Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-25
PUMPING WAVE MOTOR
DEVICE THAT Is DOING ITS WORK
REGULARLY AND CHEAPLY.
Swells of the Pacific Ocean Utilized for
Commercial Purposes-Novel
Machine.
rom the San Francisco Chronicle.

From the San Francisco Chronicle.
How many San Franciscans, even those
interested in mechanics, know that for four
years, within eighty miles Of this city. the
Pacific ocean has been successfully broken
to harness and Is hard at work pumping
water as steadily as an old blind horse on
treadmill7
There are on the patent records at Wash
ington 81 appliances for utilizing the force
of the ocean waves, but the city OF Santa
Cluz owns the only machine that has ever
proved permanent or of practical value.
Volumes could be written of the failures
and the fortunes squandered in the same
field for years. but it will suffice here to
touch upon those that inspired the common
carpenter endowed with a large bump Of
common sense to accomplish what trained
mechanics. backed by abundant capital, had
failed to do.
In 1886 a German named Gerlach was
backed by Kearny street capitalists to the
extent of $4,000, and erected a huge ma
chine few miles below Santa Cruz. Great
fiat paddles were to be swung by the break
ers and to operate a shaft by means Of
pawls. A thirty-ton fiy-wheel was mounted.
and the sprocket chain alone weighed over
three tons. But the wheel was never turn
ed. the Irresistible force" met the 'immov-
able body" and there could be only one re-
suit. Again, in 1888, the Graham brothers
of San Jose built on Lighthouse Point an
immense tank, the idea being to corral
the breakers at high tide and to release the
water through turbines. One vigorous storm
served to lay this plant upon the Santa
Cruz beach In small bits, and 1t was never
rebuilt.
Santa Cruz Force Pump.
about that time" says Mr.. Armstrong,
Il began to think that if the waves would
wreck SO many tons of machinery they
would work better without it. We have
always had a knack at continuance in our
family. and am never happier than when
studying out mechanical difficulties My
brother has six patents, but the wave motor
is the only one 1 ever took out, though l
have made several things on which might
have done So. So much for William Arm
strong, the inventor-a tall spare unas-
Stunning man of fifty-four. with no special
mechanical training and only the common
education of backwoods country school.
North OF Santa Cruz the beautiful Cliff
drive winds for four miles along the sand
stone bluffs where giant waves da sh angrily
against the shore that dares to oppose their
fury, to fall back Kissing and roaring in de-
feat. In time of storm the turmoil is deaf
ening. and the spray flies far across the
drive or hangs in spume-a white veil along
the shore.
At point where the waves surge against
the cliff. which rises thirty feet above high
tide. the Armstrong; sank two wells in the
sandstone down to six feet below the ebb.
and opened them at the bottom into the
ocean. In the foremost we'll they placed a
float; In the second a common force pump
The float and pump are fastened at the end
OF a stxty-foot timber counterbalanced over
pair of small car wheels on the bank The
rush of the wave fills the wells. raising the
float. Then as the water recedes the 1 6OO
pound weight Of the float falls upon the MIS-
ton of the pump and the water is forced
into tank 125 feet above the sea level
Property Of the City.
The plant is the property of the city. and
the water is used only for sprinkling pur-
poses. This machine. which is in charge of
the inventor, has been improved in several
details since Its erection in 1897, and now
develops about four horse power, though a
float equal to sixteen horse power could be
put In. There Is an average of seventy feet
of down stroke per minute in ordinary
weather. which often increases to 100 feet
and over in rough weather, and never falls
below thirty feet The device may be con-
sidered practicable up to twenty-five or
thirty-horse power at a cost Of about 300
per horse power for installation but as the
sites are innumerable along the coast the
units could be indefinitely multiplied.
The cost Of maintenance is almost moth
Ing, and the motor may be readily stopped
at any time by filing a small counterbal-
ancing tank with water which raises the
float. A plug pulled from the bottom of the
tank gradually puts the machine into ac-
ton.
Let the reader imagine himself upon the
rugged cliff fifty feet above the breakers
Far out at sea or perhaps below the equa-
tor great storm has spent itself. weeks be-
fore, unheralded by any weather bureau, but
now the mighty waves are laundering upon
the shore. Above. a sky Of deepest blue;
across the bay the hazy mountains Of
Monterey and to the east the ever green
hills at whose base nestles the city of Santa
Cruz, With vicious hiss Of foam the waves
hurl themselves against the cliff almost
beneath his feet and the eye follows. fas-
cinated the breaking crest as 1t meets the
shore for miles beyond. The very earth
trembles with the impact. but the beam Of
the wave motor only rises majestically
twenty or perhaps thirty feet. like the pis-
ton of some huge steam engine while the
water sucks and gurgles and groans in the
wells below with the means of Neptune the
ungovernable. conquered at last.