The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-09
WILL GO ON FOREVER.
Like TennysOn's Brook is Mr..
ROhr's Machine.
WONDERFUL INVENTION NOW
BUILDING IN THIS CITY.

REQUIRES No Fuel to Run 1t and Creates
Its Own Power as 1t Goes Along
Comes Nearer Perpetual Motion than
Anything Yet-KeeIey's Famous Motor
Isn't In 1t With This Machine-Inven-
ton Owned Here in Portland.
If the claims made by its inventor and
those who are interested in his lnVen-
ton are true, a machine has been perfect
ed hare in Portland which practically
solves the problem of perpetual motion
and will give to the world motive pow
er eslf-supplying and capable of running
mills, railroad trains and steamships
without the use of one pound of steam
OF ele ctricity or without the burning OF
coal, wood or other fuel to obtain this
power, once the machine is PUT in mo-
ton, This wonderful self-supplying
motor has already been put to tile test IN
a small way, and if tie statements OF
many people in this city arc to be credit
ed. it has dore all that the inventor
firmly do those who have investigated
this machine believe in it. that $4,000 has
been subscribed by some of Portland's
most conservative capitalists and W
horse power motor, built after the plans
furnished by the inventor, is now being
constructed in machine shop in this
ojty. and will, within a week or two, be
ready for its trial in building which
has been leased fox the purpose. Should
this 2O-horse power motor prove sue
cess it will reyolutionize the world, and
as absurd as the statement may seem to
those who have not examined this ma
chine, some of P ortland's brightest ma
chinists have carefully looked into the
principles of the invention and have CIV
en- it as their opinion that the engine
now building will run and furnish
enough power to turn the wheels OF
factory or railroad train. The machine
is called the "cold compressed air and
self supplying power engine. "
Over year ago the PRESS first ga We
to its readers an account of strange
machine which was reported to be build
ing on Long Island and the great care
which was being exercised by the inVen-
tor to keep prying eyes away from the
little cottage in which be WAS trying his
experiments Later the PRESS again
told its readers more about this machine
and its inventor and what the man
claimed he could do. Doubtless many
read this article printed in the PRESS
with little care and gave to it little
thought, but there was one gentleman
here In Portland who read it and de-
termined to look up tho inventor and
this strange machine.
That gentleman g name Is well known
to the writer of this article but for OBJ
vious reasons he does not at this time,
desire TO have his name made public.
He took the boat the very next morning
after the article referred to above ap-
peared in the PRESS. ana went to Long
Island. There he had no difficulty in
finding the small cottage occupied By
the inventor and leased ly him of Mr..
Ernesto Ponce After satisfying himself
that his visitor was all that he claimed
to be and no more, the inventor 1nv1t-
ed him int the house, and conducting
him to small room in the building,
showed him the machine. The man from
Portland then learned that the inventors
name was William A. Rohr, aud that
be was native of Roch ester, N. Y. Mr..
Rohr explained to his caller all about
the machine and himself. He said that
he was a machinist by trade and seven
years ago had conceived the idea of
building machine on the principle of
the one he then exhibited. He began to
work on it in Rochester, but afterwards
having removed to Montreal he labored
there for three or four years without
grent success. Finally, having spent
nearly all of his money in experimenting
and his wife's health breaking down,
Mr. Rohr was advised by the physician
to take his wife to the salt water and
accordingly he moved his family to Port
land.
Mr. Rohr found that he could not carry
onahis experiments in the city without at.
tracing considerable attention, and being
bothered by the curiosity of his n ighbors,
so he moved to Long Island, where in the
small cottage belonging 80 Mr.. Ponce
he continued to labor and finally per-
fected his machine.
EThe gentlemanssto whom Mr.. Rohr told
this'story, having seen Mr.. Rohr's engine
in operation, was SO much impressed by
it that be returned to Portland and the
next day went to Long Island again
with one of the most skil1fUl maohinists
In the city. Having been convinced Of
the machinist's honesty and good inten-
tions, Mr.. Rohr again exhibited his en-