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Crystal Mill This structure was constructed near Crystal City In 1893 10 power a large air compressor, The mill is one of the most photographed sites In Colorado. The mill contained a honzontal wooden waler Wheel. The waler wheel was located in the pen- stock, which is the structure that looks like a ladder reaching down to the river 10 this photo. graph. The waler wheel was turned by twO one inch waler jets located at the base of the pen- stock shaft. The water wheel was attached 10 a steel driveshaft that went up to the gear house located on the front of the buildlng_ A wide leather belt connected to the gears then went to an alf compressor located in the main building The compressed air was delivered across the nver 10 the mine located on Sheep Mountain by means of a 3-inch Ifon pipe. The compressed alf powered air drills used in the mines and prOvided ventilation in the mines. The water wheel also powered a stamp mill which was located where the debns is seen to the right of the structure. The stamp mill con- tained three large timbers that were tipped with iron. They were raised and dropped to crush silver ore, and were also powered by a 12 inch leather belt that came from the gear house. The mill operated sporadicalty until sometime in the 1920s. The structure never had an electric gen- eratof. -- ~~ ~~-:-=J - ~'- . , . , . April 2005 . . . . . . . . . .. " " . . .. " " " " .. .. " .. " .. , .. .. " ,. .. . " . " " " " . . . " . . . " ., . . . " . . " Sun I Mon I Tue I Wed Thu Fri Sat I I I , 1 2 I I I I I -J I - - -- 51 3 4 6 7 8 9 I I I J I Dayllf/hl SaVings - - - - 10 11 12 13 141 15 I 16 I I I 211 Ta.Day I - - - , 17 18 19 20 I 22 23 I I I I I - I I - 271 28 I -~ 24 25 26 I 29 30 I I , AOf\IM~t", Grnl}f\ Int:'