The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-17
PERPETUAL MOTION.
Detroit Man Thinks He Has Dis
covered 1t at Last.
a Reporter Visits the Inventors Sane
fum and Publishes His Observations.


Saturday afternoon a private exhibition
was given at No. 125 Jefferson avenue by
William Classy, of his so-called perpetual
motion machine, an account of which was
given in the Free Press Thursday last. Be
side the inventor and his partner, August
Miller, only four persons were present,
one of them being a representative of this
paper. The machine is about five feet long.
six feet high and three feet wide, is encased
in black walnut frame, and consists of a
balance wheel, innumerahle small ratchetS
and springs, steel belts and elbow iointed
cranks. AT the end of four large cranks
are leaden pendulums, each weighing
90 pounds, which swing alternately.
and at each swing of every pendulum the
fly wheel makes eight revolutions. the force
thus obtained beng it is claimed. equal To
one and one-half horse power. The machine
is very complicated and is made in very fine
style, the castings being admirable. Upon
the walnut frame are carved the words
"Eurekal Veni, Tidi, Wei" The machine
stood in the middle of the room. lust where
II was put together, and entirely open to in
spection. That operation was thoroughly
performed before the exhibit was made. Mr.
Classy meanwhile walking and putting his
pipe nervously, and repeatedly saving to
himself: Look carefully, gentlemen and
its there. Ii you find it you will say | lie:
ii you don't find ii, but see it, you'll say l
don't lie."
At last everything was ready: the three
spectators stood aside with curious counte-
nances little Mr.. Miller stood pale and awe
stricken on the other side of the room. while
the great Classy walked up to his work con-
fidently and with genuine dignity This
said he, pointing TO a small iron fork.
whose prOngs clasped the side of the
say, death" Placing his thumb upon the
handle of the fork he lifted it from the fly
wheel, the 65 pound pendulums below
began to vibrate, the Semi-circular pullevs
above rocked TO and fro, the snap came in,
the balance-wheel clicked with regularity.
the Cog wheels rolled round each other.
the elbow cranks keeled back and
forth, and the machine was at work
There had been no push. not even a screw
had been turned, no spring had been touched
and no lever had been pulled and still the
thing was in operation by the simple lifting
of piece of iron abOur eight inches long
with two prongs about one-eighth of an inch
thick. After the machine had been moving
about five minutes, no one venturing to say
anything, Mr. Classy said:
AS | remarked. this is death, again
pointing to the fork. AS man lives so my
machine lives. Death touches man and he
stops. Death touches my machine ard it
stops" At this he lowered the fork and the
wheels stopped moving in about 80 seconds.
Again he lifted the fork and again the ma
chine worked, and as ii worked Classy dis
coursed about a. follows: 1T is said per
petual motion is against the fundamental
principles of science, ''Who SAYS so?'
MAN" "How does man know" ''He in
vestigates." 'Good!' HAS man carried in
vestigation as far possible?' ''No''
"GOod!"
"Hence, say, and my work proves that.
so far as man had investigated, the funda-
mental principles OF science, or in other
words, Euclid. fOrbids the construction of
self-acting power. Euclid lived centuries
ago and classy still lives. What is to for
bid investigation by Classy to disprOve
Euclid?'
The reporter asked if equal power applied
by persons hand TO any part of the balance
wheel would not stop the machine, at which
re wrong" To prove his assertion, the
inventor asked ant of the spectators to try
to stop the machine. 4 gentleman fully
six feet high and weighing about 200 pounds
accepted the invitation, and putting on a
pair of gloves handed him by Mr. Miller,
placed his hands upon the wheel. Gradually
he closed his fingers until he suddenly put
forth all his strength. and although he
stopped the machine, he did not do so until
he had been nearly lifted from his feet and
was fairly purple with exertion. As soon as
he loosened his hold the wheel again began
its revolutions and the audience looked on
in amazement.
''Oh, yes it can be stopped, said Mr.
Classy. so can you, by a machine which
has more strength than you. And when
you are released your brains will start YOU
again. So with my machine 1t can be
stopped, and when released its brains
pointing to the semi-circular pulleys-wlll
start it again.
The exhibition continued for an hour or
more, and before dismissing his friends Mr..
Classy said lie should invite a committee |
of scientists and mechanics to examine the |
after which ii should be allowed |
to start itself and that the committee could |
time with watches and if it lost a second of |
time during its movement of one week, he |
would acknowledge that it was wrongly con-
structed, and would begin over again in the
hope of remedying the defect.