The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-02-18
A Powerful Machine.

After many accidents and trials,
says the San Francisco Call, the wave
power motor so long talked off has at
last been finished and proved a sue
cess. The construction of this ma
chine or apparatus, which was begun
in July, 1886, was at the time consd-
cred hair-brained scheme, but the
projectors stuck to their plan and
seem now to be in fair way of sue
cess. Great difficulty was experienced
at first in getting the materials to
withstand the force of rocks thrown
against them by the waves and the
pipes which conduct the water up the
bluff were broken and carried away
no less than fourteen times. When
the schooner Parallel went ashore and
her cargo of dynamite exploded the
motor was completely wrecked. A
mass of rock weighing six hundred
tons was thrown from the cliff and fell
across the chasm over which the motor
was suspended, blocking it up to such
an extent that nearly three months
were consumed in blasting out the de-
bris. Soon after another mass of
stone weighing $50 tons fell and had
to be removed. The motor is a very
simple contrivance and still is capable
of exerting a great power.
Across chasm in the rocks just
north of Parallel point bridge of
heavy timbers was built. Suspended
from this is huge fan or paddle of
oak timbers, with the spreading por-
ton downward. This is fastened to
the bridge by immense hinges which
allow it, when in operation, to swing
back and forward distance of thirty
six feet as the waves strike it The
handle or upper portion of the fan is
connected with solid plunger pump
twelve inches in diameter and having
a stroke of nine to twelve feet. This
pump in turn is connected with sue
tion pipe running out into deep water.
The fan is so rugged that it can be
drawn up out of reach of the waves
when not in use. When a wave comes
in the fan is thrown forward and
forces the air out of the pump barrel
in which the plunger works. On the
wave receding the fan is carried sea-
ward and the plunger drawn out, Gre
ating vacuum and causing a quick
rush of water into the suction pipe.
The force with which the water is
drawn up is sufficient to raise it to
an elevation of $50 feet above the tide
level.
Should this motor prove as success
full rs the projectors seem confident il
will, several others will be built in
the same neighborhood and an i'm
mense reservoir built on the hill to
contain the water.
This one motor, with its twelve
inch plunger, is capable of raising
$4,000 cubic feet of water $50 feet
high in every twenty-four hours. The
uses to which the water will be put
are various. A thirty-six inch pipe
will be conducted to the city and water
will be supplied to all branches of in
dustry where machinery is used.
Bathing houses will also be supplied
with salt water and sewers flushed
where it is necessary.
begun in about ten days, and an eight
inch pipe is now being laid for the
purpose.
The last mentioned pipe is for
Adolph Sutro and is to be utilized in
siuicing away large amount OF drift
ing sand from the heights just back
of the aquarium. This work is rem
dered necessary to prevent the sand
from washing back on the beach and
retarding the work there.
The immense fan of the motor gen.
crates large amount of energy
which is not used in working the
Dump and when everything is i'm
shape electric dynamos will be erected
TO utilize this energy for heating pur,
poses and the like.