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| February in Millbury History Submitted by Kendall and Janet Dumas |
| February 1841 John Sawtell Killed at Scythe Works A grindstone burst at the scythe works of Hale, Whipple & Waters, fatally wounding the grinder, John Sawtell. One part of the stone was thrown through the floor overhead. The main part of the scythe making process was grinding the scythe blades to give them a sharp cutting edge. |
| The grinder sat astride the wheel and the stone revolved towards him. He could then put a lot of pressure on the blade by pressing on it with the heel of his hand. |
| Grinding was a dangerous job. Most grinders suffered from silicosis or grinders disease. The life expectancy for a grinder was only 30-35 years. |
Each grinding stone was about two metres in diameter, weighing up to two tons. They were made out of local sandstone. |
A long leather belt is stretched between the pulley and the axle of the grinding wheel. As the line shaft rotates, the leather belt drives the grinding wheel. |
The Grinding Hull wheel drives a line shaft inside the grinding hull. This line shaft runs almost the entire length of the building. There is a pulley wheel on the shaft, in line with each of the grinding troughs. The stones were driven by a long leather band which connected a wooden pulley on the axle of the grindstone to a drum on the lineshaft. The lineshaft was powered by the water-wheel behind the building. Each grinding stone was about two metres in diameter, weighing up to two tons. They were made out of local sandstone. The stones were driven by a long leather band which connected a wooden pulley on the axle of the grindstone to a drum on the lineshaft. The lineshaft was powered by the water-wheel behind the building. |
