Water Power for the Farm and Country Home

On the outskirts of the village of Oriskany Falls, in Oneida county, N. Y., is a farm of about 100 acres, belonging to Mr. E. Burdette Miner. This community was at one time one of the principal hop-raising districts of the State. Mr. Miner has been engaged in raising hops for fifty years, and raised 10,000 pounds of hops on seven acres the past season. In recent years he has divided his attention between mixed farming and dairying, keeping from twenty to twenty-five cows.

Before the installation of his water power, not the least of the irksome tasks about the farmhouse was the daily filling and cleaning of kerosene lamps and lanterns; and the wood was sawed, and the cream separator and churn in the dairy room were operated, by hand. Five sons contributed in no small measure to the prompt disposal of the daily tasks. But the boys went forth into the world and acquired lines of activity and interest of their own. Only the oldest son remained to live on the farm. Another son studied electrical engineering, a third chose mechanical pursuits, a fourth became a civil engineer, and a fifth took up commercial work.

After coming in touch with the outer world and the great modern achievements of science and invention, especially of a mechanical or engineering character, the boys quite naturally set their wits to work to devise some way in which the daily labors of those at home might be made less burdensome.

Through the farm flows Oriskany creek, which ripples over its gravelly bed in a channel from twenty to thirty feet wide. The boys said to their father, “Why not harness the creek and make it do some of the work?” There was no precipitous fall of the creek on the farm, but the boys proposed to concentrate at least a portion of the fall by constructing a dam. This they intended to do primarily for the purpose of developing enough power to light the homestead and farm buildings with electricity and to saw the wood and do away with some of the other tiresome farm tasks.

The elder Miner was not enthusiastic at first, but was finally persuaded by the boys, who made surveys and plans for a water-power development, and in October, 1905, with the assistance of three of his boys and two day laborers, Mr. Miner began the construction of a dam across the creek. This was to be no ordinary structure. The creek, while peaceful enough at most times, had a habit, well known to Mr. Miner, of bursting its bounds every spring and rushing through the farm in a torrent. So the dam was built in such a way that, while it would raise the water to a certain height during periods of ordinary flow, it would not cause the floods to rise perceptibly higher than before the dam was built. Accordingly, it was designed so that a part of it could be lowered at flood times to allow free passage for the swollen stream.

The bed of the stream at the site selected for the dam is composed of solidly packed gravel. It was not considered advisable to lay timbers on such a foundation, so a ditch about two feet deep and one and one-half feet wide was dug across the creek bed and filled with concrete, to which a heavy timber was securely bolted, to form the upstream sill for the super-structure. The downstream side was supported on a sill of heavy timber whose ends were embedded in the concrete walls, or abutments, at either end of the dam and whose middle portion was supported by posts, spaced six feet apart, which in turn rested on large blocks of concrete placed in the bed of the creek. This downstream sill was about two and one-half feet higher than the upstream sill. A horizontal floor of double plank extending twelve feet downstream from the upstream sill and supported by the concrete foundations under the downstream sill formed an apron for the water to fall on. This prevents back-washing under the dam. A double layer of heavy plank was then fastened on the two sills, forming a sloping face on the water side of the dam. On the upper edge of this plank-facing, at the crest of the dam, are placed flashboards, one foot high and extending the full length of the dam, thirty-six feet, but divided into six sections, each six feet long. Each of these sections is hinged by the lower edge to the crest of the dam, while the upper edge is held from tipping over by chains fastened to cast-iron lugs located about halfway down the planking. The chain is held in these lugs by pins which are connected by rod and chain to a capstan, or spindle, located at one end of the dam, and are so arranged that by turning the spindle the pins will be drawn successively, thereby letting the flashboards down one at a time. The idea of this arrangement is that, when a flood is rising, the capstan may be turned with a heavy lever crank, winding up the chain and pulling down the flashboards one at a time, to give more space for the flood to pass through so as to prevent the water upstream from the dam from rising too high. This plan has prevented the washing away of Mr. Miner’s power house on several occasions.

The sloping face of the dam receives the direct pressure of the water and transfers it to the sills, which in turn transfer it to the concrete foundation. The reason for sloping the upstream face of the dam is that the pressure of water is always normal, or perpendicular, to the surface against which it presses; therefore, if the face of the dam is sloping, the pressure is downward, rather than outward, as would be the case with a vertical face. This results in greater stability for the dam, due to the lessened tendency to tip over. With a dam of this type the higher the water rises against or over it, the more nearly vertical is the line of pressure, and the dam is held tightly down on its foundation instead of tending to tip over. It follows that the flatter the face of the dam the more stable it will be. Mr. Miner’s dam raised the water about four feet.

But in spite of his provision for floods, Mr. Miner did not want to be under the necessity of letting down his dam for every freshet, so he provided an additional permanent spillway. This is a simple concrete barrier, or wall, which flanks one end of the dam. In plan it was built at an angle with the dam proper, and extends downstream along the side of the natural bank. It was built with its crest a few inches higher than the main dam, so that during periods of ordinary flow the surplus water all passes over the main dam, but as soon as the creek rises a few inches over the main dam, water begins to flow over this extra spillway, which, being about forty feet long, will discharge a considerable volume although the water flowing over it is only a few inches in depth.

This spillway is strengthened on the downstream end by a concrete abutment, which consists of a simple heavy block of concrete extending above the top of the spillway. A similar abutment flanks the upstream end and also constitutes an abutment for one end of the main dam. The other end of the main dam is set against the opposite bank of the creek and is protected from washing and is strengthened by a similar concrete abutment.

It was considered desirable to place the little power house away from the main channel of the stream, so an earth embankment was built, extending from the downstream end of the flood spillway, a distance of about sixty feet. This embankment, or dyke, is curved in such manner as to divert the water behind it across a low place to a safe distance from the main channel. Some excavating had to be done behind this embankment in order to secure a channel of sufficient depth to prevent the water from freezing to the bottom and to provide a smooth channel of approach to the power house. This diversion of the water to one side from the main channel prevents the accumulation of debris and silt, which is a hindrance to the proper operation of a waterwheel. The pool thus formed is called a “forebay” and is very quiet water. The velocity of the water flowing through it is so slight that it will not carry much debris.

At the downstream end of the forebay the diverting embankment approaches a steep bank. At this point Mr. Miner built a small power house. Under the power house is the wheel-box, which consists of a box-like compartment having one side open to the forebay. This opening is covered with a coarse screen to prevent leaves or other debris from entering the wheel, but the water flows through it readily. In the wheel-box a waterwheel, of the type known as a turbine, was placed. This revolves on a vertical shaft, or axle, which is guided by bearings in a metal case surrounding the wheel and resting on the bottom of the box-like compartment. The wheel-case is open at the bottom to allow the free escape of the water after it has passed through the wheel. The construction of the turbines is such that the pressure of the water on the curved vanes causes the wheel to revolve, just as the pressure of wind causes a windmill to revolve. The water must have a free escape from the opening in the bottom of the wheel-case and wheel-pit and to provide for this a channel, called a “tail-race,” was excavated to carry the water back to the creek. Natural conditions were favorable here and a tail-race joining the main channel about 100 feet below the power house was constructed with little difficulty. At the point where the tail-race joins the creek the elevation is two feet lower than the power house, so that there is little tendency for water to back up from the creek into the tail-race. There is a certain amount of back-water during freshets but the increased height of the water in the forebay at such times partially offsets it.

The vertical shaft of the turbine extends up through and about two feet above the floor near one end of the power house, where it is supported on ball-bearings which enable it to be revolved with very little friction.

At the other end of the power house, which is twelve feet by sixteen feet in plan and seven feet high to the eaves, was placed an electric generator, or dynamo, rated at 12½ kilowatts, which is equivalent to about 17 horsepower. This machine is intended to operate at about 1100 revolutions per minute. The waterwheel, under the pressure of about six feet, would not revolve at such a high rate of speed. It was, therefore, impracticable to connect the generator shaft directly to the waterwheel shaft and it became necessary to magnify the revolutions by connecting the two shafts by belt, using different-sized pulleys. A large wooden pulley, seventy-six inches in diameter, was keyed on the end of the waterwheel shaft. A much smaller pulley, about eight inches in diameter, was placed on the driving shaft of the generator. A leather belt connects the two, and since the wheel shaft is vertical and the generator shaft is horizontal, it is necessary to pass the belt over an intermediate pulley, or “idler.” This idler is set with its axis at an angle with both the horizontal and vertical, so that the transition of the belt from the horizontal to vertical is made gradually. Since the driving pulley on the generator shaft is so much smaller than the pulley on the wheel shaft, there are about nine revolutions of the generator shaft for every revolution of the wheel shaft.

The amount of power which this equipment will generate depends to a considerable extent upon the amount of water flowing. Oriskany creek at this point has a tributary drainage area of about fourteen square miles, and the flow required to drive the turbine to full capacity is about 2900 cubic feet per minute. This volume is probably available during most of the year, but is not available in the driest seasons, at which times the flow is probably reduced to about 600 cubic feet per minute. The waterwheel probably has an efficiency of about eighty per cent, that is, it will probably develop about eighty per cent of the theoretical energy of the falling water. The remainder is lost in friction in the wheel-box at the entrance to the wheel and in the velocity still remaining in the water after it leaves the wheel. Five per cent of the power generated on the wheel shaft is probably lost by friction of the belting, so that, at rated load, about seventy-six per cent of the theoretical power of the water is probably delivered to the shaft of the generator.

Mr. Miner realized that there would be times when he would not require all or any of the power which would be produced. At the same time the pond formed by the dam was not large enough to store any considerable amount of water, and he had all the power he would require at any one time, so it was not considered necessary to provide storage batteries to store the electricity. On the other hand he did not wish to be compelled to turn the water on and off at frequent intervals, as would be necessary unless some auxiliary regulating apparatus were provided. Therefore, it was decided to provide for the plant to run continuously and to devise some means to consume the electric current when not in use. A series of resistance coils were mounted on a frame in the power house, and connected with the generator. When the demand for electric current is less than the capacity of the generator, a small electric device automatically throws one or more of these coils into the circuit, and the surplus current is converted into heat by the resistance of the coils. By means of this arrangement it was planned to run the plant continuously, so that whenever electric current was wanted it could be had simply by turning a switch at the house or barns.

The power plant, including the dam and all the features thus far described, was completed and in operation before Christmas of the year in which the construction was begun.

We have thus far seen how Mr. Miner developed his water power and transformed it into electricity. It remains to see how he gets it to his house and farm buildings, and how he uses it after he gets it there.

The power house is situated about 1700 feet from the house, where the electric current was most wanted. This necessitated the construction of a transmission line. For this purpose a double line of bare aluminum wire was stretched on a row of poles about twenty feet high and about one hundred feet apart. The poles are provided with ordinary crossarms at the top on which are mounted the insulators carrying the wires. As the transmission line leaves the power house it crosses a highway and runs in a perfectly straight line to the house. Over the highway insulated wires were used as a safety precaution, but bare aluminum wire was used for the remainder because it was cheaper.

The buildings are all in a cluster and a branch from the transmission line runs into each one where the current is used. All the wires which are inside of any of the buildings, or are close to the woodwork, are covered with insulation, and, where concealed, are further protected by being placed in twisted metal tubes.

The first actual use of this hydro-electric power was for lighting. The house was illuminated with electric lights, as were also the barn and other buildings, there being ultimately about seventy 16-candle-power lamps in use. Even the pig sty has its electric light, and there is no more groping in the dark anywhere about the Miner farm buildings.

But there was more power in the creek than was necessary to run the electric lights. A circular saw was brought into use, belted to a motor, and the supply of firewood was cut in a fraction of the time previously required. The same motor is used to drive a lathe and a drill in a machine shop which the Miner boys built and equipped. This motor is belted to a countershaft from which additional machine tools can be driven. One of the Miner boys has developed this machine shop as a combined means of pleasure and profit. In addition to a considerable amount of experimental machine work, he does all the farm repairs and a considerable amount of machine work for neighboring knitting mills, as well as general and automobile repair work, all of which has been made possible by the harnessing of the creek.

Another motor, two-horsepower, driven by the electric current, is belted to a vacuum pump, which is connected with a one-inch pipe running to the house and the barn. In the house there are two taps, one on each floor, to which the hose of a vacuum cleaner may be attached, and Oriskany creek does the rest; the floors are cleaned in the most modern, sanitary and thorough manner. In the barn the pipe from the vacuum pump runs above the cow stanchions with a tap at alternate stanchions. The tubes of the milking machines are attached and the creek milks twenty or twenty-five cows twice each day.

In the dairy room is a one-half-horsepower motor, which may be belted to the cream separator or churn, and on the hot summer days it is frequently belted to the ice cream freezer. An ingenious float device in the separator turns off the power when the cream is all separated from the milk and trips a can of clear water into the heavy, revolving bowl of the separator, which still retains enough momentum to rinse itself thoroughly before coming to rest.

In a similar manner other applications of the power have followed from time to time, and one at a time most of the hand cranks on the Miner farm have been relegated to the scrap heap; even the grindstone is operated by a long, narrow belt running from the little motor in the dairy out through the door to an adjoining compartment.

In the Miner residence are five electrical heaters, which Mr. Miner states will raise the temperature to 75 degrees when it is zero outside. Since these heaters were installed there has not been much use for the wood saw. There are also in the house some electric fans which stir up a breeze on the hot days. An electric ventilator fan in the attic insures good ventilation at all times. In the kitchen the Miners cook for a family of from five to ten with an electric range, and iron with an electric iron attached by a cord to an ordinary electric lamp socket. A smaller motor operates the egg beater and cream whipper; another small motor drives the sewing machine.

The little motor in the dairy room also drives a single-acting plunger pump, which forces water up to a galvanized iron tank in the attic of the house, whence water is piped and furnished by gravity to the bathroom and kitchen. An electric heater in the kitchen heats the water for the bath and kitchen.

Other miscellaneous uses are made of the never-failing power of the creek, such as filling the silo, and the power plant requires practically no attention. Self-oiling devices on the waterwheel and generator, and the use of the resistance coils to consume the superfluous electricity, obviate the necessity for attention, except to fill the oil cups every few weeks. Practically no trouble has been experienced in the operation, the only interruption so far being due to the formation of anchor ice in the forebay, which causes a little trouble on extremely cold days. The waterwheel is run continuously, night and day, summer and winter, and electric light or current is always available at the touch of a button or by throwing a switch.

As to the cost of his plant Mr. Miner would give no figures. His motto seems to be, “Not how cheap, but how good,” and he states that it would require several times the cost to induce him to give up his water-power plant. Engineers estimate the cost of reproducing his plant, including the dam, power house, waterwheel, generator and transmission line, at about $1800.