The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1909-12-24
A WATER WHEEL THAT WORKS
A New Tangled Current Moter
that Promises to Come
Into General Use.

c. a. Neyland, of Spokane. has in
vented, and is installing for use in
many places, a current irrigating mo-
ter. The principle of utilizing the
current of stream for pumping p,,r-
poses is not new one. Many invent
ors have studied the proposition, and
as result many varieties of current
water wheels and current moters have
come into existence, but it has been left
to Mr.. Neyland to solve the problem
in manner to accomplish the best
results. The design that has been put
to practical test and has been found to
fill the bill to perfection, was not a
sudden inspiration. Mr.. Neyland felt
convinced that it was possible to util-
ize the current of stream to lift wa
ter, and he studied the problem for
years, tried many experiments, and
after applying much time, labor and
worry at last perfected the moter he is
now introducing. AS said above there
have been many current moters de-
signed by man, but when put to the
test some weakness somewhere pre-
vented them from satisfactorily per-
forming the functions expected of them.
Mr.. Neyland has an invention that
pumps water, and when set in motion
plods along without the necessity of
boss, engineer or overseer. Set up
the machine on stream where the
current runs three miles an hour, start
the blade dipping and the owner can
stroll off about his business. That
moter works the pump and the pump
lifts the water to any reasonable height
or distance, throwing steady stream
to the full capacity of the pump.
The writer was somewhat surprised
to learn that Mr.. Neyland had bloomed
out as an inventor. He knew the gen.
tleman years ago as pill roller, as
Mr.. Neyland is a graduate pharmacist,
and good one. Although not prac-
tical mechanic he had this mechanical
idea in the roof, and proceeded to work
it out to successful reality.
T. is very simple eontrivance, yet
difficulty to describe understandingly,
especially by one not familiar with ma
chanics. There is no complicated ma
chinery to get out of order, no great
friction to cause wear, nothing that
cannot be understood at glance The
motion is steady, smoothe, regular
There is metal blade attached to
long but light sweep ,extending over
the water, attached by chain to a
nicely balanced beam above extending
at right angles, and weighted at the
end. The blade dips.into the water, is
carried a few feet by the current, is
automatically lifted from the water by
the beam above, and the weight swings
it back into place where it drops again
gently into the stream. The motion
of the blade by working an attachment
is what turns the trick of lifting
the fluid to where it will do the most
good. The description is about as i'm
perfect as description of piece of
mechanism could well be, but it is
enough to say that there is no question
as to the moter doing the work claimed
for it.
The great drawback about the mo-
ters heretofore invented has been the
lack of provisions for meeting the rise
and fall of the water in river. So
long as the water remained stationary
some of these moters would work all
right, but change in the volume of
sion. This drawback is avoided in the
Neyland current moter. 1t rests on two
iron rails extending from the water to
higher bank of the river. A wire rope
is attached to the moter and also to Il
capstan anchored on the bank. With
very little exertion the moter can be
raised or lowered to conform with the
stage of the water, and is ready for
business in few moments. Drift does
not interfere with its operations.
Mr.. Neyland has one of these moters
in the Similkameen river, at DR.. c. p.
Houses home place, and all who have
seen it work feel satisfied that it is the
coming method of irrigating small
tracts, even up to 160 acres. or more.
1t has been tried on the Columbia, Spo-
kane and Okanogan rivers, and given
perfect satisfaction. When land own
ers along streams Of any size come to
understand its usefulness this moter
will come into general use, for it is
within reach of men of limited means,
and there is no expense attached to
running it. Ed Cox, of this place, rep
resents Mr.. Neyland, and he will take
pleasure in exhibiting the moter and
giving all the information that may be
desired on the subject.