New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-01-03


with a shadow. drain out their LIES blood and
perish in grasping at an apparition. Though
death to them, their efforts amuse spectators
very like the fierce pugilistic conflicts between
oriental jugglers and gigantic figures Of PASTE
board.
Others there are who, If not more success
ful. take more care Of their health. Rightly
concluding that the secret is not to be found
out by human means, they have recourse 30
higher powers and though none have yet sue
ceeded, (some think they have) they are BY tar
the happiest hunters after Perpetual Motions
within the circle of our experience, and IN one
respect the most consistent, if not the most
philosophical in other respects.
1t would excite surprise in some persons and
regret in others we're they informed of the ex-
tent to which the religious sentiment is asso-
ciated with Perpetual Motion schemes-of the
number of sincere but veak-minded men who
make the solution of these impossiblep problems
a special subject of prayer, and who accompa-
ny their petitions with diverse VOWS to induce
Heaven to be propitious. Some promise to
disclaim for themselves all credit for the dis
covery and to do nothing but good with the
proceeds; Others propose just such kinds OF
conditions as are offered daily in some coun-
tries at the shrines of saints for securingprize-
tickets in lotteries and other worldly objects OF
desire. What curious pages in human history
and strange movements of the human heart
would the acts and lives Of these disclose
As man is so are his gods; the characters OF
both expand and contract together. One, per-
suaded that to him the long sought secret has
been revealed, resolves to give the free use OF
the discovery to bis own government and mod
erately tax foreign ones. Another, after ten
dering good agencies to his friends and strong
inducements to purchasers Of State rights, will
assign liberal portions of the profits to erect
Churches. Colleges and Free Academies; and
to his mind, far from these being baseless
fabrics-mere castles in the air-they are as
good as built, so sure is he of shortly having
the means to buy the land and pay the build
ers.
The number of patents granted in the Uni
ted States for perpetual motions and kindred
distractions cannot well be ascertained The
records of the Patent Office were destroyed by
fire in December 1886, and although Congress
made provision for the grstutous recording
anew of all Patents previously issued, it is sup
posed that between FIVE and six thousand have
never been sent in for that purpose. The rea'
sons for Withholding them were various Many
had expired. Others had no commercial value
and some were Of such character as to make
their owners no longer anxious to associate
their names with them for prior to 1886 every
applicant received his Patent, no matter for
what absurdity The office had no power to
refuse one.
The List Of Patents for Inreniions aud De-
signs issued by The United States from 100 to
l647"-Octar Washington. 1917, contains. as
might be expected not a small number oil per-
petual motions, but they almost always appear
under other designations. They might be ar
ranged in families and be distinguished, like
T those of the Indians, each Oy its totem Thus
I while by one group the pendulum is chiefly re,
lied on, another prefers the lerer, some expect
great things from ueights, magnets and springs
: In this class the raeel is everything, in that
air, ,rater, mercury. Then others as already
remarked, make a selection, being persuaded
that a combination Of more or less of them can
: accomplish that which single and separate
/ things cannot.
; We subioin various examples of abortions
. patented in this country-and the records Of
| foreign pvtents are quite asrch-mOst of them
dating previous to 1886. Others are concealed
, under less suspicious titles - Pendulum
, Power Pendulum Power and Lever Power
augmenting Engine Power Extending,
f Power Gaining Power Helping machine
}. Power and Motion of Weights Power pro
| pelling Machinery by Lever and Dead Weights
l .Secreting Motive Power Propelling Mills
of WEIGHTS Combination of Lever Com
bination of Lever, Crank, Weight and Balance
, Wheels, &c. &c. Lever gained Power,
, Lever Power Lever accommodating power
| Saving by Lever Power PrOPeling ma
chnery by Lever power Z pluribus Unum
, Combination of Levers and Wheels, Pro
, polling beats by Lever Wheels by Levers
, and Weights by Man Power, &c. &C., An
/ ii. steam boat 'Propelling vessels by Pendulum
D Power &c. &c.
= A perusal OF the following memoranda OF re
! cent specimens would tend to cool the ardor o
inexperienced aspirants, and may haply dete
s others from entering on the search. To thos
0 familiar with devices of the kind there vii
= scarcely appear one that is not more or les
Q identical with such as have been proposed owe
!, and over and over again during the last tw'
4 a. -; on al oftar