The workingman's advocate., 1869-11-27

has promised reward for its discovery; and
at present, any government or any public
body would be ashamed even to suppose it
possible. Nearly century ago, the Acad-
emy Of Sciences, at Paris, resolved to re-
ceive no communication having reference to
it, The attempt to find perpetual motion
is now considered proof of ignorance and
folly rather than sign of ingenuity, and
those who fancy that they have discovered it
are invariably ignorant Of, or very little ac-
quainted with, even the elements of science.
We may with safety condemn any contri-
vance Of this kind even unseen, and should
not permit ourselves to be led into vain
hopes, even by seemingly the best authori-
ties. Apparently respectable testimony as
TO the actual solution Of the problem has
not been wanting at any period. The Mar
quis of Worcester, in the ffty-sixth of bis
" Century of Inventions" says that wheel
II feet in diameter, with 40 weights each Of
so lbs. was exhibited in the tower before
the King, foreign ambassadors, members of
the nobility, and most of the court; and be
appeals to the lieutenant of the Tow
er, &C., in proof Of his assertion, that all
persons present saw that no sooner had
these great weights passed the diameter line
of the lower side, but they hung foot far
ther from the. center, nor no sooner passed
tbe diameter 1ine Of the upper side but they
hung foot nearer "Be pleased, says be
g to Judge the consequence" Yet this was
o contrivance whicn has been tried thous-
and times, and necessarily in vain. In the
beginning Of the last century, Orf eyreu's
scksel caused the greatest excitement through
ont Europe, and, to put an end to. the extra
ordinary infatuation it caused, Desaguliers
ead paper before the Royal Society, which
i found in the thirty-irst volums. Of their
Transactions" In it he clearly exposes
he fallacy of what was believed to be the
principle Of Crfeyreus, invention. 1t is
scarcely to be wondered that the ignorant
we're led into error for it was asserted by
those apparently worthy of credit, that this
4heel would move in either direction if a
slight impulse were given to it that its
fvslocity would become gradually accelerated
ct itself that this accelerated velocity con-
tnued for two months without diminution,
dnring which time it was locked up and care
fully sealed in the chamber Of the Land.
fIgrave of Hesse /; and that it was stopped
at the expiration of that period only that il
might not be exposed to unnecessary wear.
When, however, an eminent man Of science
proposed to examine it critically, its invent
or broke it in pieces, in pretended indigna
nation, as an unjusti6able curiosity. But
perhaps, yet stronger proof of its not
having beeen in reality what it was repre-
sented, is found in the fact that eighty thou
sand crowns were refused for the secret.
u So recently as the year 1854, the editor
Oft he American Journal Of Commerce, de
clares, that the model Of machine possess
ing "propelling power, sslfcOntGined ant
set-adjusting, and having sufficient powe
to move clockwork without winding up,
was exhibited at his Office. 1t was described
: ss starting into motion, when the blocks b,
which it had been stopped were removed
Yet il was only the ordinary arrangement o
. arms and balls"
8 Although the contrivances which hav
+ been suggested at various periods for th
production Of perpetual motion are both ex
tremely numerous and varied, they are al
: reducible to the same very simple principle
; which we proceed to illustrate. 1t has bee
e attempted to render the force of gravity et