Powering the Mill

Powering the Mill

At first, the traditional wooden waterwheel was the prime mover in the Mill. Power was transmitted to the machines in different parts of the mill buildings by an intricate series of shafts and belts.

With the introduction of water turbines, a stream of water from the pipe is discharged against the metal blades of a turbine, causing it to rotate at high speed. The turbine was far more efficient than the old fashioned waterwheel and less dependent on the the water level of the river.

Steam was a more reliable source of power and by 1879, nearly 40% of the total horsepower in American Woolen Mills was generated by steam.

In 1889, the mill had its own illuminating gasworks that were replaced at the end of the 19th century by a coal-fired electric generating plant. The complex system of shafts and belts was replaced by smaller, more efficient electric motors.

Photo of power house c.1902.

1902

Donated by Paul Boothroyd

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Photo prints

5.5x4 inches 8 prints
4x4.5 inches
3x5 inches

PB45

SU18-2