HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-05-20, Page 44Page 16
The love for the wird machines
Internationally known as
statuesque, beautiful
,symbols of Holland, wihd-
mills appeared in Europe at
the end of the 12th century.
Used primarily to crush
grain and provide power, the
.wind machines became
Holland's saving grace, and
were used to pump water,
reclaiming land from the
sea.
Many mills in England. an I
France were built from
wood, but in Holland the
sturdy mills were con-
structed from stone and
brick— to make them more_.
durable. Towering -at five •
stories high, with wind -
wheels stretching out 30 to 40
feet, in Holland .some 9,000
windmills were in use during
the mid -19th century. Today
only 950 remain, including
100 workables ones.
Canvas sails, stretched
_. over 1,wooden wheel frames
provided the power topump
the water or crush the grain.
The windmill cap, the upper
12 feet of the structure,
rotated on a turntable,
allowing the operator to
change the 'position of the
wheels according to the wind
„ direction. .
Despite their beauty and-
intricate- workings, wind-
mills 'were generally an
insufficient source of -power
and the development of the
steam engine, the internal
combustion engine and
electric motor, now provide
the force to operate' the
pumps and mills.
Still windmills lazily churn
in The `Netherland breezes
and stand as a grateful
reminder to the Dutch
people, for the precious land
they salvaged. In Canada too
many Dutch -Canadians still
honorthe great wind
machines, with replica
models gracing. their
nrene rhes.
photos
by
Jim
Fitzgerald