giant power thus developed is
really astonishing. Without noise or racket
of any character it silently speeds around
discharging IFS spent waters with hardly
ripple, turning the immense wrought iron
horizontal shaft that drives with steadincss
the entire machinery of the five floors of the
mill which stands some twenty-five feet away
on the high bank and out of the reach of
floods. The superstructurc rests upon a
foundation basement-wall of stone five feet
thick at the base and three feet thick at the
top. The wheat is delivered to the mills by a
newly patented dump which works like
charm unloading wagon and putting it
back in place that both the wheat and
empty wagon are weighed without moving |
the team. The dump stands on the outside |
and must be seen TO be understood. The |
first floor of the mill is occupied by an Office.
by four run of stones, by the packing ma
chinery, delivery chests, bran-rcducers, and |
other machinery. In the basement, which
contains the main shaft. gearing wheels aud
scourers we noticed rotary power fire pump
which forces water to large tank IN the
roof from which hose leads to every part OF
the mill On the first floor is continuance
run by ribbon belt called a speed indicator
by which the speed of the stones is regulated.
In case any thing goes wrong, this indicator
sets gong-bell going at lively rate The
new process bran smashers consist of hori-
zontai, smoota-surfaced cylinders, which
take from the bran the last spec of -four,
leaving a worthless she'll. On the second and
third floors are nine boiling chests and reels
each twenty feet long. There are
SIX elevator bins, built in the most substan-
nal manner. OF capacity of twelve thous- ,
aud bushels of wheat, or two thousand each.
Besides these, the mills contain the usual
complement of middling and corn meal re.
,eptaeies, wheat separators, cleaners, and an {
nextricable confusion of spouts, eleyating ,
ubes, carriers, etc, which pen nor picture G
'enld adequately describe The -four chest E
has capacity of sixty-eight barrels, or t
welve hours run. =
The Hydraulic Mills, as they stand. cost t
he sum Of twenty-eight thousand five hun. q
ired dollars and are substantial improve 5
nent that must prove of great Importance to :
10Th town and county. Substantially built | h
fter the most approved models and of the G
'est and latest machinery and possessing n
bundance of the cheapest power, and to b
pare, they no doubt will be n source of rev. O
nue. TO their owners, ameans OF employment I
or skilled workmen, and benefit for the o
eople at large for many years to come.