The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-05
NEVER ENDING MOTION.
SCIENTISTS CAV IT CANNOT BE
PRODUCED BY MAN.

David VI. Stone. The New York Journal Of
Commerce Editor. Says IL Has Been
Done Plans OF Two Enthusiastic In
MENTORS of the West.
Mr. David N. Stone. the famous editor, is
not among those Who believe the problem OF
perpctnal motion is insouble On the con
trary. he saws. he once had in his Office for
number OF weeks a machine that WAS moved
by gravitation. and that It was kept there un.
oil lac was satisfied that it was not humbug
The history Of ,le invention. a. he told It 20
me. - very interesting II will 10 noticed
that with all the sturdy Independence which
Is - characteristic OF tho man. he utterly
ignores the CONSENSUS Of scientists For many
year. now tbe scientific world has accepted
without a question the dictum that graVita'
ton cannot be- utilized 10 produce continuous
motion. and by common consent the nuner
Gus expcrmcuters who have spent years ana
. fortunes trying % achieve this result have
been styled visionary fools
Ho would be- n bold man who would cal.
David VI Stone fool yet he declared some
time ago. cdltorally. that the idea Of PerPet
nal motion was quite in accordance with nat
ural laws. tie planetary world furnishing
visible illustration 81 IT, And he further said.
ave believe 30 quito possible 10 employ nat
ural agencies like gaivanisn or electricity,
aud possibly gravitailon, 20 produce continued
motion. overcoming the lighiest possible fric'
ton. but not 20 furnish any useful power.
II was when asked him p speak further on
the subject thot hc told me this story
81 think t was in 1852" said Mr.. Stone.
"that an old man. who, ! should think, was
al least ~ year, old. came into the Office OF
The Journal of Commerce and asked 20 see
the editor. / was then a junior but Mr
Hallcck referred him % me and gave him
a hearing. although / did not at ali believe
what he said when ho told me that he bad a
machine with him that moved continuously
by It's own weight thought then, a. most
ts.ople still think. that the thing was impoSsi'
bic. hui the OLD man said he had worked forty
years on 10 and had succeeded at last, and he
wanted me 90 examine the machine. Naiur
ally vas willing to do that, and / saw that
II would certainly 60 OF course. | suspected
some trick inside Of TO- / thought there was
n snrins. rerhaps concealed within. but got
him 10 leave 10 with me for a considerable
time. and while had it sealed up ! satisfied
mysaif ON that point. 1t had no spring and
IL went bv IT'S own weight"
why was tho story not published at the
timer ] asked.
1T was. aud il attracted not only the wild
est attention. but the most unsparing ridi
Guile Not only did great numbers Of people
visit the Office. and while they sat seeing it 60
declare that 10 must be a fraud, but the edit
ors all over the country took IL mp and de
clared on general principles that we were
beinr humbagged"
suggested that IL would be well to consult
the files of The Journal OF Commerce and SEE
the-e stories. but MIR. Stone said that he did
not know Of Gle in existence All the Office
files we're destroyed when the Office wa
burned after this time, and he was unable T.
remember even the namoOf the old inventor
He could, however, give me an idea Of what
the machine was like, and he made a rough
sketch. Reproduced here.
According 90 Mr.. Stones explanation the
circle IN this diagram represents cylinder
about IS inches long and some 3 inches n
diameter. This was so placed as 10 revolve