Water Works

Water diverted from the Blackstone River flowed through the millrace to power Wilkinson Mill and Slater Mill before returning downstream to the river. At Wilkinson Mill, water poured over a water wheel and filled buckets on the wheel, and the weight of the water, 8.34 pounds per gallon, turned it. Gears, shafts, and leather belts transmitted that motion to machines in the building, putting water energy to work operating drills, looms, and other equipment. Bevel gears captured the turning motion of the wheel's hub and redirected it to a vertical shaft reaching the upper floors, then to overhead shafts, with pulleys and belts carrying power to individual machines throughout the building. This water-powered mill provided the equivalent of 10 horsepower, about what it takes to run a lawnmower.

Pawtucket, Rhode Island · United States