The Washington critic., 1890-03-11
A MARVELLOUS MACHINE.
An Apparatus that Works According
To tho Directors Will.

An Apparatus that Works According
To tho Directors VIII.
The visit of French count, says a
London paper, has given us much to
think Of beyond the limits Of the dis
ease, both mental and bodily, by
which we have been assailed. This
Count p, who, strange 10 say, seeks no
publicity, is one of the most learned
men of the century. His studies have
been followed in participation with the
experiments of the great experimental
ist, the late Ruhmkorff.
The latter was generous enough to
own that It was under the direction Of
Count p. that he accomplished most Of
his greatest inventions. The wondrous
reel invented by the Count is still con.
sidered the most marvellous conquest of
science. Upon this reel is wound
length of silver wire measuring 10000
: metres. The magnetic needles crossing
each other in contrary direction are
fixed upon the reel and suspended by q
slender thread. The apparatus works
under glass like watch, so that no
tampering with the mechanism is pos
sible 1t is mounted, however, on
high stand.
The Count takes hold of the two
conductors, TO which are attached the
two ends Of the silver thread rolled
upon the reel, and bids you order the
machine to move to right or left, ac-
cording to your will. Under this
| power alone, hitherto misunderstood
this, the mightiest power in the uni
verse, according TO Count r., the
power of the human will-the machine
will act without the contact of touch.
To right TO left will the reel revolve,
according to the fancy of the visitor.
Without speech, without touch, by
the mere mental influence alone, will
The machine move in obedience to the
unexpressed command. But not in all
cases does the machine answer unre-
servedly. 1t is to the powerful will
alone, the concentrated and fixed deter
mination, that it can be made to reply.
Ruhmkorf used to laugh immoder-
ately at the vacillating movement of
Count p. machine when the savans of
the academic were induced to try the
experiment. With some the wire would
tremble and vibrate, then start TO one
side, then move toward the other, while
with others it would refuse to move at
all. but conflne its vibration to one spot.
The experiments made by Count p.
in London have all been exhibited
strictly in private. His object in coming
here is merely to obtain wire more finely
spun than any he has hitherto been
able to get in Paris. They say that,
contrary TO the general rule, the Count,
from having been all his life con-
tirmed materialist, has been converted
TO the highest degree of religious faith,
to conviction of the lofty destinies OF
man and his connection with the divin.
ity; man has abused his gifts and de.
livered himself to evil, but the divine
essence is still within him.
So fearful has the philosopher been
of the pursuit of the fashionable Co
teries, who, under preteXt of scientific
inquiry, merely seek to derive amuse
ment from the most serious expert
ments in science, that he has sought q
retreat in n convent near London, and
his excuse of being compelled to re
turn thither by 8 O'clock is made to re
ply to all invitations to dinner or tC
"small and earlies," with which the
fine ladies Of London would seek tC
oVerwhelm him.