Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-11-10
THE GAZETTE.
PERpETt AL MOTION.

PERPETUAL MOTION.
About six wears ago, we published the
fr.t description Of 4 machine inScn:cd by
Mr.. James Il. HendrckSon, Freehold, New
Jersey, - 20 ot itself" 4 model, which
MIR. llcndricksnn had made after patient
whiting for forty wears. was brought into
our office, and we found that il would 90
without any impulse from without, and
would not stop unless it was blocked. The
power was self.contained and Sei.al listed,
and gave a sufficient force TO carry ordinary
clock work without any winding up or re-
plenishing In short. we saw NJ reason why
il would not 80 until il was worn out. Oar
announcement Of the fact brought out a
great deal oi rdiculc; the incredulouS pom
ted at all Of the projects to obtain perpet-
ual motive power which had failed in the
past, aud predicted the same disgrace for
the new invention. Many scientific gentle
men visited it, and although they could not
dispute the tact that it was going they
nearly all attributed the movement To some
hidden spring or ingenious trickery. The
inventor was an old man, who had spent
his whole life in pursuit of the object he had
now obtained. He had become 81 much ac-
custumed to ridicule, that he was very pa
tient under it. and the only reply he made
70 the cayillers who pronounced the thing
impossible, was"-bm does g". The 40
tice which we printed attracted the atten-
ton Of the curious, and for the first time n.
his history, the inventor found pr"hL III
his handiwork He was invited 10 he pres
ent at various fairs and exhibitions of new
inventions, and wherever he went. ms ma
chine formed one Of the Chief attractions =
Science, however, turned up its nose 1T him,
aud determined to put him down. The pro
fessors were all against him, and as they had
pronounced the whole thing "A humbus. they
were determined to prove the truth Of their
assertion Accordingly. MIR. llendrickson
was seized at keyport, New jersey, torprar-
ticing '..iugglery," under the Act Tor sup
pressing vice and immortality AZ the trial.
several builders mill wrights, engineers and
philosophers, were called, who testified that
no such motive power as that alleged. could
drive the machine, and that there must be
some concealed spring within the wooden
cylinder There was no help torit; and the
imposture must be exploded. An axe was
brought, and the cylinder splntered int"
fragments Alas. for the philosophers there
was no concealed spring, aud the machine
had gone Of itself. But alas. also, tor poor
Hendrlckson. the machine would 20 nomare.
With trembling hands he again resumed
his spectacles and his ack knite. His mod
el once more completed, he had new ma
chine constructed OF brass, hollow through
out, so that the eye could examine all ITS
parts. This was brought To our office near
ly two years ago. when we noticed 1t once
more, and gave to our readers some ot the
facts we have now recalled. The inventor
was trying TO secure "A patent for this dis
coyerv, hut the work went On slowly. The
Patent Office required a working model TO
test the principle, and one was sent on I"
Washington The moment the blocks were
taken out, the wheels started of like 4
thing Of life" and during ten months that
the model remained in the Patent Office, II
never once stopped to breathe. The invent
or had perfected two new machines, and
made a very comfortable livelihood exhibit
ing them, prosecuting his efforts mean while
10 secure his patent, intending to apply the
power t. clockwork for which it Is peculiar
~ well adapted. Age crept upon him, how
ever, before this point was reached; his
highest art could not make his heartbeat
ing perpetual and last Saturday afternoon
he breathed his last, in the old homestead N
Freehold lie had been 81 much persecu,
ted by the incredulous, that he had provided
a secret place beneath the h,or OF his shop
where his last two machines were deposited
Ii was in the form of u vault covered by a
trap-door which was locked and the floor Sc
replaced as to avoid suspicion. After ms
last illness commenced. he made known this
secret TO his family, who examined the spot
carefully, and found the contents exactly a
described The night after his death, the
shop was broken open, the floor taken up
the trap-door pried oil, and both models sto-
len. Ii is probable that the family in their
visits had not taken the same precautlon u
the inventor, and some prying eyes had DIS
covered the secret Fortunately the draw
ings are preserved, and there is little ma
chine, one of the earliest made, now running
in Brooklyn. where it has kept up its care
less ticking for nearly six years. MIR
Ilendrckson leaves family of four sons
and four daughters, all ofihem, we believe
given to Inventions Had he died ten years
ago, how emphatically would it have beer
said that his life had been wasted in "tht
hopeless effort to obtain perpetual motion.
Journal of Commerce.