Taranaki Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3198, 12 August 1879
SHUTTLEWORTH'S BONE-MILL.
The bone-mill recently erected by Messers. Shuttleworth Bros., has been found to work admirably since it was started. The building is 50 feet long by 26 feet wide, and consists of two stories. The portion of the building where the shaft is fixed is 20 feet square and 20 feet high. The machinery is of the best description having been made by the well known makers — the Beverly Iron and Wagon Company. It consists of two distinct mills — a coarse one and a fine one. The bones are thus treated by two different processes. In the first instance they are broken up into small pieces, and then passed through the fine mill and ground to dust. The machinery is driven by an annular sail windmill, known as Warner's patent, which is nominally 5 horse power. The sails are 30 foot long, and are regulated by a screw at the bottom, which has the power of stopping them immediately in the highest gale of wind. There is also a self-acting "backsail," for the purpose of keeping the main sail true to the wind. The top of the main sail is 57 feet high, and it is provided with a "safety spring," so that when a strong gust of wind comes when working, the sail opens and allows the wind to pass through it. The shaft for driving the machinery is 43 feet long, and 3 1/2 inches in diameter, and rests on a bed of concrete. In addition to the two bone mills a circular saw for cutting timber, in connection with Messrs. Shuttleworth's timber yard; a corn crusher; and a chaff cutter, have also been fixed, and are driven by the same motive power. The machinery has been fitted and erected by Mr. Pratt, who has had considerable experience in that kind of work, and he has given entire satisfaction to the owners. Messrs. Shuttleworth Brothers have provided a fire hose, which can be fixed to the water tanks, and a stream of water turned on immediately, in case of fire. Unfortunately the wind has not been steady, and consequently the mill has frequently remained idle since it has been completed. Messrs. Shuttleworth Brothers have a large quantity of bones on hand, and will be able to produce a considerable amount of bone dust this season. We shall be glad to see this local industry progress successfully, and it will save for the district the money which would otherwise have been spent in a foreign market for the purchase of manures.
From Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 46, 24 February 1893
FURIOUS GALE AT TARANAKI.Taranaki Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 9632, 24 February 1893
(BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)
New Plymouth, this day.
A furious gale from the south-east has been blowing since midnight, accompanied with a heavy rainfall. The gale has done a good deal of damage to fencing, chimneys, and trees. Shuttleworth's windmill has been partially wrecked. The wind is now abating, but it is still raining. The races have been postponed till to-morrow.
FURIOUS SOUTH-EAST GALE.16 months later, another storm again damaged the windmill: Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 10032, 18 June 1894
CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE.
RACES POSTPONED TILL TO-MORROW.
A south-east gale, which started on Thursday morning, increased in violence after sunset, and about midnight it was blowing with hurricane force. Between 12 and 1 o'clock the wind was accompanied by a heavy downfall of rain, which continued with slight intermission till daybreak, when it moderated a little. A heavy soaking drizzle then set in a few hours later, and as it did not look as if it would clear off the Jockey Club Committee held a meeting to consider the advisability of postponing the races. The gale did a good deal of damage to fencing and. chimneys, and the large windmill at Messrs Shuttleworth's mill was partially wrecked. The two chimnies of Mr W. J. Shaw's house, near the racecourse, were blown down and fell through the roof. A tree was blown across the telegraph wires, from Mr S. W. Shaw's property on the South Road; and a tree was also blown across the gaol telephone wire in Robe-street. Mr J. Revells blacksmith's shop in Currie-street was screwed round by the gale, and other reports of slight damage are numerous.
A violent south-east gale was blowing all Sunday and during the night, and has not yet expended itself. Thermometer "under the verandah" at 2 p.m. to-day, 48 degrees; in the sun in front of office, 56. Gale has blown fences down in all directions. Roof of Mr E. Evett's house, in Devonstreet, was blown off. Chimney of the High School has been snapped off close to the roof by the gale. Messrs Shuttleworth Brothers' windmill has had most of its sails blown out.Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 10032, 18 June 1894
CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE.Within another year, damage was again reported - I'm beginning to see a pattern here!: Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 10293, 27 April 1895
Late on Saturday night a furious easterly gale, accompanied by heavy rain, set in, and continued all Sunday, the wind increasing rather than diminishing in velocity. On Sunday the wind veered round to the south-east, and although the rain ceased the gale blew stronger than ever and continued all that night and today. Considerable damage has been done to property by the gale, almost every householder in town having suffered to some extent. Houses have been unroofed, chimneys blown down, fences levelled, and other damage done that will take considerable money to repair. The High School chimney was snapped, off close to the roof. Messrs Shuttleworth Bros' windmill, in Devon-street west, was considerably damaged.
A repetition of the Easter weather set in on Friday — a stiff gale blowing from the south-east, which increased during the same night to such an extent that it might have been fittingly described as a hurricane. Several fences, chimneys, and other fragile structures were blown down, and a great deal of damage was also done in plantations and orchards. The corrugated iron fence between Mr R. Cock's premises and the Criterion Hotel was levelled, and that landmark, Messrs Shuttleworth Bros.' windmill, came in for a share of the gale's fury, several of the fans having been completely blown out. Accounts of other damage are numerous.Despite all the gale damage, it was fairly easily repaired, and the windmill was still functioning as a landmark in 1902: Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12143, 12 December 1902
J. W. TONG,Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13718, 6 August 1908
Builder and Contractor.
KING STREET,
Next Shuttleworth's Windmill.
Estimates Prepared, and Jobbing Work in all branches of the trade promptly executed.
A ROUGH DAY IN NEW PLYMOUTH.Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 14184, 15 April 1910
The wind of the south was in a rough mood yesterday. He shrieked over the housetops, roared through the telegraph wires, tore through the trees, banged at doors and windows, and made himself generally obnoxious. It was a most successful attempt to let people know that he was by no means a "back number." It was one of the roughest that New Plymouth has experienced for some years and the residents of the borough are not in any hurry to experience another. ... At Shuttleworth and Co.'s yards in Devon Street the windmill was half stripped of its sails.
An old Now Plymouth landmark is about to disappear. After braving the buffets of the winds for thirty-one years, the windmill at Messrs. Shuttleworth Bros’ mill in Devon Street West has been so badly damaged by the recent hurricane that it is to be demolished and replaced probably by electric power. The windmill, which is of the type technically known as patent annular sail windmills, was built by Messrs. John Warner and Sons, London, and was erected in 1879. The tower of the mill, built of Baltic pine, with corner studs of oak, is in a splendid state of preservation. The machinery and belting, too, are an excellent example of the workmanship of three decades ago, being still in excellent order. The belting, in fact, is as good as ever, although it has been in use since the mill was erected. Of the machinery only the rollers and plates have had to be renewed. But the sails and surrounding gear of the mill have been so knocked about lately that it has been decided that it is not worthwhile to replace them, and so on Monday next the work of dismantling the windmill above the roof of the machine room will be started.New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7106, 19 April 1910
The late storm removed an old landmark of New Plymouth - a sail windmill erected in 1879. The tower of the mill, built of Baltic pine with corner studs of oak is in a splendid state of preservation. The machinery and belting, made in England, are also in an excellent condition, but the sails and surrounding gear of the mill had been so knocked about by the storm that the windmill has to go.[photo] [info]
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