The story of the Bessler-Orfireus perpetual motion machine is entertaining and somewhat instructive. It is a classic example of the entire "life cycle" of a perpetual motion machine - from an idea and great hopes through building a machine, attempts to "bring" it and make it work until its inevitable crash. Very different people pass here: the main character is an inventor who at first showed great promise as a scientist and engineer and who eventually became a falsifier and adventurer; and prominent scientists, who rejected "from the threshold" the possibility of creating a perpetual motion machine, and less authoritative scientists, who believed that it was quite possible, and supported the inventor; and his assistants and accomplices; and the high backers of the inventor, who had money and power.
Emperor Peter I is also associated with this story, who closely followed the novelties of European science and technology. Russia needed such engines for developing mining and metallurgical enterprises, so Peter became interested in the Orfireus engine.
The protagonist of this story, Ernst Bessler, was born in Saxony (Germany) in 1680, showed outstanding abilities early and, despite his peasant origin, received an education. He showed particular interest in mathematics and mechanics.
Without finishing school, Ernst embarked on a journey through the German states and Austria-Hungary, very successfully mastering a wide variety of professions - from watchmaker and weaponsmith to alchemist, astrologer and doctor. On this winding path, like the hero of a rogue novel, he meets with a variety of people - soldiers and artisans, priests and musicians, doctors and alchemists … in a big way. Finally, having gained experience and knowledge in various professions (doctor, alchemist, mechanical engineer) during his travels, Bessler realized by the age of thirty that it was time to settle down and take a firm place in society.
In order to make a career, a person from the lower classes then needed at least three conditions: a sonorous name that did not remind of a low peasant origin, a solid material base and, finally, a fruitful idea, developing which one can achieve wealth, fame and support in the highest aristocratic circles.
The easiest way was with a sonorous name. The peasant son Ernst Bessler turned into a learned man with the sonorous name of Johann Orfireus (Orphos - in Greek "high").
He acquired a solid material base in a fairly well-known way - by marrying a wealthy heiress. But this was not a banal story, but rather romantic. In the small town of Annaberge, Dr. Orfireus cured the daughter of the local city doctor Schumann (who later became burgomaster) and received as a reward not only her hand and heart, but also a solid dowry.
The choice of a fruitful idea in order to show oneself and demonstrate one's capabilities was determined both by the spirit of the times and by the previous segment of the biography of Bessler - Orfireus. The entire XVII century. and especially the beginning of the 18th century. are rightly described as the "golden age" of a perpetual motion machine. This was the time when the two factors necessary for this were combined in a peculiar way. On the one hand, the need for a universal, economical engine has already become an urgent need of society, and the search for it was intensively going in all directions; on the other hand, the law of conservation of energy has not yet formed and there was no scientifically substantiated general ban on the creation of perpetual motion machines. To this must be added the ever wider spreading interest in science in the "age of enlightenment", which has penetrated even into aristocratic salons and has become a kind of fashion.
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Johann Orfireus had every reason to believe that his chances of being here were far from being the last one great enough. He is young, energetic, educated and, finally, is good at a variety of crafts. And Orfireus took up the perpetual motion machine.
However, there is no strong evidence that Bessler from the very beginning, as many authors write, was a swindler and was engaged in a perpetual motion machine only to make a career by deceiving people. This assumption is unlikely, if only because for this he would have to be much ahead of his era already at the beginning of his career, that is, at the level of those few major physicists who already then understood the impossibility of realizing a perpetual motion machine.
Having secured the conditions for work and choosing its direction, Bessler-Orfireus built the first prototype of a perpetual motion machine in 1712. The engine design remained unknown. Few eyewitnesses stated different things - some admired, others doubted. After a while, the author himself destroyed the model.
In 1715, having moved with his wife to Merseburg, Orfireus built a second, already large machine and even presented it to the “committee of experts”. The commission included the physicist and philosopher Christian Wolf (the future teacher of Lomonosov). Despite the fact that the inventor did not allow the members of the commission to see its internal structure (even for a special fee), the commission issued him a document stating that “his happily invented perpetuum mobile rotates at 50 rpm and at the same time lifts a load weighing 40 pounds to a height of 5 feet. " There was no information about how the engine is arranged and why it works, in the conclusion of the commission; his device remained unknown. Despite this (or perhaps because of this), X. Wolf said about the car as follows: "something worthy of admiration."
Orfireus himself, to clarify the case, published "A detailed description of the happy invention of the perpetuum mobile, together with its accurate depiction." How “accurate” this image is can be judged from the picture.
Orfireus' "Accurate Picture of a Happy Invention"
The goal was achieved - the noise and controversy around the car aroused interest in it both among the "scientific and technical community" and the general public. The most varied opinions were expressed. Christian Wagner, a lawyer and mathematician from Leipzig, with suspicion characteristic of his first profession, asserted that there was a hidden shaft ("spit") inside the machine, set in motion from the outside. The mechanic Andreas Gertner thought about the same; he assumed that the machine was driven by a hidden man pulling on a rope. Gertner even offered to make a bet of 1,000 thalers that he would expose Orfireus. Another skeptic, Johann Barlach, even posted a drawing showing how this is done.
So Johann Barlach represented the source of motion of the perpetual motion machine of Orfireus
It is characteristic that none of the skeptics doubted that, in principle, a perpetual motion machine could be made; only this model of the machine was criticized (Gertner himself built perpetual motion machines). Of the German scientists, only G. Leibniz even then without reservation denied the possibility of creating a perpetual motion machine.
Success gave Orfireus a greedy spirit: he attached a mug to his car to collect money from numerous visitors "for charitable purposes." But the magistrate of the city of Merseburg also did not stand aside and imposed a daily tax of 6 pfennigs on the inventor, which seriously offended him.
Meanwhile, the glory of Orfyreus spread. In 1716, Karl, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, who showed an interest in science, invited Orfireus to his place. Here, having settled in the count's castle Weissenstein and having received the rank of court councilor, the inventor began to build the third sample of his perpetual motion machine.
A year later, the car was ready, and on November 12, 1717, in the presence of a scientific commission, which included the physicist from Leiden (Holland) Willem Gravesand (1648-1742) and the architect Emmanuel Fischer from Gerlach, the engine was started in a special room, which the Landgrave allocated in the castle next to Orfireus' apartment. Fischer was in Gerlach to oversee the construction of the steam engine. The work on the creation of a universal engine went simultaneously in two very different directions.
The commission decided to check the car thoroughly - the room was sealed for two weeks. After the expiration of the term on November 26, 1717, the seal was removed, and the landgrave, who entered the room with his retinue, found that the wheel was spinning at the same speed as two weeks ago. The experiment was continued; the room was sealed first for 40 days and then for another 60.
The result was the same. Bessler's fame thundered all over Europe, but he carefully concealed the secret of the device, offering to reveal the secret of his invention for a fantastic sum of 25 thousand pounds at that time.
Gravesand, like Wolf, was not allowed to examine the wheel in detail. However, he examined it from the outside. It was a hollow drum 12 feet in diameter and about 14 inches wide, made of wood slats covered with glued, opaque linen. The drum was mounted on a thick axle (about 6 inches in diameter), at the ends of which were 3/4 inch long iron tips mounted in bearings on which the axle rotated.
Gravesand, in a letter to I. Newton in 1721, mentions Orfireus's machine as "something very surprising, but worthy of further research." One way or another, but the commission gave a positive review, because "nothing outside the wheel does not help it move."
The Landgrave issued a document to the inventor that was even more significant than any scientific conclusion. It said that with his "princely true word" the landgrave testifies that the perpetual motion machine of Orfyreus "is not set in motion by external force and help, does not depend on any spiral wound from the inside or any wheels, and that thanks to almost countless scientific research, this long-sought and desired machine or the so-called perpetuum mobile pure artificae (perpetual motion machine "completely artificial") is such a self-propelled wheel, which, thanks to its internal artificial force of movement, can move for so long as long as there is something in its internal structure will not decrease, collapse, break, tear, deteriorate or wear out. " The Landgrave gifted commerce advisor and mathematician Orfireus a "noble privilege" including a house,yard and cash. This was the high point of Orfyreus's career.
For seven years of active experimentation (1712-1719), Orfireus built more than three hundred prototypes of two models of the "perpetual motion machine". In the first prototypes, the wheel rotated only in one direction, and to stop it, it was required to exert considerable effort, in the later ones - the shaft could turn in any direction and stopped quite easily.
To consolidate his position, Orfireus himself published an essay (in two languages - Latin and German) "Triumphant perpetuum mobile Orfireus". This 200-page book is very remarkable; much of what was found in it in terms of style and approach to science is repeated in different forms and in the writings of other, later inventors of the perpetual motion machine and their supporters (despite the fact that the work of Orfireus is hardly familiar to them).
The book opens with a dedication, which is very aptly called "four-story". The author dedicates the book to God, the public, learned people and himself.
The description of the engine is very short and incomprehensible; even more incomprehensible is the drawing depicting him: a wheel, a pipe, a bucket and a vessel with water.
New, "triumphant" version of Orfireus' perpetual motion machine
How all this is interconnected and why it works remains a mystery. There are no serious arguments or new thoughts in this section. But the rest of the book is devoted to polemics with opponents (more precisely, opponents). The techniques he used here are still alive; further we will see that they are in service with modern seekers of perpetual motion. All the statements “for” (or those that can be ranked among them) are carefully collected; they are detailed and with respect to their authors. On the contrary, all sorts of bad words have been written to the opponents without any attempt to conduct a serious discussion with them. It is impossible to extract anything concrete from all this.
While Orfireus bathed in glory and smashed his opponents in writing, rumors of his car spread throughout Europe and reached England in the west and Russia in the east. The British asked the price for the car, but did not buy it. The details of these negotiations apparently have not survived.
In Russia, Peter I became very interested in the Orfireus engine; after all, if his data matched the advertisement, then such a machine could be of great benefit. But Peter was an experienced statesman; he did not like to make unreasonable decisions and did not throw money on "empty projects". Peter instructed in 1715 Chancellor A. I. Osterman to collect information about Orfireus's car. Osterman's report did not satisfy the king. Therefore, when in 1721 he sent the librarian I. Schumacher to Europe with a number of assignments to acquire scientific literature, exhibits for the cabinet of curiosities and works of art, he ordered him to collect information about the Orfireus engine. Schumacher, not being a very learned person, nevertheless was suitable for fulfilling the emperor's orders: he was courteous, energetic, knew European languages and was distinguished by his diligence and accuracy.
Subsequently, Schumacher was an advisor and director of the Academy of Sciences, in charge of the economic department. Distinguished by more promptness than understanding the tasks of the Academy, he did her a lot of harm. In particular, it is known how much blood he spoiled M. V. Lomonosov. But all this happened after the death of Peter I.
Peter provided Schumacher with detailed written instructions of 13 points. Among the numerous assignments (to visit the Paris Academy of Sciences and demonstrate there a map of the Caspian Sea and other materials; to invite various scientists to Russia; to bring a master “who could do with experiments and make tools that belong to that”, buy books, etc..) was also related to Orfyreus. "Talk to Orfireus about the mobile phone, if possible, and Mr. Wolf will judge for the useful." Thus, Peter indicated the already mentioned well-known scientist H. Wolf as the main expert.
Preserved a lengthy account of Schumacher to Peter I on a business trip to Europe. Clause 7 is fully devoted to negotiations with Orfireus. It begins with a description of how the emperor's wishes were fulfilled: “Before talking with the inventor (inventor) and rewinding the mobilization with Orfirey, I discussed this with Mr. to give, but not in vain to quit, you wish. For that sake I asked, so that he could tell me his opinion correctly."
Wolf did not in principle reject the possibility of a perpetual motion machine. He answered rather cautiously: “Although Orfirey made a wheel that spins around without an external force and attracts heavy to itself,” however, “it is impossible to say that this is truly a perpetuum mobile, and it will be of great benefit to the people to repair the internal structure (structure) you can't see. " Therefore, Wolf advised Schumacher to talk to Orfireus, look at the car and tell about what he saw. After that, Wolf promised to give "his opinion in writing."
Further in the report the history of negotiations with Orfireus is described in detail (this was in 1721). Schumacher no longer found him in Kassel and Weissenstein, since even before his arrival, the inventor himself crashed his car. Schumacher describes this story as follows: “Mr. Landgrave summoned Mr. Gravesand from Leiden, so that he could demonstrate physics and mathematics experiments, and at the same time they attacked the discourse (discussion) about the intertwining of the mobile - is it straight and is the Orfirey wheel really a perpetuum mobile? The landgrave then asserted and ordered Orphyreus to show it to Mr. Gravesand, however, he did not announce to him that there was Gravesand.
Orfirey obeyed the command and showed his car in the presence of the landgrave; but Gravesand became a table of questions, and so cruelly wanted the internal structure of the Vedati, Orfirey clearly came to the opinion that they wanted the arcanum (secret) to find out him; For the sake of that, he did not show any more, and how soon they left, he crashed the car, so that there was nothing to fear."
Therefore, Schumacher could not see the car, and the conversation with Orfireus took on a purely commercial nature.
“… His first question was: does Mr. Schumacher have money? I replied: … His Imperial Majesty wishes great mercy and payment for the publication (product) to repay it, when it will withstand the test. Of course it will withstand the test, and I am ready to lose my chapter, if it’s not true.”
However, Schumacher's proposal “… we will accept the two most glorious mathematicians who always take the oath about him first, mention in no way even yes (when) the investor will accept the money in the deposit, and then we will be satisfied with the car to testify to it” Orfireus did not accept.
His last speech was: "On one side, put 100,000 efimks (about 100,000 rubles), and on the other I will put the car." With this, Schumacher returned to Halle to Professor Wolff and reported everything to him.
The report goes on to say: "It is truly impossible to believe what kind of disputes Perpetuum Mobile has made." Professor Gravesand thinks that "perpetuum mobile, according to the custom of mathematicians, is not opposed to the principles (principles) of mathematical" … "The German mathematician Kashuber also has this opinion …" On the contrary, "French and English mathematicians respect all these and say that this is against the principles of mathematics."
As you can see, Schumacher gave a fairly accurate description of the situation. At the end of the report, there is a long and cleverly drawn up written opinion under the heading: "Present opinion on the Perpetual mobile of Orphyrean, signed by" Christian Wolff, his royal majesty of the Prussian court adviser to mathematics and physics professor ". Briefly, its content corresponds to the well-known old village verbal formula: "It is hostile and of course, nevertheless, it is the same."
Forwarding this document to Peter, Schumacher wisely concludes: "From this scripture, Your Imperial Majesty, see that the perpetuum mobile is not yet very perfect."
Naturally, Peter could not make a final decision on the basis of such information. He refrained from further negotiations, despite the fact that Orfireus himself had already offered him his car through intermediaries. So, in January 1725, a certain Detlev-Klefeke volunteered to go at his own expense to Germany for the car of Orfireus, who promised to tell him the last price for his invention.
Peter intended to sort out this matter himself during his planned trip abroad in 1725, but his death did not allow this plan to come true.
Things were getting worse and worse for Orfireus. Neither numerous certificates issued by independent commissions nor public demonstrations earned him the money he was going to use to build a school for engineers. The maximum that he could get from those in power was four thousand thalers at a time and a house as a gift from the Landgrave Karl, the owner of the Weißenstein castle (now Wilhelmshöhe).
The car could not be sold, the number of skeptics and opponents grew. Due to his reluctance to reveal the secret of the device, rumors began to arise that the "self-propelled wheel" was set in motion by people.
Finally, fate dealt the most terrible blow to Orfireus: the secret of his car was revealed … by women. The first of these was his servant Anna Rosina. First, she, and then his wife, blabbed … Everyone knew that there was no perpetual motion machine, and the car was quietly turned from a nearby room through a special transmission (in the Weissenstein castle from Orfireus' bedroom). It was a difficult job for the "biological engine" - a team of maid, brother and wife (and sometimes Orfyreus himself). The brother and the maid were paid a little - 2 pennies per hour of work. The brother eventually fled; Fearing that the servant would blab out, Orfyreus took from her a terrible, very long oath, so expressive that it is quoted in almost all books about the perpetual motion machine. Here are just two excerpts:
“… I swear by faith and truth before the triune God that from this moment, until my death, forever and ever, I will not speak to anyone, write or show anything bad about you, my real master, and that I will not I will discover, I will not find and I will not describe any creature, whether it exists or does not exist, nothing I know about your deeds and creations, art and secrets … ;
“… If I break this oath … then may my soul never know peace and will not deserve God's mercy, may it be cursed forever and ever. Amen … I will be damned if I break this oath, and blessed if I keep it. I swear that I will keep and will not break my oath."
But the vows did not help … Orfireus managed to somehow hush up the scandal, but his career was over. As a result, he destroyed his device with his own hands and left Weißenstein.
In subsequent years, all attempts by the inventor to sell his creation, disguising it as more familiar devices for the layman (self-playing organ, endless fountain, etc.), were unsuccessful. Whether Orfyreus was a fraud, a brilliant engineer, or a madman, it is probably no longer known. The principles of its engines are not exactly known. Nevertheless, even today many believe that Johann Bessler managed to build a "perpetual motion machine" at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the secret of which has sunk into oblivion together with its creator.
After the death of Bessler, the impossibility of perpetual motion machines was proved.