Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1883-04-26
PERPETUAL MOTION
A PUZZLING PHENOMENON.
Oscillations of Pair of Scales that are Creating
Wonder.

The citizens of the borough of West
Chester, Pa, are much excited over
what appears to be phenomenon that
has presented itself in the town and
all of the talent of the place is engag-
ed in trying to solve the problem. The
mystery. which looks like the accom-
plishment Of perpetual motion, is to
be seen at the tobacco store of Mr..
Thomas I. Smith, on East Gay street,
and the medium is nothing more nor
less than the weight attachment of a
small pair of scales A special dis
patch to the Times says: "On last
Monday evening while Mr.. Smiths
employees we're making changes in the
arrangement of goods in stock, it be-
came necessary to lift from the floor
these scales which were given tenn
porary place on a pile of tobacco box
es. About an hour afterward a clerk
noticed that the rod attached to the
end of the beam for hanging the weights
on was oscillating with regular mo-
mentum, and, after keeping his eyes
| upon it for several minutes, was not a
little surprised at discovering that the
| pendulum-like motion was kept up
with precision, and that it manifested
no disposition to stop. Thus, during
the entire evening this phenomenal ac-
ton led hundreds of people to witness
the strange performance, and when
the time for closing arrived the doors
were locked, leaving it to itself, MIR
Smith and others believing that II
would run down long before morning
Tuesday morning came, and upol
opening the store backward and for
ward swung the rod and balance plate
with the same steady motion that hae
characterized its movements on thu
preceding evening, and thus it has un
interruptedly kept its motion up sine
to the wonder Of the entire town. u
to this time it has kept swinging dur
ing sixty-eight hours, and to all ap
pearances it is likely to continue TO
an indefinite period, and as it hold
out in its uraceos ntttls4A Z performanc
the wonder and interest continue t
increase. The rod which serves as
pendulum is about a foot in length
and its bearings at the end Of the bean
are very complete, the adjustment be
ing Of the most delicate character. Th
motion of the rod is due north an
south, and its oscillations are "a pc
minute, with no deviation whatever
they having been tested score c
times by interested lookers-on. Ih
scales have been in use in Mr.. Smith
store for several years, their forme
position being little northwest {
their present one and upon the Hoo
During the first day Of the movemer
: the public rejected the statements
Mr.. Smith and his clerks as to thel
being no hidden power, but since the
continuous throng of people hay
carefully and intelligently examine
into the causes, but no positive SOL
ton has been reached. 1t is believe
by some that the pendulum is operate
by some broken electrical current, al
l. this theory is strengthened by the ia
that the Western Union TelegraF
: Company has an Office in one Of Il
upper stories of the building, the wir
to which pass into the building ov
the door leading to Mr.. Smiths stol
A large number of scientific gent
men watched the movements this NOR
ing for hours, but, after comparil
their notes Of investigation, were un
BILE to reach any solution Of the pc
| picking problem. Prof. Sharple
State Assayer of Massachusetts,, is
i town to-day, and will give the matt
i a thorough investigation" (Can tt
] be the Keely motorO