Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-05
ELECTRIC POWER
REVIVES OLD MILL
Turned for 103 Years by
Force of Captured
Tidewater
OUTPUT IS INCREASED

.'You cannot make the mill to grind with
tlfs power that Ia past" TO paraphrase n
standard quotation that has been made 10
apply 10 any attempt to modern methods
in businesH. Apropos OF mills and power
there IL In America but ono tidewhter mill
Van Amringe's MIL, landmark Of
kniolterbooker days In New York, which
has been In operation since the period OF
King George III, In now run by electricity
No longer will tho great wheel revolve
with the tides, but the press OF switch
Will set In motion tho up-to-date grinding
apparatus that replaces tho once gigantic
overshot combination OF paddles, now ex-
lifting only on tho canvas OF the painter
The invasion OF electricity into the foid
OF Industry IL now practically complete as
70 demonstrated by the surrender OF the
5 Van Aniringo mill TO It's Irresistible appeal.
This establishment datsB back 10 tho early
days OF the seventeenth century, although
the mill itself was not built until seven
years after tho close OF the Revolutionary
War
King George H. not long after his access
sion, made a grant OF land known as The
Budd Patent" at what 10 now Mamaronect.
N. Y, to Samuel Budd. Part of this grant
or patent" paused In 1890 into the hands
OF another old KnIckerbocier family, the
Van AmrinEeH, who conceived the Idea
OF bottllng up tho tides and running n grist
mill on their newly acquired property.
So they built u dam from tho Shore TO n
neck of land. which formed a natural
harbor. This dam waE so constructed aB
20 inclose n salt water lake, inundRtinE
thirteen acres Of land. When the tide
would Hood. n large sluice gate In the dam
would be opened thus allowing tho dam
framed pond TO NIL. When the lido would
ebb. this gate would bo closed. thereby
trapping the water. which at low tide would
now over an old overshot water wheel.
For more than century this was known
AZ Van Amringe'a MIL" and became
famous tho country round. as one by ono
OF It's competitors passed out OF existence
or yielded TO more modern methods OF opor-
alton.
ios YEARS or ACTIVITY
cllnEtng 10 their proverblal family tra-
ditionS, the despondants OF It's Knlcker-
booker founders continued TO operate their
mill, with It's primitive machinery. until
1s93, los years from the time II was built |
During that year the mill was leveled by |
IRE. everything being destroyed. building |
overHhot wheel and the rest OF It's century,
cid equipment only tho lake remained.
The Van Amrngs family. which had |
maintained It's ownership OF the business |
and property. set about 90 construct an. |
other mill. In 10 doing they made two inn |
portant changes. Steel turbines were in |
stalled In place OF the Old oveTshot wheel |
and the grinding OF corn was discontinued. |
In place OF purveyor OF corr Hour Van |
Amringe's mill became producer OF |
terprise which proved TO be more favor |
ablo pursuit for It's operators than the |
business upon which the family fortune |
and reputation were based.
NEW ERA BEGINS
with the widened vision of tho modern
business man the lhtterday Van AmrIngea
could not see the economy OF waiting upon |
tho varying tidea. which. at the most, gave
power only six hours n day. Az a result
OF their calculations OF an income computed
upon a steady output from the mill ali
day long. the present and progressive head
OF the house OF Van Amrnse took up the
problem with A. T. Foster, OF the West
chester Lighting Company, a New York con.
ccrn.
The outcome OF this consultation was the
OF tho historic mill. Two
twenty ty-nve-horsepoweF motors were in
stalled to do the worlt--and more-of the
faithful but slow and antlquated mill
wheel with lis tdewater supply The ef-
heency has multiplied with the innovation
Ind the picturesque character OF the estab-
OF Van AmrinEe'B Mil has given
place 70 the attractive and more proftable
Electrical equipment