Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1894 — Why Windmills Burned Down. [ARTICLE]

Why Windmills Burned Down.

Of the production of fire by the friction of wood against wood, windmills of the old construction gave, on a large scale, some disastrous examples. Then the force of the wind increased, tfie miller was obliged to bring each of the sails in succession to the ground, in order to “unclothe” it; but when sudden squalls came on this was impracticable, and the mill, rn extreme cases, ran away, i. e., could not be stopped. Everything was now done to increase the grip of the wooden brake round the great wheel on the driving shaft, and water poured copiously over them, but in spite of all this, flames would sometimes burst out from the iniense friction, and the mill be probably burned down as the result. The beautiful machinery of the modern windmill,by which the miller controls the action of the sails from the interior of the building, has reduced this danger to a minimum.— [Notes and Queries.