162 Mr J. G. Stuart on the Turbine Water- Wheel. 



the model and drawings, as such appears to me the best way 

 of bringing this very important, and, in this country, novel, 

 mode of using water-power under the notice of this Society. 



As soon as the Turbine was ready, I threw out one of my 

 old breast-wheels, and attached to it the part of my works 

 driven thereby. The success was so encouraging, that, in 

 January, I threw out the other breast-wheel, and the Turbine 

 has since been driving my whole works. 



My works contain 



1000 spindles, dry flax spinning. 

 796 „ dry tow spinning. 

 160 „ heavy jute spinning, 

 and 1156 „ wet spinning. 



3112 



"With the necessary preparing machinery, — machinery such 

 as, I believe, would be put upon a sixty horse-power steam- 

 engine, — I could not get water enough to drive them with 

 my two breast- wheels ; — in fact, 500 spindles were stand- 

 ing altogether for two years. The turbine is driving them 

 about 10 per cent, faster than they were before, and it is not 

 using all the water. From the experiments I have as yet 

 been able to make, I do not think that it is using above 5000 

 cubic feet per minute ; and from a defect in the construction 

 of the intake -lead, the turbine has not the full advantage of 

 that water. The lead is too narrow, and turns an awkward 

 comer, so that the water in the wheelhouse will not stand up 

 to the full head, and can hardly be called above 10 ft. 3 in., in- 

 stead of 11 ft. 8| in. When I have remedied this defect* and 

 so been enabled to give the wheel the whole water, and also 

 maintain a steady head of 11 ft. 8^ in. in the wheelhouse, I 

 have a very confident expectation that the wheel will prove 

 capable of working up to 85 or 90 horses' power.* 



The whole subject of water-wheels is a very interesting 

 and important one; and I do not think that it has yet re- 

 ceived, in this country, the attention which it merits. The 



* A model of Mr Stuart's Turbine is deposited in the Museum of the Royal 

 Scottish Society of Arts. — Ed. 



