The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-18
KELLY AND HIS MOTOR.
How the Invention was First Doomed
by New York Capitalists.


by New York Capitalists.
from the Ne,c York GraDhic
The contention now taking place in the
Philadelphia courts concerning the Keely
motor and the efforts of one of the stock
holders to wrest from the inventor the secret
Of his mysterious apparatus revive interest
in what is either the most stupendous piece
of charlatanism or one of the greatest won
ders of the age. Few people are aware of
the fact that the Kelly Motor Company bad
its practical inception in the city of New
York
John W Keely is a Philadelphia by
birth. When but 10 years of age he was
thrust out alone in the world to make his
battle for bread He had two hobbies,
strangely opposite in the direction in which
they are supposed to lead mems minds. and
yet together they carried him to develop
ment Of that which has achieved for hlm
fame, if not fortune. They were music and
mechanics. His knowledge of the former
led him TO the discovery of what he terms
his vibratory theory, and his training IN
the latter enabled him to construct the ma
chine which for nearly fifteen years has
sorely puzzled the scientific world and has
called down upon its maker the maledic-
tions of all who do not understand its IN
tricacies. In his early life Keely was
cabinetmaker and musician by turns
During the autumn, winter and spring he
worked at his trade i'll little shop ON
Market street, Philadelphia, and in the
summer he practiced his profession by lead
ing a small orchestra which contributed to
the pleasuse of visitors at "A Pennsylvania
resort known as Latonia Springs.
About fifteen years ago, while living on
Ogden street, Philadelphia Keely came to
believe that he had discovered a new and
powerful sort of engine. He did not then
claim that he had found a new force in ma
ture. The contrivance which he had con
structed was placed in a bath-tub and run
by a stream of water which passed through
goose-quill. He called it "hydropneu
matic-pusating- vacuO engine" This in
time grew into the machine which was
named the generator, - but which the world
afterwards christened the Keely motor
The claim was made for it that it produced
power from the vibratory qualities of air
and water Before the public heard of the
new invention the attention of a number
of New York capitalists was drawn
to it, and they requested Chas B. Collier,
well known and highly respected patent at
torney Of Philadelphia, to examine it aud
make a report. He requested an exhibition,
and on Nov. 10, 1874, the first public demon
straton of the workings of the Kelly
motor was made in the presence of Mr.. Col
lier and ten other gentlemen. The New
Workers who had requested an official re-
port on the matter were John j. Cisco, the
well-knowu banker and formerly United
States Treasurer in this city; Charles
q. Francklyn, of the Cunard line of steam
ships; Charles II. Haswell, the author of
Haswell's Tables, the leading authority
among mechanicians; Henry c. Sergeant,
President of the Ingersoll Rock Drill Com
pany; w. d. Hatch and Enos T. Troop, of
the Hatch LithOgraphic Company; John s.
Smith, of Baker, Smith &, Co., the large
manufacturers of steam heating apparatus
and William B. Meeker, the banker, now
deceased.
These gentlemen met in the Fifth Avenue
Hotel. with Sidney Dillon in the chair
They listened quietly to Mr. Golfers report
which had been made in writing The next
day they gave the Philadelphia attorney
their check for $4,000 in purchase of stock
of the Keely Motor Company, which sum
was intended to pay the Indebtedness keelv
had incurred in the construction of his ma
chine. Within two hours after the inventor
had received that sum every penny Of it
had been expended for the purpose for
which it was intended by the subscribers.
The New York capitalitS were also
given an option for $40, 900 worth more of
the stock, the option to be kept open until
an opportunity was given to receive further
while that gentleman had negotiated a sale
Of the rights of the New England States for
an option Of $4,000 the purchasers to in
vest $500. 900 to introduce the invention, and
then to pay over another 500, 600 For the
benefit of both bodies of investors great
public exhibition was given in Philadelphia,
which was attended by 300 persons, incud-
ing the most eminent engineers from ali
parts of the country. The next day the
two bodies of capitalists handed over their
checks for $40, coo and $4,000 respectively,
thu making $1,000 in all that Mr. Collier
had raised
That was the public beginning of the
Keely motor.
1t was thought that the sum mentioned
would be sufficient to push the invention to
completion and success But the proie tors
had not reckoned the full nature of the
task. The first large machine which was
constructed took three years of time AMI
the expenditure of $50 900 to build it, and
then it was found to be practically worth
less One machine followed another, each
it was claimed. being an Improvement on
its predecessor, until finally the generator"
was discarded and a new apparatus, in
which no water is used and which is known
as the "lberator,n was the present pro
duct of the experiments. IL has a
series of large tuning forks, with the vibra-
tionS of which keely claims to dsintegrate
the air and release an etheric force which is
rivalled in strength only by a cyclone
What he has exactly no one but himself
knows, but certain it is that be produce, a
force of some sort which SURPRISES any
thing known to the scientific world to-day,
That it is not compressed air has been
established beyond question of doubt.
Whether he can control it is another
question And a vital one too.
keely is a swarthy man, with a weakness
for very large and brilliant diamonds,
which he displays in an open and generally
dirty shirt front. His hands are remarkii-
bile for their enormous size and the enlarge
ment and malformation of the knuckies.
When not tnkering with his machine,
Kecly can generally be found playing
checkers with grimy fingers on grimy
board, with grimy draughts.
How much money has been expended on
the invention in the last fifteen years is
something no fellow can find out.
THE following shows the per cent of ex- Union
soldiers employed on the police forces Of tween.
tyeight Of the leading cities OF the country:
Boston. Is; Portland. Ne, -; Concord. y H..
none; Manchester, \. II. b; Providence l6:
Navy Ntri, lllppklNu II