New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-11
KEELYS LIST EXHIBITION

ncars TO have produced favorable impression
uDon many Of those who witnessed 1t. The
value of this impression, however, is greatly
diminished by several considerations. In the
first place few Of the witnesses were mechanical
experts, and this means much III forming
Judgment upon such an exhibition. Mr.. kcely
saws he has discovered and applied new f0cce.
but he for some reason not satisfactorily cx-
planned makes mystery of his processes. In
these conditions no profitable inquest can be
made into his machine save by men whose init
mate knowledge Of the known laws Of me-
chanics enables them to discriminate clearly be-
tween effects produced under those laws and
effects requiring Tor their production the opera
ton of some new law. The persons who the
other day were led to believe in the Kecly
motor do not appear TO have possessed the
technical knowledge necessary for sound
Judgment But this is not all. I'm the second
place Mr.. Kcely did not afford his visitors full
and free opportunity to get to the bottom of the
process lie had globes and cylinders which
contained nobody but himself knows what.
He declared that compressed air was not used,
and he endcavOred 10 demonstrate this by a
process of insulation, the completeness Of
which unfortunately seems TO have been open
In doubt. Now of course Mr. Kccy knows that
il is n scientific axiom always to seek the cx-
planaton Of phenomena upon known principles
and laws and never to accept unknown and
mvsterous principles so long rs those which
are already understood will explain the matter.
In accordance with this thoroughly sound
and rational method of research it is necessary
to prove the impOssibilty of doing what Mr..
Keely does by known laws before taking into
serious consideration the possibility that he may
have discovered a new force. In this position
there is involved no denial of such possibility,
and no assumption that all the laws of nature
have been ascertained and recorded. All that
is assumed Is that the known ways of doing the
thing must be exhausted before proceeding to
seek a solution in the unknown. Now if Mr..
Keely and IA is friends find the general scepti-
cism Oh the subject of the motor disagreeable,
they must not blame the public or the men OF
science who decline to accept the alleged in
ventors statements rs demonstrations. Who
ever makes such a claim IA Mr.. Kcely has done
must expect not to be taken seriously so long
as he persists in maintaining an atmosphere of
mystery about his machine. The obvious fact
that the demonstration of what In claimed must
be easy if the claim be valid inevitably
strengthens the suspicion created by the
avoidance of anything like an open, candid
| trial. Mr. Keely could at any time allow n COM
mttee of mechanical experts to arrange the con-
| ditions for an exhibition of his motor In such "a
| way that the employment of compressed air or of
| any other force known to science would be i'm
possible. That he does not do this that on the
| contrary he always insists on fixing the condi-
| lions himself that he does it In such n way as
| TO leave the question of trickery open in the
| minds of all but the most credulous necessarily
| confirms all pre-existing scepticism, and puts
| Mr.. Kelly and his motor outside the scientific
| pale.
Before this state Of things can be changed,
| before mechanics and scientists will regard the
| Keely motor otherwise than az a humbug, the
inventor must accede to the perfectly legitimate
| demand for an investigation stripped of all
mystery and everything that looks like chara-
| tanry If such an investigation is permitted,
and the existence of an hitherto unknown force
is thereby demonstrated, Mr.. Kcely will receive
| the Honor due to so mOmentous a discovery.
But in the meantime he will certainly not sue
coed in convincing the world of the reality and
genuineness of his pretcnsions by such make
believe exhibitions rs he has hitherto given.
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