The evening times., 1899-01-30

baekg stand right on this spot until
improve the motor 50 that II will work
and I'll declare a dividend
Here is a list OF some of the investments
to- be charged to the account Of this char
latan of the nineteenth century:
Advanced by New York capitalists
tle1p ..-.......--.............. NioOSo N
Expended in perfectiDg motor 69OD
Given by Miss Bloomfield Moore lp,O0
Stock by the keely Motor Company .----5,OOOOOo
Total .............-.-......-.... S9,l'OVn
Not that this by any means represents
all the money which has been swallowed
up in the swiftly revolving motor. II may
be six millions, it may be ten millions;
for In the twenty-five years in which the
new force which was to be evolved was ex-
plotted before the public this magician of
mechanics found thousands who believed
in him and backed their faith by green
backs. He never lacked for funds with
which to carry on his weird experiments.
The financial operations of the keely mo-
tor were involved in as much secrecy as
the mechanism itself. Hundreds have in
vested in it and have kept the investment
secret. The exact amount Of money sunk
through Keeiy will never be definitely
known.
He had operated an engine by means Of
compressed air forced through thin tubes
from a concealed tank. He had wonder
full invention, which. at the twang OF a viO-
lin and in response TO the tossing OF a
gill Of water into it's mechanism set up q
terrific disturbance. provided the cOudens-
ed air pipes were tight and no inquisitive
individual moved the machine about the
floor
One of the most remarkable things con-
corning this iuggler with science was that
he did not leave more money than he did
He bequeathed 10 his family 81 53S fifteen
pieces OF experimental apparatus and a
certain right of unknown valuation in Ger
tain uncompleted and unpatented iuven-
tions."
'Keelyism," if l may coin the word
had its converts everywhere Men o.
shrewd common sense went 70 the iuyen-
tor in his little shop and pressed aim 20
take their money.
Mrs. Bloomfield Moore a brilliant wo-
man famed for her ledring and culture
gave the man from $3.50 20 $3.50 Il month
10 aid his researches She made codicu
in her will signed in the dingy little shop
in Philadelphia whereby she directed that
part OF her estate 20 10 a fund for per
fecting the Keely motor. When he died
she survived only a few DAYS Her soul
seemed 10 be bound up 10 the success Of tn.
invention.
Professors Of science studied Kcely's ma
chimes and listened 20 his hybrid iarxon
Once savaEt grayely proposed that keels.
who murdered our English speech wiki
every other breath, should have a home
among the elect OF the University Of Penn
sylvania.
Now that the personality of Keeiv has
gone out from this world il seems one of
the most astounding occurrences OF history
that men should have witnessed in sober
earnest the antics OF this Zany of science
He played horse" as the college bows
would put IL. with scientific nomenclature
lls nut
phia laboratory which mankind worshiped
after the weird ritual composed by the
high priest of fraud. Wealth made sacri-
hces OF millions. too. at those shrines and
men thought that they were on the road To
fortune on a way made straight by the
great keely motor.
They believed that if it once started
there could be no stopping the revolutions
in earthly affairs which would follow in
its train. I; was only a year or two ago
that the manager of the Manhattan Ele-
waited Railroad inspected the motor and
said that il was worth careful examina-
ton Officials OF the Metropolitan Trac-
tion Company made similar examiua-
tion. Col. John Jacob Astor. whose at
tention was attracted TO the apparatus by
Keely's friend, champion, and agent. Mrs.
Bloomfield Moore. seriously considered
the advisability of forming synd.caIa to
bring the invention before the word
None of the gentlemen whom | have men
toned was finally convinced Kelly had
discovered anything OF value 1t goes to
show that Keely had the faculty of Sc
curing the attention of the keen and prac-
teal man of affairs.
Ordnance experts have sat in the keely
laboratory in Philadelphia and watched
experiments with a wonderful cannon.
which was in reality nothing but a big
popgun.
Experts last week dissected the build
ing in which the charlatan carried on his
experiments. They laid bare the pipes
which conveyed the compressed air from
buried steel tank. They found that the
strange force which came at the twanging
of a fiddle bow or the dropping of little
water was after all only atmospheres con-
densed. There was nothing new They
! found that the machines were operated on
principles discovered centuries ago.
Yet the Keely motor had been denounc-
ed years before that The Herald had
nine years before shown the workings of
Keely models and pointed out that the
| force which made the motor wh.rl was
compressed air. For all that Keey was
able to organize a company, not an officer
of which had been taken into the conf
dence of the inventor. Not man XII wv
what was supposed to make the motor
mote" Keely died without revealing
| the means by which he attained his re-
| suits. Even the courts could not compel
| him to tell.
Keelys success lay in his faculty for
| Stimulating earnestness. He affected a vir-
| tue if he had il not. He acted as one who
| believed that he had made a great discov-
| cry. He was a consummate actor. There
was stormy scene in his laboratory once
| when man accused him of using copper
pipe from the transmitter and defied keely
to cut it. Mrs. Bloomfield Moore offered
the inventor $1,000 if he would cut the
| supposed wire and thus fling back the as
| persion of this critic. Keely would not
! listen to such thing The spectators were
3, hurried from the room. and few min
utes later Keely summoned two witnesses
| and cut the supposed copper pipe II prov
ed to be a wire. Now, the puzzle is to find
| when the change took place, for there is
| no doubt In the world that the wire was
| copper pipe not five minutes before. Yet
| through all this stormy scene Keely boiled
| with righteous indignation and scorn.
| Could it have been that ne persuaded Kee-
| " the inventor to believe in Keely the
| charlatan.
1t almost seems incredible that one
| should listen without laughing at some OF
the Munchausen-like statements made by
Keely 1t was the grave face, the earnest
eyes the enthusiastic manner of the man
| which carried conviction
within six months he said years ago.
| "a train of cars may be run between here
| and Philadelphia at the rate of a mile a
minute by taking the power out of SO much
water as will rest in the palm of my hand.
| Why there is sufficient power in bucket
of water to run a steamer so fast that she
[ ,,,1ne e,I;f in,