Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-06-06
THE FIRST WATER POWER.

..-a for Lafayette Seventy-hve years
Ago.
savannah. Ca. June THE efforts !
made on Narragansett Bay, R. L. I
a, Los Angeles. Gala, and at
~-s-a Falls to harness tides and
saves TO the wheels Of modern indus
- cau the time three-Quarters Of a /
-g ago when rice was pounded on
Waccamaw river, In South Caro-
in mills dependent upon tse tides
.a6ir motive power. This was then
only tidal power in the United
States. and the supply from it was sent
over the country.
typical mill of this kind. situated
about seven miles from Georgetown, |
the Oak Hill plantation which be-
-reed to the fine old Allston family
family of Washington Allston, the
5rated painter who married the sis
.- of Richard Henry Lana, ana Ct
rlseDh Auston. Governor, who mar
Rod Theodos.a daughter of Aaron
arrr It is probable that one OF t1c
.Aus-ops personally designed tho mil,
Tor they were rr0sressiye people, and
the oI5-scho. gentlemen of South
Carolina. who sent his sons to Europe
IN be- educated. had them take courses
i'm rre.rea-.ug as well as in art and
letters. The Alston mill. Known To-
...r rs the .DOuble-Geared mill, was
r.--u.v the first of It's kind III the
State. IL was certainly the ast; for <
was destroyed by the West Indian hur-
-.re Of 1898. which swept over the
Islands with such devastating fury.
... machinery. however. had long since
,ed 90 reyOlve, for the emancipation
o.. ne slaves had taken away the only
.1r with which the slow and crude
aratus could be probably operated.
The immense rice fields of Oak Ill.,
-ouuded by q dixie, served as Ire
..a-e reservoir. The mill was on
-. ambaukment az the rivers edge,
with the rice fields behind it. The only
..- into the field at pounding time
-Hsa pit under the mill. in which there
-. tUo water wheels, one geared 10
- -ra machinery as the rising tide
-.-rH into the field. and the other
scared -1 run it as the receding tide
H-... the level of the river below
.a a of the water in the field.
ruu fact the mill took its name,
-r. .u. e-Geared mill" There were
other plants operated in a SINH
manner erected LATER. but they had
o.r one water wheel, and hence did
not approach in dignity the double
-eareI one.
AS may Dee imagined. the power gen
Grated did not amount 90 a great deal
as measured uv horsepower units. 1t
took Ions time ,0 pound the crop. But
labor was cheap. time was plenty, and
the MASTER having barrels of money,
aid NOT need ro hurry the crop TO mar
ha- One crop could lie in the barns
mul .ts room was needed for the next
one. and 10 would make no difference.
A feature of the "DOuble-Geared
mill" and one which probably cannot
Do found iD any similar building in the
country. was IT'S stairways. They would
have Zra0ed q mansion. There were
.1 f.ghts leading TO the immense
Hr upon whose polished floor q
harvest BAN was given each year. The
-Hars-steps, posts, newels-were
solid black walnut with carving
where ir was possible for carving TO
show .o advantage. The loft was
rsrIej with black walnut and the
floor was of solid oak. 1t was a ball
room used for warehouse purposes,
except one day and night in the year.
70 lis of present as we'll as historical
interest ODD note that the remarkable old
-.t-Irran mill stood almost within
sight Uf Inc mansion in which Latay-
.ra spent his first night upon Ameri-
can soL The histories and biOgraph-
..s Ua very indefinite with regard TO
.aataues landing in this country.
Some of them say he landed at George
town. others say il was near George
HHr The fact is that he came ashore
surf boat. and landed on the beach
Prince George Winyah parish.
Thence De- was conducted across the
ov neck of land intervening to
Prospect Hill. the mansion or the
- family.
This mansion was one of the finest OF
r. ua-nificent old Colonial homes IN
r. rsrolinas. surrounded by grounds
area of a mile. planted IN the
midst of q splendid oak grove fanked
nm ono side by the slave quarters, or
.-e and fronting on a gentle
-"HH leading 10 the rice fields and the
rr The internal economy of the lit
Immunity was complete, even TO
plantation church. which. in pic
-rscua ruins a few years ago. has
r.H disappeared. The mansion. how
r stands aud is occupied. And 1t
OBSERVES 90 this day its air OF dlStlhc-
.0r Notwithstanding il is the worse
'- the ravabes of time, its owners be
.- u circumstances differing greatly
from those enjoyed by its occupants OF
.r DAYS The lOrdly old OAKS re-
Il main defving the flight of time and
ug their long. gray boards OF
us it i'm pleasant ruminauon upon
departed glories of long ago.
tradition that Lafayette ate roast
Hs'u for dinner on the evening Of
arrival at Prospect Hill. and later
through the avenues of oaks
stoned TO the singing of the slaves
..r quarters However that may
certain that ON that evening the
.. the sincere. Self-sacrifcing and
friendship between the Mar
and Francis KinlOch Huger was
H.t To will be recalled that HUI
.rng and brilliant rescue of La
from the dungeon of the Aus
fortress at OlmutZ. after his long
.meut and i'll usage therein, Is
fle most romantic and thrilling
history of those romantic days.
r tradition h1f DrprrV certain that