The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-09-23
KEELY,s GREAT MYSTERY,
ne Applies Ills Secret Motor to a Cannon
NJ .l-.a... ~. With Succnss -Nn-.--,--L--

. y.
WASHINGTON, September 29.-The phila.
delphia papers bring accounts Of expert.
msents In the presence Of army officers
with ordnance fired by Keely, the motor
man. The party found inventor Kcely
already on tile ground. IIo had come
over from Philadelphia by an early morn.
ing train, bringing with him tho exueri.
mental piece Of ordnance and two iron
cylinders resembling, in outward ap.
pearance, those used for storing carbonic
acid gas. The whole OF his apparatus
could have been packed in q. good.siz.d
dry goods" box. In company with Col.
Hamilton, Of the Fifth New York Artii.
!ery, and Willinm Boechcl, the inventor
had come down TO the ordnance station an
board the tugboat America. :
everything was arranged for the trial.
Upon board platform, raised above the
sand few inches, the experimental mn.
chinery had been arranged. -Four feet OF
copper tubing. about the diameter OF an
electric light wire, connected the genera.
tor with the gun, entering at the vent.
Tho antique bit Of ordnance selected by
the inventor to demonstrate the alapta.
'bnNy OF the mysterious power which he
has brought to light, looked like an ordi.
iansyyacht cannon, mounted upon
wheeled carriage. ;,l '..-=57s - lTf
Ia the two.inch bore was inserted n
brass tube that projected ten inches be.
You'd the mouth, &9l'he gnn-barrcl is OF
steel. The large generator 10 which was
attached the copper wire tubing was of
chlled iron; with n holding capacity OF
NV, gallons. Two feet beyond the genera.
tortiay small heavy iron cylinder, re.
sembsing in size and appearance bakers
rolling pin. This the inventor STYLED lie
intensiier. It was OF chilled iron, with |
capaci.y Of half,a gallon. The bore OF the
copper tube connecting the generator
with the intensitier was Of one. sixteenth OF |
an inch in diameter, In appearance the |
same as that connecting the large cylin. |
erwith the gun. =7'-,..g'
Z HOW THE Gun WAS LOADED.
To load the gun theinventor unscrcwcd
the barrel and placed against the orihce in
the chamber three washers, one Of rubber
aad two Of smooth gutta-percha. THIS
was to prevent, as he explained, any leak
age of the "etheric vapor," with which
the gun was about to be charged. Screw.
ing the muzzle back in place, he ram,ned
home against the washers leaden ball
weighing nearly five ounces, and ofronc
and. .one.sixteenth inch diameter. 'tt11
heely's every motion was eagerly
watched IN brra thless silence by the croNu
of persons that surrounded the three sides
OF the PLATFORM He was assisted bv Col.
onel Hamilton and Superintendent Sin.
clair, OF the U. s. Experimental Station.
and the Army officers, OF whom tn, re were
many, made preparations to obtain the ye.
locity OF the projectile by means OF electric
wire MEETINGS, through which the bail
would pass IN its flight. ~ ~ EFi
y stand from around the gum" exclaim.
ed the inventor. -
IA do not expect it to burst, but it is
bestto be cautious" I..g7 Z -,
The crowd beat precipitate retreat to
a point from which observations could be
safely taken. The gun was carefully
aimed at the Northumberland tarret and
tired with success, the ball tlatteninp
against the iron plating OF the disc. Be-.
tore turning on the force it was noticed
that Alr. Kecly tapped both =tl,c cylindri.
cal: Holder and the cannon with. a wooden
!nalle This, he explained, was for the
purpose Of producingthe necessary .vibra-
ton between the holder and the receiver,
The success of the invention, as applied
10 ordnance, in the opinion Of the army
officers, was pronounced. -.