Mechanics of a Mill

Mechanics of a Mill. . The machinery in the turbine housing, the wheel pit, and the tailrace are still visible in front of this panel. These items record the growth and development of the Roswell Manufacturing Company from the 1850s until the last generator was silenced at the beginning of the 20th century., Originally, an iron overshot waterwheel provided power for the 1853 mill. The mill wheel measured 16 feet wide by 20 feet in diameter. Water from the overhead raceway fell on bucket-like paddles. The weight of the falling water turned the wheel and provided power to a network of rotating gears and shafts that operated the mill machinery. In 1877, a turbine replaced the original waterwheel. Turbine blades are curved and set vertically. Water from the raceway was funneled against the blade forcing the axle to spin. The rotational motion transferred to a mechanical system of shafts, gears, belts and pulleys throughout the building. Leather belts were affixed to ta shaft, which hung from the ceiling of each floor. These belts transferred power from the mechanical system to individual machines. Droughts and floods affected the flow of water in the creek, causing a constant slowdown of the machinery. This often resulted in days of lost productivity. The addition of supplemental steam power in 1897 allowed the mill to be more independent of the fluctuating waterpower. By 1898, hydroelectricity was used in the 1882 mill and by 1911 in the 1853 mill., In 1928, Georgia Power connected electricity for the last remaining mill ending the era of water powered technology., (captions) , Cross Section of a Mill , Diagram of an Overshot Waterwheel , Map showing 1853 Mill, Sanborn Company (Marietta, Georgia), 1900, University of Georgia Libraries Map Library, Athens, GA, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.