The Mystery of the Sawyer Chair Mill
The Sawyer Chair Mill was located quite a bit off the Warner Road, high on a bank above the Blackwater River in what was likely a field at the time but is now a wooded area in the Blackwater Flood Plain. Like mills of the day and others in our town, the location near the water was a clue as to its power source, yet the Sawyer Mill was located high enough on a bank to definitely question the use of a mechanical water wheel. The gasoline “one lunger” engine was barely invented, and even if the mill operated more into the mid to late 1890’s it seemed a bit early, though possible, but if so, why near water at all? How did it work?
For insight, I contacted John K. Rule, a retired mechanical and ocean engineer, project archivist for the Brown Paper Company documents and drawings at the NH Historical Society in Concord, and a specialist in New England Industrial Archeology.
The following came from a conversation between me and Mr. Rule regarding the possible power source for this mill. Discussion began with my question about the possible use of a “one-lunger” gasoline engine power source.
“I agree with you that if the mill was in operation in the 1880’s that was a bit early for a gas-powered ‘one lunger’ as they were first manufactured in the 1890s. My initial guess is that a steam-powered mill was likely used, which could have run on wood scraps from the manufacturing process. The mill would have used a rotary saw, which was in the process of replacing the water-powered “up and down” saw by that time. The mill could have been portable (the term is used loosely as it took several men several hours to dismantle and move one), and if so, the operators might have used poles driven into the ground as a foundation. Over time, the “foundation” would have left no trace. Locating the mill near the Blackwater would have provided a permanent water supply for the steam side of the machine (e.g., water could have been hauled up with a rope and bucket).”
When I mentioned that the bank of the river seemed a bit steep and there were better locations closer to the river where buckets of water could have been loaded, and asked about waterer logistics, hauling, and quantity, he added, “Good questions! I’ll see if I can help.
Before the adoption of steam power, which was the direct result of changes occurring during the American version of the Industrial Revolution, water power was used to power mills. The water-powered saw mill was in essence a modification of the older “saw pit,” where a whip or crosscut saw was manually used by two sawyers pulling in opposite directions (one above the log and one below in the “pit”). Water-powered mills used water wheels of one type or another to harness the force of moving water. In most cases, the mill required a dam, which created a mill pond. The mill and dam could have been constructed in the river proper or on a canal or “diversion” dug from the river. The impounded water provided a constant source of power where flow to an “overshot” water wheel was directed and regulated using a sluiceway and gate or “penstock”. If a water-powered mill were used at the site we are discussing, then I would expect some evidence of the dam to remain. Even in the case where an undershot wheel or a flutter wheel were used directly in the river, I would think there should still be some remnants of the mill building’s foundation.
The Corliss engine, a significant advancement over Watt’s steam engine design, was developed (patented?) in the 1840s and was used for steam-powered saw mills. Steam engines were first used in farming applications before the Civil War. I’m not sure when they were first used for saw mills in NH, although I do know that in the forests of northern NH steam powered saw mills were already well established before 1888. These early steam engines were pulled to the saw mill site with horses and drove the sawing mechanism with a belt. I believe the steam cycle they used was similar to that used by steam locomotives – spent steam was vented to the atmosphere, so that condenser water needed to be continuously replenished. In many cases, horses were used to haul water (probably in barrels/cans, etc.) to the early steam plants. I suppose a steam-powered pump could also have been used, as they had been in use for a long time by the 1890s. I’m not sure, without further investigation, what the water usage rate would have been for this type of saw mill and, therefore, am not sure what method of water supply would have been used – horse or pump, or some other method. I do know that a device such as an injector, which was used to feed makeup water to the boiler, was necessary to allow the continuous operation of large, permanent steam engines.
The “swinging” saw was also called a pendulum or cut-off saw. A circular blade swung down at a right angle to the workpiece. They were usually counterbalanced and were driven by a (leather) belt. The use of this type of saw for producing 3-foot-long oak pieces makes sense. That type of saw was, however, a terror of a machine as it was very dangerous to use (as they still are to this day)!”
The mystery of how the Sawyer chair Mill was powered may be solved, and yes, the Sawyer Mill did use a swinging saw, which at the moment resides in Ed Sawyer’s barn. The actual way water might have been brought to the steam engine is interesting to consider.
Moving Water by Low-Tech Mechanical Ways:
For a very interesting explanation of the use of ropeways:
Aerial Ropeways: Automatic Cargo Transport for a Bargain
Ropeways have been used for centuries to move materials. It is certainly possible that water was lifted from the stream to the saw site to generate steam. One would have to calculate the water needs to run such a sawmill and the ropeway delivery capacity for water for the steam engine.
The following website may not relate directly to a small sawmill operation; however, if you have a good imagination and technical mind, it is easy to see how just about anything could have been rigged up to get water up a riverbank. The early folks were very resourceful.
The Mechanical Transmission of Power
Pumping Water by Using Animal Power:
The location of the Sawyer mill was not far from a flowing water source and marshes, in a flood basin, and not far from a natural spring. The water table was likely fairly high, and access to water could have also been pumped from a well.
The following video shows resourceful people using common draft animals to pump water from a well.
This is just another way, perhaps, to get water for a steam engine.
Pumping Water by Using Steam Power:
Hauling water with a steam engine was a known technology at that time.
Excerpt from the following website offering a little more on the use of steam and water pumping.
Written by Joseph Cummins How Did the Invention of the Steam Engine Change the Way People Worked? – Synonym
“Before the invention of the steam engine, people used the power provided by animals, wind, and water to farm, mill flour, and transport goods and people from place to place. But none of these sources of energy were as reliable or perpetually renewable as steam. The invention of the steam engine helped drive the Industrial Revolution, which created new jobs for people and drew them to urban centers.
The uses of steam had been explored since the 17th century, but it was not until 1712 that Englishman Thomas Newcomen developed the first steam-driven pump, which was used to draw water out of mines. In 1782, James Watt improved on this simple pumping engine by developing a separate chamber to condense steam, which meant that the machine could continue working at all times. Subsequently, he created a steam pressure gauge and rotary engine that could drive various forms of machinery.”
Thank you to Ed Sawyer for the guided tour through Smith’s Corner and the old Sawyer Sawmill location, and thank you to John Rule, who educated me about sawmill mechanics.