The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-09
TANK UNDER THE FLOOR.
Queer Discovery Under the Floor of
KeeIey's Laboratory.
ON the Philadelphia Press.

From the Philadelphia Press.
1t, was through mere accident that Rob
ert Williams of 17SS Gratz street broke
through the worn flooring of the labora-
tory of the late John w Kelly, at 1922
North Twentieth street, yesterday morn
ing, and 1t is through this accident that
the mystery of the Keely motor, one of
the greatest mysteries of modern times.
may be solved.
Underneath the floor. carefully buried
and completely concealed in the ground.
a cast-iron sphere was found The sphere
was four feet in diameter. It rested on a
firm stone foundation. The sphere was
hollow, and on its upper surface were
protruding brass connections that were
evidently joined at one time to delicate
brass pipes that run beneath the floor
and led to different parts of the buildih g
where the remarkable inventor secretly
conducted experiments that made his
name known throughout the world.
Keelys motor, the machine thai has
puzzled scientists for a decade, stood al
most Immediately above the buried sphere
Whether or not the sphere had anything
to do with the operation of the Keely
tiAOtOA - a llieiNl6i lOt conjecture.
The presence of the sphere under the
building, completely covered by the floor
and inaccessible, is past explanation. Me
chanics who saw the curious coutrivance
yesterday say that the sphere has no
known use in mechanical arts. They say
that under working conditions 1t is capa
bic of generating and imparting energy to
machine -. Why it should lie hidden in
the earth is a secret that only the dead
inventor knew.
Since T b. Kinrade, the Boston scien-
list, assumed charge of the so-ealled mo-
tor, on which Mr.. Keely spent thousands
of dollars and to which he devoted his en-
tire life, the prison-like laboratory of the
dead inventor has stood just as Mr.. Keely
left it. 1t is a two-story brick building on
Twentieth street above Master. The front
of the building is without windows, and
the whole aim of the builder seems to
have been secrecy. There are no means
of communication with the outside world
excepting a large door at the front that
is double-locked and barred.
A short time ago the new company that
has been organized to further the develop
ment of the motor began to remove the
effects of the inventor to another part of
the city. The motor, the machinery and
tools were taken away and nothing was
left. Yesterday the owner of the build
ing, Daniel Dorey of 1716 Spring Garden,
put men at work cleaning out the build
ing in anticipation of new tenants Among
the men at work was Robert Williams.
In the main room in which the strange
motor had been kept Mr. Williams noticed
a break in the flooring. Trying it with his
foot the boards gave away, and his foot
struck a metallic surface. He called in
wonder 10 the other men. The floor was
ripped up enough 20 expose the ground
below. BY brushing aside the dust the
men discovered a huge convex surface of
iron. One of the men struck il with his
hammer, and a most curious thing hap
pened.
From different parts of the room sound
ed weird thrills and noises Again the iron
beneath the floor was struck and again the
same peculiar echoes were heard. All eff
forts TO locate the origin of the sounds
were in vain. The room was almost dark,
and the men, fearing an explosion or some
deep-laid scheme Of the inventor to protect
his secret, left the uncanny place and lock-
ed the door.
Williams curiosity was aroused, how
ever and he returned later In the day. He
tore up the floor, and with pick and spade
dug until the mysterious object was COM
pletely unearthed.
The sphere had no visible connection
with water mains or gas pipes. 1t weigh
ed at least two tons and could not be
moved. A foundation had been made for
it, but in placing It in position the in
ventor had allowed it to settle slightly
sideways. The massive iron bulb had then
been covered the entire excavation being
filled with earth.
The owner of the building admits that
a machine has been found concealed under
the building. He refuses. however to say
anything further except that in due time
he wiz permit an investigation TO be
made of the premises.
The floor of the wo~k room contains a
number Of trapdoors which are fitted to
their places 50 tightly that they can be
lifted only with a chsel. There is no cell
lar under the work room, and the pur-
pose OF the traps is a mystery. Another
curious fact concerning the interior Of the
laboratory is that the floor of small ad
diton TO the work room, which was built
in latter years by the inventor, is raised
three feet above the main floor Of the
building, thus leaving a hidden space. the
contents and uses Of which are not known.