New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-19
PERPETUAL MOTION POPS Up AGAIN.
AN Ex-ARTiLLERY OFFICER OF THE ITALIAN
ARMY CONSTRUCTING 4 MACHINE IN NEW
ARK-IF UNSUCCESSFUL. THE INVENTOR
,,.1rr Dn,,Nnr c1-flrrlr, LIE cANs

AN rxARTlILERY OFFICER OF THE ITALIAN
ARMY CONSTRUCTING a MACHINE IN NEW
ARK-IF UNSUCCESSFUL. THE INVENTOR
WILL COMMIT SUICIDE. HE SAYS.
81 killa me II my machina worlsa ALA righta"
This was the rashy suicidal threat recently made
by Michele Patrono ex-artillery officer OF the
Italian Army. who came TO this country about
twelve months ago and has since been striving to
perfect a mysterious machine OF his own invention,
which Is designed simultaneously to solve the alb
struse mechanical problem OF perpetual motion and
10 provide a marvellous motVe-power by means OF
which the largest ships may be propelled from
shore to shore OF the broad Atlantic inside OF two
DAYS. Captain Patrono is as vivacious visionary
lie is OF medium height. middle age. prepossessing
appearance and soldierly bearing, and
bristlng military mustache His education Is cx-
c. llcni and the Italian Government said to have
derived material benefit from his inventions and
scientific attachments while he enlisted In its
military service.
Soon after arriving here Captain Patrono sought
10 obtain the ala OF several prominent local Italian
Americans In the formation Of a large joint stock
company for the development and promotion OF his
ambitious scheme. when he explained his wonder
ful device TO some whose aid he invoked he was re-
minded OF the unhappy fate Of Darius Green and
his pioneer nying machine and OF the Kelley motor
and other kindred occult contrvances.
One wo!l-knoWn wholesale merchant 10 whom
Captain Patrono applied for aid and encouragement
having respectfully declined to aid in promoting tho
enterprise. afterward said 70 a friend: "The
captain reminds me OF Professor Queerspcck one
Of the curious creations OF Dickens in THE Mud
fog Association" The professor. you know. carried
a model Of portable railway. neatly mounted in a
green case for the waistcoat pocket and claimed
that by attaching this instrument to his boots any
bank public Office clerk could transport himself
from his place Of residence to his place Of business
at the easy rate Of sixty-iive miles an hour Pro-
fessor Queerspecks invention was dead failure.
You may draw your inference from my sirnile."
Captain PatrOno finally succeeded in constructing
working model. consisting OF a hollow wheel Of
iron or steel about five feet in circumference and
provided with some inner mechanism which "eye
hath not seen save his own. In exhibiting this
model TO those whose aid he sought Captain Patrono
openly poured a quantity Of quicksilver through an
tightly closed and the quicksilver became invisible.
ing It. Captain Patrono declared that the wheel
would continue to rcvolse perpeuaIy unless siopped
by interference with it, lie Explained that all tboi
was necessary to drop the quicksilver into the
ism would do the rest" The spectators Withdrew
with expressions Of satisfaction.
Soon afterward a joint stock company formed
in Newark under the laws Of the State Of New
Jersey with capital stock OF $1,000. divided into
shares OF par value Of 500 each. Among the well.
known local Italian Americans who are interested
in the success Of Captain Patronos bold undertak
Union Army: e. Barsotti. Editor Of III Progresso
local Italian newspaper; +. Ought. v Bianchi and
II. Caudaluppi.
Captain Patrono IS now experimenting the con
stIuctlOn IN "A large scale OF one Of his perpetual
motion wheels at No. q Market-st.. Newark. II,
has guaranteed that Il shall be finished by tO-inor
row, and that IL shall on that day show It's power
TO ft sixty tons, dead weight II IL In connection
with this test that CAPTAIN Patrono made his threa
OF suicide In case OF failure. While OF hi,
fellow cOuntrymen hippanty remarked. his takinl
off would make one less maccaroni-eater In this
country" IL Is more humane to hope that II
his enigmatical enterprise should meet with dlres
mishap the gaIlini captain may find 1t better tC
be eaten to death by rust than to be secured tt
nothing with perpetual motion"