Imperial Valley press., 1928-02-25
Invention
|STARTlES
|EXPER Is
Earth Currents" Used
To Operate Fuel-Less
Engine.
TO BE DEVELOPED
Plans CAREFUL Y Guarded
During Preliminary Ex-
periments.
BY United Press Leased Wire

by united Press Leased wire
MOUNT CLEMENS, Mieh.,, Feb.
25.-The early realization of an age
old dream of man filled the vision
of Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh to-
day when he hoped off at 11:20 a.
nj. for the east to discuss the devel-
opment of a fuelless motor.
Lindbergh and Major Thomas Lam
rhier spent much of yesterday test
ing a mystery airplane which has
been stored in the Majors private
garage. In conference with them
were Lester j. Hendershot, said to
have originated the idea of the new
motor and d. Barr Heat, his bus-
mess partner, both of Pittsburgh.
The motor was said to be retolut-
ionary in character, using an electro
magnetic principle. Although details
we're guarded closely, it was UNDER
stood the motor developed 1900 re-
volutions per Winute and had a life
of 200O hours without fuel Major
Lanphier and Lindbergh were re-
ported highly optimistic over it.
The idea of a motor literally with
out fuel was so fantastic that the
area of rumors and speculation was
infinite. The magnetic of the mystery
motor was reputed to be so designed
that it used the earth's revolutions
for its charging. Patents already
lave been applied for at Washing
ton, it was understood.
None of those interests would di-
vulge any information regarding tho
tests motor or plans. 1t was UNDER
stood, however, that the motor so
far was practicable on airplanes.
The United Press obtained tho
most authoritative description of
the mystery motor from one of tho
hest motor experts in America who
had seen Henderson, S model in
Pittsburgh. He asked that his name
be withheld.
Secret Closely Kept
Henderson, claimed to have diss
covered certain way to wind o
magnet which with secret materials
he used tapped a heretofore unused
wave of current from the earth, re-
charging itself, the expert said.
The working of the radio tube was
the best simile of how it worked, he
said. The magnetic picked up earth
currents as it ran, much as the radio
tube picks up sound waves.
The expert said he sincerely be-
lieves he could have discovered
fraud had there been any.
The question in his mind was
whether the range of the current
discovered would be powerful enough
to run large horsepower engine.
The model shown him was small.
II the principle is proved a sue.
cess, it will mean the end of gaso-
line and steam power engines, this
expert believes.
The fuellcss motor was the brains
product of Lester J. Hendershot, II
fee lance engineer of Pittsburgh.
He had an idea that the ''earth eur
rents could be harnessed and made
TO work an engine.
Putteriug about the Bettis Air.
port, llendershot attracted the at
tention of the port manager, ID.
Barr Heat, former aviator.
Heat gapcd with perplexity at the
idea and when his friend William II.
Stout, head of the aircraft division
of the Ford Motor company, landed
at the field several weeks ago, he
invited Stout to'look over the motor.
stout saw small contraption like
any other small electric motor, mnun-
ted ON block. Without connection
ly outside wires, the motor hnmmed
around at 1900 to 1900 revolutions
per minute.
Ilendershot estimated that his mot