The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-11

mills by Winu-poWer, put it rSeultcV
in total failure for want of sufficient
energy,
The first sawmill erected. in the
United States was constructed in 1854
at the Piscataqua Falls, in the state
Of Maine, This mill was very crude
but il did the work OF half a dozer
men. A larg rip-saw moved up and
down at the rate OF 40 times a minute
driven BY water power, and the log'
were carried end first against the saw
on simple carriage, The saw was
kept in line by sliding blocks in a
solid frame, The mill was very crude
only producing about 500 feet OF lum'
Der day, but it was better than
saving boards by hand. Duplicates
OF this mill sprang up all over the
colonies, and soon the noise OF the
sawmill was beard throughout the
land. For the most part they were
all constructed like the first until
some ingenious Yankee discovered
that he could combine two rip-sawS
in the same frame about an inch apart
and saw off two boards at once,
Whit this improvement the gang
saws" came into being and doubled
the product OF the mills which, be
cause they produced so little lumber
in days work, were taxed to the ut
most of their capacity.
Little, ii any further improvements
we're inaugurated in sawmiil work
until the middle of the nineteenth
century when the circular saw was in
vented. Immediately the lumber
business was revolutionized and the
cost OF producing lumber dropped off
fully half. The circular saws ripped
up the logs with astonishing speed,
doubling and quadrupling the output
of the mills.
Up in 1885 water-power was almost
exclusively used in sawmill work.
That year the first stream mill was
equipped, and as the forests disap-
peared before the sawmills and the
water-power became less and less, the
mills began to adopt steam-power
until nearly every one OF them was
running by steam.
Only about score OF years ago the
band-saw was applied to sawmill
work. The band-saw was known be-
fore the circular saw, but is was diff
cult to manufacture these saws large
enough and with enough stability to
withstand the severe strains OF saw
mill work. Just as the circular saw
had relegated the up-and-down saw
to the scrap-heap so the band-saw re-
placed the buzz-saw With the thin
band-saw moving with lightning rap
idity the saving OF log was mat
ter of a very few minutes, and the out
put OF the mill was again doubled.
The next noteworthy improvement
was the adoption Of electric drive.
There is probably no industry in
which the power demands are more
exacting, for the power required III
sawmills varies not only with the kind
of timber handled, but also upon its
condition when passing through the
mill.
S1eam engines with their boiler fur
naces are extremely dangerous around
sawmills where everything is covered
with splinters, sawdust and wood -dust
so dry it ignites almost as easily a:
powder The first types OF elec
trio motors were also dangerous, be
cause as soon as they began to take
on a bit Of overload they began tc
sputter and spark. But within th'
past few years the induction, or alter
mating current motor has been per
fected which is now extensively uset
to drive sawmill machinery. Thl!
new motor is so simple it consists o
practically three pieces, like a shat
suspended between two hangers, ant
{, it will not spark.
The number Of sawmills equipped
with electricity in this country anC
Canada almost equals those equipped
with steam-power. At Bogalusa
Louisiana, the largest sawmill III tn
world has just been completed whicl
was entirely equipped with electricit.
BY the General Electric Company
The machinery in this modern mill i
all driven by direct-connected induc
ton motor doing away with all belt
and shafting; the mill and yards ar
lighted with electricity so the wor
can continue night and day. In tn
Northwest several portable electri
sawmills are in operation. Th
electricity is secured from WATERPROOF
/ l..