Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/617

{|width="100%" undershot wheel is set directly in a running stream, or it is placed close to a fall or a dam; in the last case, the water is admitted to its lower side by a gate from the bottom of the pond. It is simply a large and strong wheel having stays projecting from its rim, upon which stout planks, called floats, and also palettes, extend along its length. The current or issuing water strikes these floats, and imparts movement to the wheel. Owing to friction, irregular flow of the issuing body of water, and the impossibility of consuming on the floats its entire moving force, the performance of common undershot wheels never exceeds from 25 to 33 per cent. of the power in the acting body of water. In Poncelet's wheel, however, with curved floats, into which the issuing body of water rises with more uniform movement, until its velocity is nearly or quite consumed, and from which it also escapes with less of back pressure and irregularity, the floats being in number about double those of the common form, a larger utilization of the water, rising to 50 or 60 per cent., is secured. Of overshot wheels, the summit is placed at or a little below the upper lever of the water; and the flow upon the rim of the wheel can be regulated by a flood gate. The water is received into cavities formed by stout planks extending between the two ends of the wheel, and placed at an angle or curved toward the stream; these are buckets proper, and the wheels are sometimes called bucket wheels. Borda showed that the maximum effect with overshot wheels is secured when the diameter equals the height of fall; but, other things being equal, the useful effect is greater the slower the revolution allowed; since, in such case, the water can enter the buckets more regularly, it is not flung from them by centrifugal force, and its velocity and impulsion are almost wholly consumed upon the wheel before it is released. Under the best conditions, this wheel utilizes 75 per cent. of the moving power of the water. The breast wheel resembles in form and construction the undershot, but has its floats closer together, and usually inclined toward the stream. It is set so that about one quadrant of it is turning close to a curved channel corresponding to its form, down which the supply of water (regulated by a gate) descends; and it is therefore impelled both by the weight and momentum of the water. As it is thus intermediate in its action between the undershot and overshot wheels, so it is also in its value. Being less loaded with the weight of water than the overshot, it moves with less strain and friction on its bearings, and under the best circumstances affords about 65 per cent. of the moving power. At the Burden nail works, Troy, N. Y., the overshot wheel furnishing the power required is 60 ft. in diameter and 22 ft. in breadth. The largest water wheel in the world is probably one employed in working a lead and silver mine in
 * width="50%" align="center"|WHEEL
 * width="45%" align="center"| WHEELING
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 * } tide wheel is a variety of undershot. The

the Isle of Man. This is an overshot wheel 72 ft. 6 in. in diameter, 6 ft. in breadth, with a crank stroke of 10 ft.; it is estimated to give 200 horse power, and pumps 250 gallons of water a minute 400 yards high.  WHEELER, William Adolphus, an American lexicographer, born in Leicester, Mass., Nov. 14, 1833, died in Roxbury, Oct. 28, 1875. He graduated at Bowdoin college in 1853, taught school a few years, and became Dr. Worcester's assistant in compiling his quarto dictionary, published in 1859. To the appendix of this work he contributed a table entitled “Pronunciation of the Names of Distinguished Men of Modern Times.” Subsequently, with Richard Soule, he prepared the book known as Worcester's spelling book. He was employed as general reviser of the edition of Webster's dictionary published in 1864, and contributed to it an “Explanatory and Pronouncing Vocabulary of the Names of Noted Fictitious Persons and Places,” which was enlarged and published separately (12mo, Boston, 1865). He revised and edited Hole's “Brief Biographical Dictionary,” and the “Dickens Dictionary,” and had begun a “Cyclopædia of Shakespearian Literature.” Besides this, he left unfinished an index to the principal works of ancient and modern literature, to be entitled “Who Wrote It?” He had been from 1867 assistant superintendent of the Boston public library.  WHEELING, a port of delivery and the largest city of West Virginia, capital of the state and of Ohio co., on the E. bank of the Ohio river and on both sides of Wheeling creek, 92 m. below Pittsburgh, 365 m. above Cincinnati, and 215 m. W. N. W. of Washington; lat. 40° 7′ N., lon. 80° 42′ W.; pop. in 1850, 11,435; in 1860, 14,083; in 1870, 19,280, of whom 4,153 were foreigners and 390 colored; in 1876, locally estimated at 30,000. It extends 5 m. along the river, with a breadth of from two to eight squares, and is bounded in the rear by a range of hills. It is divided into eight wards, but is popularly known by five divisions, viz.: North, East, and Centre Wheeling, Zane's island, and South Wheeling. The island, in the Ohio river, is more than a mile long, and contains 400 acres; it is connected with the city by a fine suspension bridge. The custom house, of stone, also contains the post office and United States court room. There are an odd fellows' hall, a public library, and an opera house. A new capitol is in course of erection. There is an extensive fair ground, with a trotting course. Wheeling has an important trade by way of the river and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and its connecting lines. On June 30, 1875, there were belonging to the port 73 steamers, tonnage 8,508, and 128 barges, tonnage 13,336. During the year ending on that date 11 steamers, tonnage 2,067, and 17 barges, tonnage 1,383, were built. The chief interest is manufacturing, for which the city has rare advantages. The surrounding hills and the adjacent country contain immense