(word processor parameters LM=8, RM=75, TM=2, BM=2) Taken from KeelyNet BBS (214) 324-3501 Sponsored by Vangard Sciences PO BOX 1031 Mesquite, TX 75150 There are ABSOLUTELY NO RESTRICTIONS on duplicating, publishing or distributing the files on KeelyNet! June 28, 1991 KEELY4.ASC -------------------------------------------------------------------- This article is from the January 28, 1899 Scientific American. -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Keely Motor Fraud Ever since the death of John W. Keely, the fantastical collection of apparatus with which he puzzled the public, and incidentally diverted a golden stream into his private purse, has been as jealously guarded as ever it was in his lifetime. Recently the motor was removed, and the laboratory (Heaven save the mark!) in which for a quarter of a century he had conducted his so- called experiments was vacated. Whereupon Mr. Clarence B. Moore, whose mother had been the most generous of Keely's many victims, rented the premises, and calling to his assistance several gentlemen of high standing in the scientific world (some of whom, by the way, had been baffled witnesses of the Keely phenomena), proceeded to explore the premises in search of evidences of fraud. The result proves not merely that the motor was a fraud, but that it was a fraud, as we pointed out fifteen years ago in the columns of this journal, of the very simplest and most transparent kind; in fact, the presumption is strong that this most colossal humbug of the century depended for its success upon that ever-fruitful theme of the bogus company promoter - compressed air. In the first place, hidden beneath the floor of the building was found a large and massive metal sphere, whose weight is given as three tons, and whose bursting strength under pressure is stated to be so many tons to the square inch. Apparently at one time connected with this was found, hidden in the brick wall, a quantity of small brass tubing, of just the size and strength to match the strength of the steel reservoir, and corresponding to the tubing used by Keely in his various public and private exhibitions. Underneath the upper floor of the house was found a false ceiling, well calculated to hide the necessary tubes for conveying the compressed air to the different air motors with which he produced his results; while a number of trap-doors were found scattered over the floor of this stage, from which, for a quarter of a century, this prince of humbugs played his part! Page 1 Many of our older readers will remember that from the very first this journal was emphatic in its opposition to the Keely mania, and endeavored, we think, with considerable success, to check, if it could not wholly prevent, such obvious swindling of the public. (they could NOT have been wrong, of course...) We pointed out that all of the results obtained by Keely could be duplicated by using compressed air in suitable apparatus, and in 1884, in the case of the Keely gun, conducted experiments which proved that IN THIS CASE, at least, we were correct. Keely had many different names for his newly discovered force, and just at the time of the famous gun experiments at Sandy Hook, he was pleased to call it "etheric vapor." Representatives of this journal were present on the occasion, and the accompanying illustrations were publised in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN of October 11, 1884, in connection with an article exposing the trick by which the Keely Motor Company was able, in a single day, to send up its stock from nine cents on the dollar to fifteen cents, and swell its own bank account proportionately. The "vaporic" gun used on that occasion (it was nothing more or less than an air-gun) had a spherical knob secured to the breech, from which projected a "vibrator". The breech was 4 1/2 inches external diameter, the bore 1 1/8 inches and the total length was 3 1/2 feet. Just forward of the trunnion the muzzle unscrewed, this construction being adopted to permit the placing of a gas check in position. A sleeve with a bore equal to that of the gun, was fitted in an annular recess in the forward part of the breech. It will be seen that when the muzzle was screwed home, the sleeve was formed in until it held the gas check firmly in place. The latter consisted of three disks, having a common diameter of 1 5/8 inches. The two front disks were of common hard rubber, 1/32 inch in thickness, while the third disk, which was placed next to the pressure chamber, was of soft rubber packing, 1/16 inch thick. The disks were shown before and after firing. It will be noticed that the broken disk shows clearly the imprint made by the end of the sleeve. The bore of the gun was 1 1/8 inch and a spherical lead bullet was used. A copper tube 3/16 inch in external diameter and 1/16 inch internal diameter, led the breech of the gun to the magazine, which was made of wrought iron and was 8 1/2 inches external diameter by 4 1/2 feet long. Another tube was connected by a wire to a second magazine. The supply from the small to the large magazine and from the large magazine to the gun was controlled by stop valves. These magazines, according to Mr. Keely, had been charged with "interatomic ether," which had been evolved by a "generator" set up in Mr. Keely's Philadelphia workshop. In loading the gun the gas check was first placed in position and the muzzle screwed up tightly; then the bass was introduced at the Page 2 muzzle and rammed home. Next the stop-cock was opened to admit the "etheric vapor" to the breech, and, after waiting a few seconds, the "vibrator" was STRUCK WITH A WOODEN MALLET, and the charge exploded, driving the bullet at a target 500 yards from the gun. Nineteen rounds were fired, and then a conical steel bullet was driven through 4 inches of pine plank placed a few feet from the gun. The noise of discharge closely resembled that caused by a common shotgun when loose powder having no ramming upon it is exploded. A small cloud of white vapor, which immediately diasppeared, followed in the discharge. The velocities of three consecutive shots were 482, 492, 523 feet per second. "The gun was then unscrewed," says the account of the proceedings, "the valve at the magazine was opened, and visitors were permitted to examine the 'interatomic ether' as it issued from the pipe. It had but a small trace of odor, no taste, and had no effect upon the lungs." Precisely; for there is not a question in the world but what the "interatomic ether" as it issued from the pipe was the common air at atmospheric pressure. We declared at the time that the magazine had been charged with compressed air at many thousand pounds pressure, and that when the stopcock was opened, the air, owing to its high pressure, passed rapidly to the breech, behind the gas check, where it developed sufficient pressure to burst the check and expel the ball. The tapping on the "resonator" had nothing whatever to do with the discharge, and was merely one of the charlatan "passes of the wand" by which this accomplished rogue bewildered his audience. To prove the fact to his satisfaction, the representative of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN requested Keely to allow him to handle the wooden mallet (his purpose being to delay the tapping until after the discharge). It is needless to say that Keely refused. Soon after Keely's gun experiments the editor of this journal conducted experiments in the same direction in New York, and an experimental gun was made of seamless drawn brass pipe of 1 inch bore and 2 feet in length, and set vertically under a skylight shaft several storeis in height. A union joint was screwed to the bottom of the pipe, with a pipe connecting to a coil of about 100 feet of 1 1/4 inch pipe, placed beneath the gun. A further connection was made with a hydraulic testing pump and high pressure gage. In the union joint were placed two disks of hard rubber, each about 1/32 of an inch in thickness, and above the disks a lead ball, 1 inch in diameter, was placed. Page 3 On the railing of the next story above was laid a target of five tiers of 1 1/4 inch plank, directly over the range of the gun. The whole pipe being full of air at atmospheric pressure, the pump was put in operation, water being forced into the lower end of the pipe reservoir. This forced the air up through the pipe line and compressed it under the hard rubber disks. When a pressure of 1,500 pounds per square inch was reached, the disks ruptured and the gun was discharged. The bullet passed through the 6 1/4 inches of pine planks, making a clean cut through the first planks and badly shattering and displacing the last plank of the target, then struck and splintered a beam under the roof and rebounded to the floor. This was repeated several times, the disks bursting at between 1,300 and 1,500 pounds and showing the great power of compressed air in the discharge of the projectiles. The prestidigitator part of Keely's exceedingly small feed pipe to the chamber behind the disks and bullet, and his bogus tapping of the resonator, it is needless to say were not included in our experiment. In conclusion we would remind our readers that the death of this prince of rogues does not imply that the type is extinct; and that "resonators," "vibrators," "etheric vapors," and others of that ilk, still walk the earth dressed in the ever-varying garb with which such human sharks as Keely are still seeking to catch the unwary. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Vangard notes... Though there are some who think we should NOT list such derogatory articles regarding Keely, we must do so in the interest of fair play, especially since they come from the same time period. Also note that the "duplication" of Keely's demonstration by Scientific American DID NOT faithfully duplicate or even emulate the original demonstration. Keely DID NOT USE WATER OR ANY OUTSIDE FORCE as did Sci.Amer. An example that one should not take a stand early in the game as errors do compound. For those who take the time to study the work and concepts of Keely, especially in comparison to modern science, the analogies are obvious and stimulating. -------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have comments or other information relating to such topics as this paper covers, please upload to KeelyNet or send to the Vangard Sciences address as listed on the first page. Thank you for your consideration, interest and support. Jerry W. Decker.........Ron Barker...........Chuck Henderson Vangard Sciences/KeelyNet -------------------------------------------------------------------- If we can be of service, you may contact Jerry at (214) 324-8741 or Ron at (214) 242-9346 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 4