Serie A brev nr 5

Magazine Overview

Title: BREVCIRKELN.
Issue: 5
Volume: A
Date: 1957

This issue of BREVCIRKELN. focuses on the enigmatic Hendershot motor and its inventor, Lester J. Hendershot, exploring the claims, controversies, and scientific perspectives surrounding this purported free energy device.

Hendershot and His Enigmatic Motor

The article begins by acknowledging the 30-year history of discussion surrounding the Hendershot motor, noting the difficulty in separating fact from legend. It recounts the initial sensational newspaper reports on February 28, 1928, which proclaimed the invention of a revolutionary device by Lester J. Hendershot that could generate usable electricity by 'cutting the earth's magnetic lines of force' without needing fuel. This invention was said to be capable of powering electric motors, lighting a lamp, or heating a hot plate, but could not produce useful motion or energy on its own.

Ten days later, on March 9, 1928, news emerged that Hendershot had been hospitalized in Washington after receiving a 2000-volt shock during a demonstration for interested speculators. The article notes that Mr. Hendershot was still alive in 1957, contrary to rumors of his death, murder, or disappearance due to government agents seeking to buy his invention.

The author describes Hendershot as a 58-year-old man of average build, with white hair and bright, dark brown eyes. Despite his warm demeanor when smiling, he is portrayed as a man burdened by worries, living with his family in a small California town and employed by a large corporation, seemingly content with his situation.

Information gathered from those who knew him suggests Hendershot was not a strong businessman, which might explain why his invention had not yielded significant results in 30 years. The article clarifies that the Hendershot 'motor' is more accurately described as a generator, producing electrical current rather than mechanical motion.

The Hendershot Motor's Design and Operation

The Hendershot motor is not patented, and its patentability is uncertain. The article refrains from providing a detailed description due to the lack of a patent, but offers some insights. The invention consists of braided, flat 'wire coils' with specific relationships between coil spacing, number of windings, and wire gauge. It also includes stainless steel rings with 3-inch diameters, small carbon rods, and a pair of permanent alnico magnets. When arranged correctly, these components are said to produce electrical current.

Hendershot himself admitted to difficulties in building the apparatus in different sizes and capacities, stating he was not an engineer and could not pre-calculate such factors. He described problems with winding too much or too little wire, leading to the apparatus not functioning or burning out quickly. The primary challenge was preventing the apparatus from burning out in a short time.

Demonstrations and Scientific Skepticism

A significant event occurred in 1928 when Hendershot visited Selfridge Field, a military installation near Detroit. He was introduced to Major Thomas G. Lamphier by Mr. D. Barr Peat, who had seen a small model and believed the invention was worth exploring. Lamphier was interested in experimenting with the 'motor' but could not grasp its principle and did not officially endorse it.

Detroit newspapers reported that Hendershot and Peat demonstrated a model of the motor to Major Lamphier and others at Selfridge Field. The demonstrations were reportedly so interesting that Lamphier authorized the construction of a model at the base's expense, built by military technicians using data provided by Hendershot.

However, Dr. Hochstetter, director of a research laboratory in Pittsburg, sent a telegram to Major Lamphier, warning him against paying too much attention to the machine, which he considered useless. In response to this telegram, Hendershot stated that the motor demonstrated at Selfridge Field was not his original creation but was built by army technicians under Major Lamphier's orders and his own supervision. He asserted that the machine worked and was his answer to criticism.

Major Lamphier, by then a retired colonel, firmly denied that any Hendershot motor was ever built at Selfridge Field. He claimed the only motor present was Hendershot's own, which a university laboratory investigation committee had declared a 'bluff'.

Hendershot was reportedly mystified by Lamphier's statement, reiterating that the motor was built by army technicians at Selfridge Field as reported by the newspapers.

Notable individuals who witnessed demonstrations included Detroit engineer William B. Stout and Ford's chief engineer William M. Mayo. Colonel Charles A. Lindberg also reportedly witnessed several demonstrations but did not support the invention and declined to comment on it.

Scientific Theories and Speculation

According to 1928 newspapers, the renowned Nikola Tesla commented that if any apparatus could draw power from the source Hendershot claimed (cutting Earth's magnetic lines of force), the power would be measured in 'horsepower'. Tesla's own extensive experiments with terrestrial and atmospheric electricity in Colorado lent weight to his opinion.

The article considers the possibility that Hendershot was mistaken about the power source. It suggests that if the apparatus frequently burned out, it might indicate either an increase in 'mouse power' (a metaphorical reference to the power source) or that Hendershot was tapping into a different energy source, or had discovered how to create a greater differential between anode and cathode. Some believe 'free energy' exists around us and only needs to be accessed.

Dr. Michael Pupin, a professor of electromechanics at Columbia University, remarked that if such a machine were possible, he believed it would have been invented years earlier.

The article also mentions J.W. Keely, who pursued similar lines of inquiry into 'free energy' in the late 19th century.

Hendershot himself admitted not knowing precisely what made his apparatus work, and noted that scientists who examined it were also uncertain. The original idea for the invention reportedly came to him in a dream, suggesting it was inspired.

The Nature of Earth's Magnetism

The article questions whether Hendershot's apparatus, or similar devices, have a basis in reality. Investigations suggest they might. It poses the question of whether the Earth is a giant dynamo creating its own constant magnetic field or possesses only a limited amount of permanent magnetism. Most scientists studying Earth's composition and activity believe it has a fluid iron core or an iron-nickel core of 'viscous' consistency, surrounded by a solid rock layer. Since iron can only retain permanent magnetic forces in a solid or relatively cool state, Earth does not seem to be a permanent magnet, yet it still influences compasses, indicating the presence of magnetism.

Dr. Edward C. Bullard of the National Physical Laboratory in London proposed a theory that Earth is a giant generator, continuously self-charging. He suggested that Earth's core is radioactive, and this radioactivity generates heat, which in turn creates convection currents. This theory is presented as a better fit for the phenomena associated with Earth's magnetic field than other explanations. The article concludes that Hendershot's machine could be groundbreaking, even if it only operates with 'mouse power'.

Conclusion and Future of the Hendershot Motor

The article questions whether a wider application for Hendershot's invention will ever be realized. It speculates that if all predictions hold true, Hendershot might take his invention to the grave, adding it to the list of other similar enigmas whose traces have long since vanished or become too faint to follow. However, the author leaves open the possibility of fate playing its hand differently.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the pursuit of free energy, the nature of unconventional inventions, and the challenges of scientific validation and patenting. The editorial stance appears to be one of cautious curiosity, presenting the Hendershot motor as a fascinating mystery with potential scientific underpinnings, while acknowledging the skepticism and practical difficulties that have surrounded it. The article highlights the gap between sensational claims and verifiable scientific principles, and the enduring human fascination with revolutionary technological possibilities.