Glencoe Cotton Mill Water Storage

DAM AND WHEEL HOUSE

Quoting from Glass, “In 1905 the Chicago Bridge and Iron Works built a 30,000 gallon tank and tower across the road from the Mill. The tank supplemented the 10,000 gallon water tank on the tower of the Mill Building. Both towers held water for the Grinnell Automatic Sprinklers in the main mill buildings. The towers received water from a Fales & Jenks No. 5 Pump with a 500 gallon per minute capacity. The pump intake was in the wheel pit.

 

 

 

 

 

Above: An ad for the Chicago Bridge & Iron Works placed in the Textile World Journal 1916

 

Above: The water tank across the street from the mill. Picture 2009 Copyright Peter Schumacher.  Black & White Version by Peter Metzke

Fales & Jenks Machine Co. Works, Pawtucket, Rhode Island 1910
Courtesy of Peter Metzke

 

 

In 1909 a wooden dam on a cement foundation replaced the original log and stone dam across the Haw River above the mill. The new dam apparently did not furnish substantial increase in water power and continued to provide the same water fall and mill pond level as the earlier dam. Around 1910 a new masonry, wood beam, and cement wheel house replaced the original wood structure. It is likely the new structure prevented a loss of water and power caused by deterioration of the old wood. The height and volume of the column of water loss from the wheel house, through leaky walls, decreased the turbine’s power.”