The Irish standard., 1889-01-19

POWER FROM WAVES.
Tho Queer Mill in Course Of Erection "a
tho EoeiRs>

-
the Pacific Coast
Many visitor to the Cliff House has won
dered what the spidery-looking contrivance
Is for that they have seen few hundred
yards up the beach at Point Lobos, says the
San Francisco Examiner. If they viii go
up to it now and make inquiries, for it is at
last in working order, they will find that
it is machine for turning the rhythmicai
beating Of the waves against the rocks into
power that can be utilized for working
mills and manufactures, and driving cable
cars and putting salt water baths into city
houses, and sprinkliEg the streets and
flushing the sewers. Though the result OF
supplying power that can take the place
Of high-priced coal is so important, the ma
chinery by which it is accomplished is SIM
pie enough. One wonders as soon as he
sees it why somebody didn't think Of it ages
ago.
All that there is OF it is a sort Of developed
suction- pump, in which the power is sup
Piled by the waves, a reservoir, and water
wheels. Suspended from big iron uprights
is frame. work, across the lower part OF
which is fastened heavy planking. This
planking presents face to the waves about
six feet by twelve, and its framework is so
arranged that it can be raised or lowered
as the tide rises and fails. The waves DASH
ing against this move 1t in iron grooves
backward and forward, and its motion is
communicated through some other machin-
cry to a twelve-inch piston, 50 that move
ment Of thirty-two feet by the frame
work causes nine-foot movement OF
the piston. This pump connects with
long suction pipe. the other end
Of which is under water. This pipe
is fitted with screen to keep out
sand and debris. AL air chamber fourteen
feet high keeps the pressure in the pump
steady aud forces constant stream OF
water through the big iron pipe that clam
bers up the cliff and over the hill to height
of 156 1eet. That is sss high Us the pipe goes
now, but the force is sufficient to- pump the
water height Of 500 feet above the sea
level. The remainder Of the plan is a huge
reservoir at that height and system Of
water-wlleels, which would supply power
limited only by the numosr'of motors.
After the water has passed over tho
wate,-wheels it is the idea Of The; COM
pany that it could be brought into the city
and used for private baths, street sprlnkling,
sewer flushing and other things. -Atpresent
water pumped up is allowed 10 run Of in
VIC S1VAAus
Only one piston has been put in as yet,
but this pumps ut the rate Of three barrels
per minute, and the motor could drive also
four others Of equal capacity.
The force, of course, increases as the tide
rises and as the wind sets in toward the
land Ordinarily the motor does not work
at low tide, but will run usually from eight
cen to twenty hours per day, and under
favoring conditions Of wind and tide will
work steadily the whole twenty-four.
This motor was begun about three years
ago, hut unfortunate circumstances have
delayed it's completion. Severe storms
have several times thrown the work back,
and when the dynamite-loaded schooner ex-
ploded off Point Lobos the rock upon which
it was being built was split in two. It has
only just been completed, but SO for has
worked with complete SUCCESS.