Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-07-15
MNpMlLLs 81 ANoIEMr oRIoIN



Men Learned 20 Harness the AIR Ger.
rents In the Earliest Ages.
From the earliest antiquity, wind has
been employed rs a motive power, but 10
was not until the thirteenth century
that II was used to turn the mills Of Hol-
land, France, Germany and Belgium.
In Holland especially, the thirteenth
century was q century marked by grow
ing intelligence that fostered inventive
talent, and Dutch millwrights and en-
gineers were celebrated for their skill
In mechanics and engineering.
The avariciousness Of landlords pre-
vented the general use of windmiils in
England. OF a man who to-day tries TO
take more than belongs TO him we say
that he wants the earth, and IL Is incon-
ceivable 10 us that time ever existed
when man could claim the proprietor
chip Of the air. Such, however, at one
time was the power of men holding vast
estates In England that mills 10 be pro-
PEELED by water or air were heavily
taxed TO pay for the use of the wind
which blew them from over some lords
domains. AS TO the form these mills
took they were at first built movable,
with the sails turned in the direction of
the prevailing winds OF the country In
which they were situated, SO that they
were In operation only when the wind
was from certain quarter. They were
nfterward built ON float. To turn the
mills 10 the wind two methods were in
vented. In the German mill the whole
structure turned on post, which gave
II very ridiculous appearance, as II the
bulky tower and superstructure were
attempting to walk around on one stilt.
In the Dutch type the roof with the axle
and spars alone are movable. But they
were both operated by a wheel and pin
ions within or by long lever without.
The basement was generally built up Of
bowlders or heavy stoneworl, and the
Interior was fitted up with pumps or
with various kinds of machinery. Half
century ago nearly the whole Of the
grinding, stamping, saving, draining
and pumping of the low countries of Eu-
rope was done by wind power. And
even now, after nearly six centuries of
constant use and the introduction of
many rivals into the field of motors, the
people of Holland have never found any
thing better for their purposes. The
/ Zuyder Zee, which is TO be emptied and
added to the land area of the country,
will be pumped dry with windmills, but
they will be of the automatic type
known as the American mill.
Despite the erroneous popular notion
that windmills are antiqunted, their use
Is constantly increasing. A traveller in
Holland records the fact that from a
car window he counted 30, two-thirds
OF which were Of the American type, in
7 the space of ten minutes, and one jour
neying on the New York Central will
become aware of these features of the
landscape in our own country before
Troy is left a hundred miles behind.
All over central New York, Ohio, and
westward across what we used TO be
taught in our school Biographies was
the great American desert, now In Kan
sas, Nebraska and eastern Colorado,
these windmills may be seen. Some
times they are built like the Eiffel tow
er, an openwork structure of steel or
iron, In which are pumping works, and
surmounted by wheel made of slate.
The receiving surface of these American
mills is made up of blades of small
width set at an agile into cross bars con-
Meeting the arms of the mill. This con-
Etruction Is much lighter than that of
the Dutch mill, stronger and of greater
capacity for given diameter, and II re-
spends TO every variation of the wind
with the nghtness and certainty OF a
/ birds wing.-Modern Machinery.