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useful"; or "A larger one would not work because, as everyone knows, the larger a machine is, the less efficient it becomes". These were the kind of comments made about the wheel. The most telling one, in the opinion of the inventor, was the published statement by his enemy Girtner—that the machine was wound up, and the winding was the source of its motive power. Orffyreus went away to ponder and came back with an irrefutable argument. He made a wheel that could turn in either direction, thus obviating the possibility of a clockwork mechanism. This did not silence his enemies. Gartner was joined by Christian Wagner, a student of mathematics, whose published tracts were, if anything, even more vitriolic than Gartner's. Wagner tried to claim that Orffyreus had fitted some kind of split axle to his wheel in order to allow it to change direction. He did not explain how this might have been achieved, and he became something of a target for Orffyreus' sarcasm. The new machine was submitted for examination and passed all the tests. As usual, these results were insufficient to satisfy those who believed that the inventor was a fraud, and Orffyreus left town yet again—after smashing his wheel to pieces in disgust. News continued to spread of the inventor's work and the remarkable claims made for it. The Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel granted patronage to Orffyreus, made him a Commercial Councillor and invited him to rebuild his wheel, bigger and better than ever before. This Orffyreus did. In 1716 he produced his biggest and most amazing device ever. This largest construction was in the form of a wheel or drum, 12 feet in diameter (slightly under 4 m), about 18 inches in depth (about 46 cm) and weighing around 700 pounds (317 kilograms). It was started with a gentle push, using two fingers, and quickly reached a speed of 26 revolutions a minute, at which it could raise a load of bricks weighing 70 pounds (nearly 32 kg) or turn an Archimedean screw for pumping water. Even more remarkably it could be stopped with tremendous difficulty and made to turn in the opposite direction where it would perform as before. The machine successfully underwent an extended test—under lock and key and armed guard—for a period of 54 days (nearly eight weeks) without stopping. To this evidence one should add the numerous smaller tests and the most thorough examinations of everything visible on the wheel—except for the internal workings which, it was admitted, the inventor had a right to keep secret (until the desired purchase price had been agreed and paid). But in spite of the successful tests, his enemies would not leave him alone. To Orffyreus' dismay, the detractors eventually won the day. In fact, from the moment he first demonstrated his inven- tion, a storm of controversy had swiftly established itself and raged about him. When he died thirty-three years later, alone, in poverty, and still claiming that the invention was genuine and his own, and that he'd never been proved a liar, that storm, that hurri- cane of controversy, had not abated in the slightest. not explain how this might have been achieved, and he became omission and distortion of the facts, the real story has never something of a target for Orffyreus' sarcasm. been told. Most of the information which appears in every The new machine was submitted for examination and passed all encyclopaedia, in whatever language, tends to originate from one the tests. As usual, these results were insufficient to satisfy those _ particular source. axle to his wheel in order to allow it to change direction. He did T= legend of Orffyreus' wheel is fairly well known, but by who believed that the inventor was a fraud, and Orffyreus left In 1795, fifty years after Orffyreus' death, Friedrich Wilhelm town yet again—after smashing his wheel to pieces in disgust. Strieder published a biographical dictionary which includes an News continued to spread of the inventor's work and the account of the inventor's life. In it, Strieder mentions that he used remarkable claims made for it. The Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel Orffyreus' own published writings as a source of information, granted patronage to Orffyreus, made him a Commercial complaining at the same time that he needed "great patience, I Councillor and invited him to rebuild his wheel, bigger and better —_ must say, since it is a truly abominable piece of prose". In fact, than ever before. This Orffyreus did. the account is written with some style and considerable wit and In 1716 he produced his biggest and most amazing device ever. humour, but is overly long and repetitive when complaining about This largest construction was in the form of a wheel or drum, 12 his enemies. I can understand that one might need patience to feet in diameter (slightly under 4 m), about 18 inches in depth read all of it—Orffyreus' writing does suffer from an excess of (about 46 cm) and weighing around 700 pounds (317 kilograms). verbiage—but it is not "abominable". It was started with a gentle push, using two fingers, and quickly The veracity of Strieder's account of Orffyreus' life can be reached a speed of 26 revolutions a minute, at which it could raise checked, fortunately. There are many Orffyrean tracts extant in a load of bricks weighing 70 pounds (nearly 32 kg) or turn an which he describes his life, so the two versions can be checked for Archimedean screw for pumping water. Even more remarkably it discrepancies. It is fairly obvious that Strieder had a very poor could be stopped with tremendous difficulty and made to turn in _ opinion of the inventor, and he does not hesitate to let us know on the opposite direction where it would perform as before. several occasions, but I have not been able to find any glaring dif- The machine successfully underwent an extended test—under ference of a factual nature between the two accounts. There is, lock and key and armed guard—for a period of 54 days (nearly however, a tendency to be selective in the use of certain facts. eight weeks) without stopping. To this evidence one should add Strieder lays greater emphasis on some facets of the story, whilst playing down other aspects. Another source for accounts of the actual devices exhibited by Orffyreus are the newspapers of the day, and they pro- vide much information about both the dimensions of the 'wheels', as they were called, and the prevailing opinion regarding the possibility of perpetual motion. However, the best mine of information lies in the numerous letters written about the Orffyrean machine. Two of the most striking and convincing letters came to my attention through the efforts of William Kendrick (17252-1779), a rather pathetic character who made a liv- ing penning literary articles. Kendrick actually died while waiting for the patent office to grant him a patent on his own design of a perpetual motion device. Whether it existed outside his own imag- ination is difficult to say, but certainly he From Johann Bessler's first publication, Grundlicher Bericht, published in 1715. was a believer in the possibility, and, (Source: From Perpetual Motion: An Ancient Mystery Solved?, © 1997 by John Collins) indice. gave a course of lectures on the subject. From Johann Bessler's first publication, Grundlicher Bericht, published in 1715. (Source: From Perpetual Motion: An Ancient Mystery Solved?, © 1997 by John Collins) 56 * NEXUS DECEMBER 1998 - JANUARY 1999