Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-11-02
PERPErUAL MOTION.

About six years ago. We Published the 6rst
description OF machine invented by Mr.. jas.
q Hsndrickson, Freehold, n J :, ssto 90 Of IT,
self. - model, which Mr. Hsndrickson had
made after p.tient rhittling for forty years,
was brought into our efice. and We found Il
would go without any impulse from without,
snd would not stop unless it was blocked The
power was self-c0ntaiued and lf-adiusted.
and gave sufficient force to carry ordinary
clock-work without any winding mp or replen-
isaing. In short, We saw no reason Why it
would not 60 until Il was worn out Oar ar
pousSsdent Of the fact brought out great
deal Of ridicuie; the incrednlous pointed st all
Of the projects to obtain perpetual motive
power which had faiIed in the past. and pre-
dicsed the same disgraee for the new iuven-l
ton Many scientihc gentlemen visited It.,
and sishongh they could not dispute the fact
that II was .goings" they nearly ali atfribatea
toe moyene az % some hidden sprine, or ipeo
DiOas trickery. The inventor wn an old man,
who had spent his whole life in pursuit of the
object he had now attained. he had become
20 much accustomed TO ridicuie, that be was
very patient under Is; and the only reply he
made TO the cavilers who pronounced the Thing
impossible, v@-A but is goes =" The notice
the curious, and for the frst time in his histo-
~, the inventor found profit to his handi-
work He was invited to be present at yarious
fairs and exhibitions Of new inventions. and
wherever be went, his machine formed one of
the chief attractions. Science, however, turn
ed up - nose at him, and determined 10 put
him down. The professors were all against
thing humbug, they were determined to
prove the truth Of thsir assertion. According
ly, Mr.. Hendrickson wzs seized at Keyport, N.
j., for practicing s,jugglery, )" under the ssAct
for suppressing vice and immortality % At the
trial, several bailders, miil-wrights, engineers,
and philosophers, were called, who testified
positively that no such motive power as that
alleged, could drive the machine. and chat
there must be some conesalsd spring within
the uooden cylinder. There vas NO help for
IL; and imposture must be exploded. An
axe was brought, and the cylinder splinter
ed into fragments. Alas for the phiIoso-
pliers, there was no concealed springs, and
and ne machine had gone Of itseifi But
alas also, for poor Hendrickson, the machins
would 80 no more. With trembling hands be
again resumed his spectacles and his jacknife.
His model once more completed, he had . new
machine Constructed OF brass, hollow through.
out, 80 that the eye could examine all its parts.
This was brought to oar once nearly two years
ago, when We noticed Ii once more, and gave
20 our readers some Of the facts we have now
reeailed. The inventor was trying 10 secure
patent for this discovery, but the work went
on slowly The Patent Once required work
ing model TO test the principle. and one was
sent on TO Washington. The moment the
blocks were taken out, the wheels started on
" like thing Of Life. % aud during ten months
that the model remained in the Patent Once.
il never once stopped to breathe. The invent
or had perfected two new machines and made
q very comfortable livelihood exhibiting them.
prosecuting his efforts meanwhile to secure his
patent, Intending to apply the power to clock
work, fsr which it h pesaIiarly we'll adapted
Age erept upon him, however, before this point
was reaehed; his highest art could not make
his heart-bsatings perpstaal; and last Satur-
day afternoon be brssthed his Last. In the old
homestead al Freehold- He had been 80 much
persecuted By the ineredulous that he had pro-
vided q secret place beneath the foor of his
shop where his last two machines were deposit
ted. 1t was IN the form Of vault, covered
by trap-door which was locked, and the door
30 replaced ~ 10 avoid suspicion. After his
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 foor taken up, the trap
door pried Oh, and both models stolen It Is
probable that the family in their visits had not
taken the same precaution as the inventor, and
some prying eyes had discovered the secret
fortanately the drawings are preserved, and
there Is little machine, one Of the earliest
made, NJ y running in Brooklyn, where 1t has
kept up is eeaseless ticking for nearly six
years. Mr.. Hendrickson leaves family Of
four sons and four daughters all Of them, We
believe, given to inventions. Had he died ten
years ago how emphaeically would il have been
said that bic life has been wasted in nthe hope
less effort to obtain perpetual motion. IN.
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