Satanic Rites 4/Satanic Rites - Issue 4 (1993-05-29)(Destiny).adf/wheel-of-eternity/wheel-of-eternity

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{2{d           WHEEL OF ETERNITY


{1{k          An article by Metal / Destiny

{e(Hang on a second? Haven't {cDestiny {eprinted this article before. Why yes! They
must be desperate for articles or at least made a cock-up..... {aSorry! {eWe did
make a cock up, but we made it on {cissue 1 {ebecause due to a bug most people
weren't able to read this article. {jSo here it is again.....{e)


{jThis true story has been taken from the book "{aUnsolved Mysteries{j" by
{cValentine Dyall{j. Some of the stories in the book are truly amazing and if
you ever see the book I recomend you read it! It is however quite an old
book, so I took this story from it for you. If there is enough interest I
will type out some of the other stories for future editions of {dSatanic
Rites {a...

{bAnyway,

{aOne of the cardinal laws of modern science is known as the {ePrinciple of
the Conservation of Energy{a. In everyday language it tells us that we cannot
get more energy out of a machine than we put into it - in the form of fuel,
for instance. Once we understand this, we realise that the {jbiggest
wild-goose chase {ain {ehuman history {amust have been the search for perpetual
motion.

{aIn plain terms, {eperpetual motion {ais a machine which creates its own energy,
or driving force, and does not depend on any {jexternal power{a. Throughout the
ages various inventors in different countries have claimed acheivement of
the impossible in this direction - but all have been exposed as
cranks,hoaxers or charlatans. All, that is, except one... a ragged,
uncouth, untrained and penniless {cGerman {aknown as {eCouncillor Orffyreus{a.

This name alone stands out - {jthe one we cannot dismiss{a. The more we study
this man's history, the more we begin to doubt the final truth of modern
laws and theories which condemn {eperpetual motion {aas a fallacy.

{eVery little {ais known of his early life, save that he was hounded out of
half a dozen countries and branded by {dChurch {aand {jState {aas a wizard, an
offender against the laws of religion and an enemy of {corthodox science{a. In
his twenties he built at least three machines - one at Zittau, Saxony -
which he claimed were "perpetual motions", but his demonstrations, far from
winning him patrons or even admirers, apparently incured wrath and hatred.

{aHis {cboyhood {ais a complete blank. Indeed, so obscure was his birth that
today his real name is uncertain, and he is remembered only by the flowery,
{epseudo-Greek {aappellation which he chose in the mistaken belief that it
would intrigue and impress.

{aBut in the year {c1716 {awe are able to grasp firmly the thread of his amazing
story, for it was then, at the age of {ethirty-six{a, that he turned up in
Hesse-Cassel, one of the many small, semi-independant states making up
eighteenth century {cGermany{a. Fleeing from his latest {epersecutors{a, the
vagrant {jOrffyreus {a- {ea shaggy giant{a, with long black hair and wild eyes -
sought only a safe hiding-place and some means of feeding himself: for the
time being he had had enough of inventing! But even in this tiny backwater
of {cEurope{a, no sooner did he begin inquiring for work at carpenters shops
and blacksmiths forges that he was recognised and driven off with angry
threats and much {eabuse{a.

{aIn {cdespair {ahe spent the last of his money on a nights solitary drinking at
a country inn, meaning to start travelling again in the morning, heading
{eWest {a- to {eHolland {aperhaps, or France. But when daylight came he awoke to
find himself behind bars, and learned from a stern-faced guard that he was
in the dungeons at the ducal castle of {eWeissenstein{a, the prisoner of His
Highness Prince Karl, Landgrave (or Count) of Hesse-Cassel.

{aAn {jhour {aor so later he was marched between burly troopers through the
lofty, winding corridors to the Prince`s study. Sullen, {jbedraggled {aand
red-eyed from his melancholy carousal, the outcast inventor must have
looked a sorry figure indeed as he was pushed and prodded into the
noblemans presence. No doubt he was wondering what vile fate was in store -
whether he would be sent back to face his {epersecutors {aor merely {cflogged {aand
clapped in the stocks for a week or so. He did not dream that he was about
to make a powerful friend and start a new life in which, for the first
time, he would posses money, dignity and - {jmost precious of all {a- an
opportunity to {crealise {ahis {eburning ambition...

{aFor an incredible turn of luck he had fallen into the hands of the one man
in {cEurope {awho was prepared to listen to his ideas without prejudice or
suspicion. Prince Karl - a stout, good-natured man in his fifties - was an
amateur mechanic and a firm beleiver in {cperpetual motion{a: he had heard of
{cOrffyreus{a, and had been trying to find him ever since he was first reported
in the area.

{aImagine the vagrants {jamazement {aas he listened to the {cPrince {aupbraiding the
captain of the guard "for keeping this gentleman locked up instead of
treating him as my guest"! Picture his {ebewildered {aexpression as Karl
ushered him into a chair and sent the servants scurrying to fetch food and
wine and "{jsuitable attire{a"!

{aAll the morning they talked - the {eLandgrave {aavidly questioning, {cOrffyreus{a
explaining his {ctheories {aand sketching plans of the "{jengines{a" he had built.
It was the forging of an unlikely but most promising partnership: the
Prince and the {evagrant {adedicated themselves to the production of a machine
which would launch Mankind into a new and marvellous era - the "{bPower Age{a"!

{jCivillisation {acommanding {eunlimited energy{a, at practically no cost...
Machines that need no tending, no fuel - that produce their own energy
out of nothing! - this, no less, was the vision they shared, the goal
they set themselves. And neither was a qualified scientist...

{aUnder Karl's protection {cOrffyreus {aunderwent an amazing transformation. Gone
was the sullen, hangdog attitude: all his old enthusiasm and vitality
flooded back as, equiped with the best tools and material, he set to work
in a room of the castle to construct "{jthe largest and most perfect
Perpetual Motion{a". The Prince made him a Town Councillor, and the people of
Hesse-Cassel showed him every respect. It seemed at last that he had found
his place in the world.

{aKarl, though an {eamateur mechanic {aand no scientist at all, nevertheless had
excellent connections throughout {cEurope{a. He exerted all his influence on
behalf of his new protege, writing scores of letters to scientific
organisations and {bcelebrities {ain several countries. In the Autumn of the
following year - {e1717{a - there came to {cHesse-Cassel {atwo international
distinguished scientists: the Baron Fischer, architect to the Emperor of
Austria, and Professor Willems Gravesande of Lieden University, {eHolland {a-
an intimatefriend of {jSir Isaac Newton{a.

{aIt is significant that both these men had made the journey mainly out of a
sense of duty, and as a gesture of {cfriendship {awith the small state. In the
past each had exposed many "{jperpetual motion{a" frauds, and they made no
secret of the fact that they expected to do so again. The Baron went so far
as to say that his intention was to rid his host of a "{erascally pretender,
an unscupulous leech{a"! To these men of letters and distinction nothing
could be more preposterous than the idea of two amateur "tinkerers"
mastering a secret which had eluded the worlds finest brains for over a
century.

{cOrffyreus {afor his part was bitterly disappointed. The moment he looked at
the visitors he knew they were no different from the other scientists he
had encountered. The Barons supercilious smile and the Professors cold
politeness told him they were his {eenemies{a. Their world was not his - they
were grim mathematicians, dealing in laws, in theories, in precedent:
{eantithetically {ahe saw himself as a free-thinking pioneer, dealing in
questions, in bold chalenges to the Unknown.

{aAll his old {esurliness {aand {esuspicion {areturned in full force. He knew what to
expect - they would seek to destroy him in the name of {cOrthodoxy{a. They
would never give a fair hearing to a man who refused to recognise their
dogma or abide by their laws.

{aKarl strove desperately to reassure his temperamental protege, but
{cOrffyreus {ainsisted on laying down conditions for the forthcoming
demonstration: the {escientists {acould inspect the external parts of the
machine, the room and all supports, but he would not permit them to see the
interior workings "{juntil my invention has been paid for{a"! He feared they
would steal the secret and cheat him out of the reward for a life`s work...

{aAfter much {eargument {athe scientists agreed - provided {cOrffyreus {asubmitted
his machine to whatever test they might prescribe after the first
demonstration. Without {ehesitation {athe inventor accepted this challenge, and
led the way to his workroom - a large chamber in the exact centre of the
castle at ground level, with a heavy, ironbound door; it had been built in
some stormy period of the past as a final retreat for the occupants should
an enemy break into the fortress.

{aAs {cOrffyreus {aunlocked the great door the others kindled lanterns and Karl
explained: "{jThere is but this one entrance, and there are no windows. The
walls are four feet thick. You will, of course, have every chance to
examine every inch of it, if you so desire...{a"

{aThe scientists nodded {egravely{a. The door creaked open and all four advanced
into musty-smelling gloom. {cOrffyreus {ahurried forward, holding his lantern
high. In the wavering light the visitors beheld a huge wheel, or drum,
twelve feet high and about two feet thick, standing in the middle of the
bare room. {cIt was suspended clear of the stone floor, its slender axle
pivoted in two uprights of light wood. At the top of each upright there was
a wooden crosspiece, or rocker, from which a long pendulum hung.

{aThe outer covering of the wheel appeared to be ordinary oiled cloth. For
all its size it seemed a {cridiculously simple {aconstruction.

{aThe two observers began by observing the uprights, and satisfying
themselves that no {cropes {aor {cwires {aled from the apparatus to the walls,
floor or ceiling. ({jWe may be sure that they were experts at detecting any
hidden devices!{a) Then they invited {cOrffyreus {ato set his machine in motion.

{aTo their suprise he merely placed one hand on the rim of the wheel and gave
it a gentle push. At once it began to {eturn smoothly{a, and - {jeven more
intriguing {a- quickly accelerated to twenty-six revolutions per minute
(according to the Barons timepiece), at which speed it settled down. The
pendulums swung {emajestically {aand from within the drum came a rythmic
thumping and a low, whirring sound.

"{jHow is it brought to rest?{a" the Professor asked at length.
"{jIn the same maner as she is started,{a" the inventor said. "{jStop her with
your hands, Professor!{a"

{eGravesande {astared in perplexity. How could such a huge, fast-revolving
wheel be arrested so easily? Uncertainly he stretched out his hand and
touched the rim. Immediately, at the first light pressure, the machine`s
speed fell away. {eSmoothly it came to a halt...

{aThe Professor, though impressed by such delicacy of balance and bearings,
regarded this as a serious failing: if the wheel could be brought to rest
at such slight bidding, how could it do work? But {cOrffyreus {alaughed and
assured him that it could {elift great beams{a, {epump water{a, {edrive a mill{a,
{eoperate looms {aand perform scores of other tasks - {aby means of a gearing
system which was a part of the secret...

{aThe {eBaron {atook the Professor to one side and whispered, "{jHas it occured to
you... it`s so large that a man could easily be concealed within?{j"

{a"{jYes its possible{a", the {cprofessor {aagreed. "{jIn London I investigated such a
machine, said to be pure mechanism. But a pinch of snuff dropped into it
soon showed that it could not only move, but sneeze too - like a
Christian!{a"

{aThey laughed softly. And on the other side of the room {cOrffyreus {astiffened
and {escowled{a.

{aThe rest of that day and most of the next was spent in the workroom. The
scientists stripped the wheels supports, uncovered the axle, tapped the
framework - evenhad the whole apparatus moved to another position. Every
square foot of the room was {emeticulously examined{a, and every stone tapped.
They failed to find any hint of trickery, or the vaguest clue to the nature
of the machine`s driving force. With each hour they were more perplexed,and
{fOrffyreus {amore suspicious - hovering over them, mumbling under his breath,
reminding them again and again that the interior mechanism was to remain
his secret.

{a"{fTell me only this, Orffyreus,{a" the Professor asked. "{fIs your mechanism
complicated?{a"

{aThe inventor stared at the oiled cloth and in a low trembling tone replied,
{a"{cNo - what is in there is so simple that a carpenter`s boy could construct
a replica - had he five minutes` study of it{a"

{aOn the third day after their first inspection the scientists proposed "{ea
conclusive test{a" - sealing up the workroom with the wheel in motion. They
set no definite period, and they reserved the right to re-enter at a
minute`s notice. {cIt might be weeks.. or months...{a

Orffyreus threw back his head and bellowed with laughter.
{a"{fMonths? Years? {cCenturies {f- as if it mattered! Gentlemen,{a" he cried, "{fyou
stand before the {cWheel of Eternity! {fShe will go on turning till the end of
time - or at least until she falls to pieces. She needs no tending - so be
not afraid to leave her alone in the dark.{a"

On {eNovember 12th, 1717{a, the room housing the machine was locked and sealed
by the Landgrave and some of his officials. The two scientists added their
personal seals. The great wheel was left in motion - revolving at exacly
{ftwenty-six {arevolutions per minute.

{cEight weeks later{a, on{e January 4th, 1718{a, the {cBaron Fischer {aand {fProfessor{a
Gravesande presented themselves to His Highness at precisely nine o`clock
in the morning and asked that the room should be reopened. Orffyreus was
fteched and, after the seals had been inspected and found intact, the
Prince led the way inside, carrying aloft a flaring candelabrum.

Immediately they stepped across the threshold they heard familiar sounds -
a dull, regular thumping and a soft whirring. Then the candlelight fell on
the wheel - still turning. The Baron constructed his timepiece: twenty-six
revolutions per minute...

{fThere could no longer be any doubt. Both observers were stunned and
Orffyreus was jubilant.

{a"{fHow many litres of water could she have pumped in this time?{a" he yelled,
dancing around his machine. "{fHow many tons of coal or timber... or bricks
or fat Italian cheeses could she have humped, lumped, and dumped, m`fine
gentlemen? There`s a conundrum for your mathematical brains!{a"

The Baron edged forward and touched the rim of the wheel with his hand. It
stopped in a matter of seconds. He stepped back, rubbed his chin and
frowned at the oiled cloth. Almost to himself he said: "{eThe principle...
Still I cannot understand the principle... !{a"

{fOrffyreus` glee evaporated, and he bounded across to the Baron.
"{eThe principle is my secret!{a" he barked. "{eUntil it`s paid for..{a"

{e"And your price..?"

{cThe Prince hastened to intervene:
{a"Orffyreus has asked me to act for him," he said. "He can accept no less
than 20,000 English sovereigns."

"{eBut thats a kings ransom!{a" the Austrian protested.

"{eAm I not a king of inventors?{a" Orffyreus cried. And there was a wild light
in his dark eyes.

"{fIt`s not unreasonable..{a" the Professor mused. "{fIt might be done.{a" He faced
Orffyreus and - for the first time - smiled at him. "i shall write at
once to Amsterdam, and Sir Isaac Newton."

{f        .       .       .       .       .       .       .       .

{aUp to this point events are clear, and we are able to reconstruct the story
in detail from the letters and writings of {cProfessor Gravesande{a, the Baron
Fischer and Prince Karl. But now we come upon a mystery within a mystery:
what occured, in the next few days, to throw {fOrffyreus {ainto a dreadful fury
and drive him to such desperate lengths?

{aWe know only that for some reason the inventor became convinced that the
scientists were plotting to cheat him out of his reward. Nothing Karl said
or did could alter this belief - which was, of course, completely untrue,
for we know at that very time glowing reports were on their way to
scientific societies and variuos authorities in half a dozen countries.

Late one night a rending crash echoed through the castle - then another,
and another... The Prince and the scientists came running in their night
attire, and found the door of the workroom locked. Orffyreus was destroying
the wheel! They shouted themselves hoarse - pleading, even threatening. But
to no avail.

The captain of the guard arrived with several troopers. He was ordered to
arrest the inventor the moment he emerged from the room. But Orffyreus came
out brandishing a huge axe, and no-one dared approach him. Unmolested, he
stormed out of the castle and disappeared into the surrounding woods.
Though search parties went after him, and authorities throughout Europe
hunted him for many years, he was never seen again...

The scientists and Karl hurried into the room. The axe had done its work
well. The wheel was reduced to useless splinters. They could make no sense
of the wreckage; Karl`s knowledge proved sadly limited, and they knew there
was no hope of rebuilding the machine.

Still {ctantalising {aus with an unsolved problem, {fOrffyreus{a vanishes from our
sight - back into the obscurity from which he came, a wild yet pathetic
creature. There is little doubt that he was mad - a monomaniac. But it does
not follow that he was a brilliant invemtor.

What was inside the wheel? What was the secret which in 1718 lay so near,
and yet so far - hidden from human ken only by a thin layer of oiled cloth?

Clockwork perhaps? No - any clockmaker will tell you that stored power in
the weight of weights and springs would not have provided such a fast
acceleration. Nor could it have kept such a huge wheel turning at twenty
six revolutions per minute for eight weeks. The same applies to theories
based on magnetism...

There are many sources for our evidence - eighteenth century pamphlets,
prints, scientific papers and correspondance. But nowhere do we find even
an attempt to explain the workings of the wheel.

Strange to think that if Orffyreus had kept his temper the industrial
revolution might have come to this world a century sooner, and in a very
different form. Today we might be living in Utopia, masters of machines
that need no fuel, no operators. For only infinite potentialities of atomic
power can compare with the vast importance of perpetual motion - the lost
secret of the "Wheel of Eternity", which modern science rules as an
absolute impossibility.

{cOK. {aThats the story! At the end of the book the author, Valentine Dyall,
gives possible solutions to the mysteries presented. This is what it has to
say about the Wheel of Eternity...

Following the broadcast of a dramatised version of this mystery by BBC
television in the spring of 1952, I received scores of diagrams, models,
blueprints, letters and treaties from mechanics, engineers, carpenters and
amateur handymen and inventors, each one convinced that he could explain
the principle of Orffyreus` machine. Aided by experts I tested every
system. None was workable. With something of a shock I found that ninety
percent of my correspondents were still chasing the same old grey goose -
the theory of the "overbalancing wheel", exploded centuries ago.

The "overbalancing wheel" is a contradiction in terms. A wheel with
weights attached will not overbalance, no matter what strategy or devices
are introduced: it will move until it is balanced, then stop - but it
will not revolve. The distance of the weights from the centre of the wheel
is immaterial. The Patent Offices of a dozen countries are cluttered with
contraptions based on this fallacious principle - all utterly useless. The
inventors would have been as gainfully employed had they set their minds to
the production of square circles.

No doubt the viewer-theorists were misled by the rythmic, thumping sounds
which came from within the wheel while it was in motion. Obviously this was
caused by falling weights - but unfortunately they immediately assumed that
weights must be the direct driving force.

Let me admit here and now that I am still without a really comprehensive
answer to the riddle; but if I do not know what it was that drove the wheel,
at least I know it was not any system of falling weights! this does not
mean that weights were not used as part of the gearing, or as "governors"
in this mechanism.

It is impossible to beleive that Orffyreus, even if we credit him as a
brilliant illusionist and trickster (in which case why didn`t he become rich
and famous in that field?), could have fooled two of Europe`s most
brilliant scientists who had already exposed many "perpetual motion"
frauds. Unless we assume that the eccentric and unschooled inventor was
generations ahead of his time and had constructed a small electric motor,
we are forced to concede that he did discover some entirely new and still
unknown source of power.

My own feeling - and I agree it is the purest guesswork - is that,
wandering in the byways of science, he stumbled ona system of "controlled
gravitation" - a means of utilising the Earth`s cohesive force by changing
its direction of "pull" and perhaps varying its strength.

Having set down this {cspeculation{a I feel strangely akin to {fOrffyreus {a- a
layman rushing in where experts fear to tread. But perhaps my imprudence
will sting into action better qualified investigators, and lead to a more
practical solution.

{2{eTHE END{1


{fWell there you have it. A true, unsolved mystery. I decided to use this
mystery as the author gives no reasonable possible solution, which leaves
you wondering just how it was done...

{fNext time I will copy out another mystery, in the meantime why dont you
send us your opinions on this mystery?!?

{e(ED: Metal/Destiny, 25 Spencer Road, Wigan, Greater Manchester. WN1 2PW)