Chapter 156

Chapter 156: Windmill Mill

In the capital of the northern plateau region, Karatu, a tall windmill stood tall and started to work. The gentle breeze caused the massive windmill blades to rotate slowly, creating creaking sounds as the wooden components moved.

Technicians who had been overseeing the installation descended from the spiral ladder. Inside the windmill, a massive wooden gear was suspended mid-air. As the external windmill blades turned, the gears and other internal components also began to rotate, displaying the clear path of the large wooden gear.

The technician proudly declared to the residents of Karatu, "Starting today, this windmill is operational!" This windmill was a miniature version of the Dutch windmills initially introduced to East Africa. While there were already numerous windmills used for water diversion and irrigation, this was the first to be employed for milling purposes.

One Bavarian immigrant remarked, "Seeing this windmill, I feel that East Africa is quite similar to my hometown in Bavaria!" He shared that his village in Bavaria had a windmill at its entrance where villagers would grind noodles, making him feel a sense of nostalgia.

However, comparing the rural areas of Bavaria to the capitals of East Africa seemed amusing since East Africa was still predominantly rural, with only a few coastal cities comparable to small European towns.

The technician decided to demonstrate the windmill's functionality by grinding wheat. Two men poured half a sack of wheat into the mill's hopper, and with the pull of ropes controlling the windmill's operation, the mill's massive stone began to rotate, grinding the wheat grains into flour.

The wheat gathered toward the center of the millstone, gradually transforming into fine flour. The technician confirmed that the windmill was working properly, and it could efficiently handle local flour processing.

One curious Chinese immigrant inquired, "Is it really that simple? It turns wheat into flour?"

The Bavarian immigrant explained, "Yes, this is how we make flour in our village. In the city, they use steam engines in larger mills, producing higher quantities of better-quality flour. However, in rural areas like ours, windmills are still quite common."

The technician further elaborated, "While windmills are impressive, their status has diminished somewhat since the advent of steam engines. However, for the purpose of wind power, the Netherlands is undoubtedly the best in the world. Windmills were used extensively in the Netherlands for various purposes, including water diversion, papermaking, food processing, and more. Even reclaiming land from the sea was achieved with windmills."

This concept of reclaiming land from the sea using windmills fascinated the Bavarian immigrant, who had limited exposure to the sea. The Dutch technician proudly shared stories of their windmills and the history of the Netherlands.

The Dutch technicians may not have had high cultural levels, but their skills in building windmills made them valuable in the East African colonies. Compared to the Chinese and Bavarian immigrants who had never ventured beyond their villages, the Dutch had a newfound sense of superiority.

East Africa did have its own flour mill in Bagamoyo, but it primarily produced flour for export to Europe, not to meet the local milling needs of East African immigrants. Every village and town had to address their wheat and ration processing on their own.

Initially, human and animal power operated stone mills, but the lack of animals suitable for pulling mills made this approach impractical in East Africa. Therefore, indigenous people were often employed as the labor force to operate mills.

Building windmills in East Africa was not only cost-effective but also sustainable. Windmills could be used for extended periods with regular maintenance and part replacements.

While more advanced steam engines were unaffordable and challenging to popularize, East Africa could manufacture windmill materials locally. Items such as canvas for the windmill's sails, which was made from sisal cloth, and an abundance of stone and wood were readily available.

Windmills were far from being considered outdated; even in Europe and the United States, they were still widely used, especially in regions where the cost of steam engines was prohibitive. In the western expansion of the United States, for instance, windmills were constructed to address water supply issues for both humans and livestock, becoming iconic farm windmills in the country.