New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-26
Pnins,a Great niscorerr.


following interesting explanations Of the
new mode of converting water into fuel
light and motive power said to be discov-
cred by Mr.. PAISEof Worcester. The editor
Of the C1ron0tgpe, as we recollect, before see
ing and understanding the peculiar thing
considered the results Professed to be at
tainedby itas quite impossible,and published
an acute scientific argument to that effect
taking precisely the ground taken by Pro-
fessor Henry, in a letter which We pub
liahed in The Tribune. This gives, per
haps, little more force to his present
statement. For the rest, we have ourselves
conversed with & gentleman Of great per-
sonal experience in the manufacture of gas
by the old modes, who has been to Wor-
cester and seen every part Of Mr.. Paine's
apparatus. He assures us that there IS no
mistake about the discovery whatever, and
that the remarks of The ChronotyPe do not
contain the slightest exaggeration. The
invention, as has been often said, consists
in the substance employed in the construc-
ton Of the heIireo and in the form of the
eLechode5. The helices have been explain
ed to Us, and, remarkable as is their sim
pIcity. they must, so far as we can Judge,
a priori, have an astonishing effect in the
generation of the electrical fluid. The ar
ticle from The ChronOtyfe, is as follows:
It may be true mechanical law that what is
gained in power ia lost in time. that man cannot
hoist himself by his waistband make a clock
which will wind itself up, or cause mil-stream
to run round a bill back into its own pond. And
il may be q good chemical law that the power OF
reconpositon is not greater than that required for
decomposition. In ordinary chemistry, thus far,
we have not been able to get much without hay-
ing it cost something, We fell pine tree, and
burn it in boiler, and it carries US to New 1ork
much quicker than q horse would And taking IN
to view the saving OF aSSOctatiOn1S3 IN travelling.
it is much cheaper. But we use up result OF
vegetable life in one case well as OF animal lie
in the other. Thie result OF vegetable lie we may
conceive TO be the effect of electricity operating
according to a certain law. Well, what il, instead
of waiting for electricity to decompOse the water
and other elements Of the soil and air and elevate
them into tree we could employ 1t to decompose
the water in their decomposition TO pr0pe US, just
as we use the combustion OF the pine tree Does
there seem any need, when we can command the
force of electricity, to wait for It's slow operation
according to the laws Of vegetable life Now il
may be very true that it will take Just as much
force to separate the oxygen and hydrogen IN
drop of water as they will afterwards exert In
coming together again. But ifthe force employed
to separate them is q greater power OF the uni
verse which cannot be employed directly to our
purpose and which it costs no force or expense,
only a compliance with certain condition, to EN-.
ploy, there may be great gain.
Now a certain combination of the Magnet and
the Helix Of insulated wire is known to be 4 con.
dition upon which permanent current of cleo.
tricity may be kept in flowing, The effect ofthis
current has hitherto not been great, nothing TO
lead any one to suppose itcouid exceed the slight
force necessary to give the revolving motion to
the helix But when Mr.. p aine discovers that the
strength Of The current depends upon the mode OF
constructing the helix, and that, without ncreas'
ing its motion or its friction one atom the force
of its electric current may be increased hundred,
a thousand, or perhaps q million times, then OF
course lie discovers the means of decomposing
water without expense. Ii a mechanical force a,
acting on magnetized heCes will produce an cleo
trio current which will decompoge drop OF
water c, and We suppose the accomplishing orcom
bustiye force of the elements Of c Just equal to
mechanical force a, then II without increasing the
mechanical force A we can so arrange the heceS
az to double the electric current or make 1t b b, 1t
will decompose two drops &C. Then we mayuse
half this power to keep up the mechanical motion
and have the other half clear. That is to say
the mechanical force requisite to produce cleo
tricity by the magnetised helices is a constant
quantity, while the current developed is variable
depending upon the strength OF the magnetism
and the composition OF the helix. Itmay be lcss
than an equivalent TO the constant mechanical
force or il may be more. In the case of Mr..
Paines construction of the helix it is more, almost
infinitely more.
To any one acquainted with electrical m anipula-
tons we might illustrate the above principle
practically by the Well-knoWn different results OF
helces made of different sorts of WIRE or revolv-
ed between magnets Of different degrees of
strength the force required for the revolution re-
naming the same.
We have therefore no hesitation in saving that
Mr. Paine, by settlnS IN motion magnetized helices
Of his peculiar construction evolves electric cur
rents which exert thousand times more dscom.
posing force thar that which is equivalent to keep
up the mechanical force for moving the helices.
He can therefore apply one part of his resultant
force to keep up his productive force, and have
nine hundred and ninety nine parts left clear-so
much that has cost hin, nothing.
Here is perpetual motion with witness-per-
petual motion to all intents and purposes-per-
petual motion beyond the most sanguIne dreams
Of It's craziest pursuer. Here the great element
Of life is chained, tanned and subjected to the do
minion OF man completely the wind or the
water ever were. The consequences of this dis
covery are enough to upset the soundest intellect.
1t must make revolution in science and in soci.
ty 1t puts society under new conditions, by viz
tue of which hundred things may easily happen
which we now think impossible Wealth may
lose its influence and tyranny its motive. Eman,
cipated from physical labor in SO great measure
and insured SO much higher degree of physical
comfort the race may advance in moral culture
and development more in one generation than it
otherwise would in thousand years. Given
light, heat and power, free as the water and we
are armed against all other wants and fortified
against all enemies.
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