on: N.F. BURNHAM.]

He was the oldest turbine wheel manufacturer living, having been
actually engaged in the manufacture of turbines since 1856. He first
made and sold the French Jonval turbine, which was then the best
turbine made, but being complicated in construction, it soon wore out
and leaked. From the experience he had from this wheel he invented and
patented Feb. 22, 1859, his improved Jonval turbine, which was very
simply constructed and yielded a greater percentage of power than the
French Jonval turbines. Hundreds of these improved wheels, which were
put in operation between the years 1859 and 1868, are still in use.
(We show no cut of this wheel, but it had four chutes instead of six,
as shown in March 24, 1863, patent.)

The first wheel (72 inch) made after the patent was granted was sold
to Brightwell & Davis, Farmville, Va., and put into their flour mill
under six feet head. In 1870, Brightwell & Davis sold their mill to
Scott & Davis. Afterward G.W. Davis owned and operated the mill and
put in one 1858 patent "New Turbine." In 1889 the Farmville Mill
Company bought and remodeled the mill to roller process and required
more power than the old 1856 Jonval turbine and 1868 "New Turbine"
would yield, and on Aug. 30, 1889, sold the Farmville Mill Company two
54 inch new improved Standard turbines to displace the two old wheels.
In 1860 he commenced experimenting with different forms of buckets and
chutes, and used six chutes instead of four as first made, and was
granted patent March 24, 1863.

This addition of chutes proved beneficial, as the wheel worked better
with the gates partly opened than it did with four chutes. His next
invention was granted him Dec. 24, 1867, which he called Burnham's
improved central and vertical discharge turbine.

This improvement consisted in making the guide blade straight on the
outside (instead of rounding, as then made by all others), from inner
point back to bolt or gudgeon, and thick enough at the latter point to
let water pass without being obstructed by said bolt and the
arrangement for shifting the water guides. Two 42-inch wheels of this
pattern were built and put into operation, but they soon commenced
leaking water and became troublesome on account of the many small
pieces of castings and bolts, and were abandoned as worthless. There
are several manufacturers of this style of wheel that advertise them
as "simple and durable." Such a complicated case with twelve