Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-10-18
FREE ENERGY
A man down ]

A man down East processes to have discovered and
harnessed a natural force which he calls free energy"
and with which he proposes to achieve some yerv re-.
markable results. He does not explain the nature or
source Of this energy, nor the exact manner in which it
is to be applied. But he does claim that it will revolu-
tionize the industries of the world, and what is of SUI
preme importance at this time, that it will make possible
the conduct of the mechanical activities of war simply,
effectively, and in a manner of which the world thus far
has no conception. These general statements are REIN
forced by the specific one that he has now a motor of
his own construction, driven by this force, which he is
prepared to demonstrate for the enlightenment of a con-
gressional committee. His presentation of the case was
so plausible that shortly before the adjournment of the
present session arrangements were made for the invests
cation Of this wonderful motor by a house committee.
Claims Of this sort naturally recall the famous Kee-
ley motor which, a generation ago, attracted attention all
over the country. Wonderful claims were made concern
ing it, and large sums of money were sunk by a credu-
lous people in providing funds for the inventor with
which to perfect the machine. People are always MAX
ing wonderful discoveries in the field of physics and me-
chanics, but Kelley created more of a sensation than all
the rest OF them put together. He claimed to have dis
covered a new force, and the machine on which he was
at work was to utilize it. The thing was never quite COM
pleted, but he had actually a machine which he operated
after a fashion under the rigid inspection of persons VINO
were supposed to know what they were doing. but more
money was always needed to complete the device. After
Keeley's death it was found that his machine was a sham
and that 1t was operated by means of compressed air
conveyed in concealed pipes. The curious thing is that in
spite of this many people who knew Kelley well remained
convinced that while the machine was a fraud the man
was not. Their theory was that Kelley was a crank who
dSeudhy eAeVe IL II nad maze a valuable discovery,
and. needing money with which to perfect a method of
utilizing it, he had made a fake machine by means of
which to enlist the support Of men and money.
When a man announces the discovery of some new
and wonderful force the chances are that he is either a
crank or a crook. But always there is just the bare pos
sibility that he is neither. While most Of our mechan-
lcal progress has been evolutionary, each invention or dis
covery going just a little beyond its predecessors, some
rather long jumps have been taken at times, and we have
no means of knowing how many others will be taken. or
how long they may be.
suppose that a century ago some one had announced
tna1 a had found out how to take a picture of a mans
bones inside his flesh: or to fly through the air; or to
reproduce Understandings, without wires or other me-
chanical connection. the sound of a human voice a thou
sand miles away. Imagine the reception! And yet all
these things are commonplace with us today.