The Portland daily press., 1898-11-24
KEEL y's SECRET HIDDEN.
No Disclosure Of the Mystery of His
Strange Motor.

Philadelphia, Nov. I9-The death OF
John hrnst Worrsll Kelly, who posed as
the olscoverer of the secret of d1sintegra6-
ing molecules by the vibration OF musl-
cal tones and thereby liberating q force
unknown In the present boundaries of
science, has left doubt as to whether the
nature OF his alleged secret will be re-
vealed. Mr.. Keely's widow is now in i'll
health. He had no children. LII cannot
be ascertained whether he left will, or
whether he committed to any living
person the key to his alleged strange dis
covery in dynamics.
The ss.Keeiy Motor Stock Company or
ganized to develop his experiments has
lapsed into stage of suspense, from all
appearances. The organization still ex-
lists. with President and four or five
directors living in New York, and Sec
rotary and one director living in this CITY.
A corporate Office is maintained in the
attic of brick building on Walnut street
above Ninth. The office is uncarpeted
and almost destitute of furniture.
SiApA ASo " OLO A)SS@~e~-~S
Of the corporation, is the sole tenant OF
this place. Their ara no shade at the
windows, and the light that enters them
throws its rays upon strange variety OF
Photographic blue prints, working draw
ings and queer mechanical desi ems which
illustrate the early and later stages OF
Keely 8 researches in the mysteries OF
molecular and atomic forces.
Keely was an expert in the theory and
ART of music He was master OF the
theory OF harmony He was not only an
instrumentalist, but composer, and in
that attainment lay the primary element
of his alleged discovery. This was q
strange relation or affinity between the
forces of nature and harmonic forces. He
said he had discovered syinpathe1ic
vibration connecting the waves OF SOUND
with the disturbance OF the molecules OF
matter, and also had found in the traces
of this peculiar disturbance an energy
unknown to the sphere of dynamics. his
first experiments were made with drops
of water in vacuum. The f1rsG meonanl.
cal property he developed from this series
of experiments was the force of adhesive
attraction, which he assumed in his own
statements to be related to the polar cur
rents of the earth. Next he developed, he
has said, the force of propulsion. reveal
Just as the chemical separation OF the
molecules of water produce electro mRgne-
tism he pursued the theory that the dis
Indignation of these molecules, which ne
said he had accomplished, produced, by
the sympathetic vibration OF tones.
subtle and higher force correlated with
man oetism He went SO far as to adj
vance the startling proposition that the
rotation OF planets in their orbits was
produced by the alternating power of
atomic energy. He said he had pursued
the ANALYSIS of his theme to the eighth
power where he reached the substance
Of luminosity and there without attempt
=. ng 10 theorize further on the origin OF
things universal, he stopped ana put
ali his skill aud mental resources to the
task of Harvesting the power OF atoms to
the economy OF iife.
Twelve years ago, about half the period
of his experiIncntaIion, he had abandoned
the molecules of water as the basis OF anlS
task and directed his attention solely to
the molecules of air. de said thai IN
the course of this work he had produced
dynamic energy of 10000 pounds TO the
inch in a Iorrioeilian vacuum. he said
he could exhaust the air from II tube,
Iipetting q vacuum as nearly perfect as
EcouId be effected, and generate force
that could ire "a gun or move tons oI
inertia. He gave experiments Of this
udGufS az ScdHh NUN A0fabeS s'eteS-S -
1888 in the presence of Lieut.. Zalinskl and
other students Of science. some of when
were profound skepties and insisted on
the theory chat keely used nothing but
CON pressed air.
Whatever the substance was that heely
carried in steel tube, it was apparently
mex haustil IL, the protective force OF the
nineteenth and last shot being greater
than any OF the preceding ones. clrcum-
stance that strangely combattsd the
theory of compressed air.
1t would require book to tell OF tne
series of mechanIsms which keely devised
| TO convert this mysterious atomic energy,
SO called, TO the Industrial and CONNER
cial activities OF the world. He died with
out effecting this purpose, and whether or
not the secret or formula OF generating
this supposed disturbance OF 1nteratomlc
energy died with him yet remains to be
told. The apparatus with which heely
conducted his alleged experiments is the
property of the Keely Motor Company.
A part from that he left great mass oil
manuscript relating TO the progress OF ms
experiments, which is the property OF his
estate. aud can only be disposed OF In the
administration OF his etfects.
Edison once offered to give bond OF
any amount OF value that could be agreed
upou to protect the exposure OF Kelly 8
alleged secret if he could be permitted TO