Von Kempelen and_his discovery

by Edgar Allan Poe

after_the very minute and elaborate paper by Arago, to_say nothing of_the summary in 'Silliman's journal,' with_the detailed statement just published by lieutenant Maury, it_will_not_be supposed, of_course, that in offering a few hurried remarks in reference to Von Kempelen's discovery, I_have any design to look at_the subject in a scientific point of view . my object is simply, in_the first place, to_say a few words of Von Kempelen himself ( with_whom, some_years_ago, I had the honor of a slight personal acquaintance), since every thing which concerns him must necessarily, at_this moment, be of interest; and, in_the second place, to look in a general way, and speculatively, at_the results of_the discovery .

it may_be as_well, however, to premise the cursory observations which I_have to offer, by denying, very decidedly, what seems_to_be a general impression (gleaned, as usual in a case of_this kind, from_the newspapers), viz .: that_this discovery, astounding as it unquestionably is, is unanticipated .

by reference to_the ' diary of sir Humphrey Davy' (Cottle and Munroe, London, pp .150), it_will_be seen at pp .53 and 82, that_this illustrious chemist had not_only conceived the idea now in_question, but had actually made no inconsiderable progress, experimentally, in_the very identical analysis now so triumphantly brought to an issue by Von Kempelen, who although he makes not the slightest allusion to_it, is, without doubt ( I_say it unhesitatingly, and can prove it, if required), indebted to_the ' diary' for at_least the first hint of_his own undertaking .

the paragraph from_the ' courier and Enquirer,' which_is now going the rounds of_the press, and which purports to claim the invention for aMr Kissam, of Brunswick, Maine, appears to_me, I confess, a little apocryphal, for several reasons; although there_is nothing either impossible or very improbable in_the statement made . I_need not go into details . my opinion of_the paragraph is founded principally upon its manner . it does_not look true .Persons who_are narrating facts, are seldom so particular as Mr Kissam seems_to_be, about day and date and precise location . besides, if Mr Kissam actually did come upon_the discovery he_says he_did, at_the period designated -- nearly eight years_ago -- how happens it that he_took no steps, on_the instant, to reap the immense benefits which the merest bumpkin must_have known would_have resulted to him individually, if_not to_the world at large, from_the discovery ? it seems to_me quite incredible that any man of common understanding could_have discovered what Mr Kissam says he_did, and yet have subsequently acted so like a baby -- so like an owl -- as Mr Kissam admits that he_did . by- the- way, who_is Mr Kissam ? and is_not the whole paragraph in_the ' courier and Enquirer' a fabrication got up_to ' make a talk' ? it must_be confessed that_it has an amazingly moon-hoaxy- air . very little dependence is_to_be placed upon it, in my humble opinion; and if I were_not well aware, from experience, how very easily men of science are mystified, on points out of_their usual range of inquiry, i_should_be profoundly astonished at finding so eminent a chemist as professor draper, discussing Mr Kissam's ( or is_it Mr Quizzem's ? ) pretensions to_the discovery, in so serious a tone .

but to return to_the ' diary' of sir Humphrey Davy . this pamphlet was not designed for_the public eye, even upon_the decease of_the writer, as any person at all conversant with authorship may satisfy himself at once by_the slightest inspection of_the style . at page 13, for example, near the middle, we read, in reference to_his researches about_the protoxide of azote: ' in less_than half a minute the respiration being continued, diminished gradually and were succeeded by analogous to gentle pressure on all the muscles .' that_the respiration was not 'diminished,' is not_only clear by_the subsequent context, but by_the use of_the plural, ' were .' the sentence, no_doubt, was thus intended: ' in less_than half a minute, the respiration [ being continued, these feelings] diminished gradually, and were succeeded by [a sensation] analogous to gentle pressure on all the muscles .' a hundred similar instances go to show that_the MS . so inconsiderately published, was merely a rough note- book, meant only for_the writer's own eye, but an inspection of_the pamphlet will convince almost any thinking person of_the truth of_my suggestion . the fact is, sir Humphrey Davy was about_the last man in_the_world to commit himself on scientific topics . not_only had he a more than ordinary dislike to quackery, but he_was morbidly afraid of appearing empirical; so_that, however fully he_might_have_been convinced that he_was on_the right track in_the matter now in_question, he_would never have spoken out, until he had every thing ready for_the most practical demonstration .I verily believe that his last moments would_have_been rendered wretched, could he have suspected that his wishes in regard to burning this ' diary' ( full of crude speculations) would_have_been unattended to; as, it seems, they were . I_say ' his wishes,' for_that he meant to include this note- book among_the miscellaneous papers directed ' to_be burnt,' i_think there can_be no manner of doubt . whether it escaped the flames by good fortune or by bad, yet remains to_be seen . that_the passages quoted above, with_the other similar ones referred to, gave Von Kempelen the hint, I_do_not in_the slightest degree question; but I repeat, it yet remains to_be seen whether this momentous discovery itself ( momentous under any circumstances) will_be of service or disservice to mankind at large . that Von Kempelen and_his immediate friends will reap a rich harvest, it would_be folly to doubt for a moment . they_will scarcely be so weak as not to ' realize,' in_time, by large purchases of houses and land, with other property of intrinsic value .

in_the brief account of Von Kempelen which appeared in_the ' home journal,' and has since been extensively copied, several misapprehensions of_the German original seem to_have_been made by_the translator, who professes to_have taken the passage from a late number of_the Presburg 'Schnellpost .' 'Viele' has evidently been misconceived ( as it often is), and what the translator renders by 'sorrows,' is probably 'lieden,' which, in its true version, ' sufferings,' would give a totally different complexion to_the whole account; but, of_course, much of_this is merely guess, on my part .

Von Kempelen, however, is by no means 'a misanthrope,' in appearance, at_least, whatever he_may_be in_fact . my acquaintance with_him was casual altogether; and I_am scarcely warranted in saying that I_know him at all; but to_have seen and conversed with a man of so prodigious a notoriety as he has attained, or will attain in_a_few_days, is_not a small matter, as times go .

' the literary world' speaks of him, confidently, as a native of Presburg (misled, perhaps, by_the account in ' the home journal') but I_am pleased in being able to state positively, since I_have it from_his own lips, that he_was born in Utica, in_the state of New_York, although both his parents, I believe, are of Presburg descent . the family is connected, in some way, with Maelzel, of automaton- chess- player memory . in person, he_is short and stout, with large, fat, blue eyes, sandy hair and whiskers, a wide but pleasing mouth, fine teeth, and i_think a Roman nose . there_is some defect in one of_his feet . his address is frank, and_his whole manner noticeable for bonhomie . altogether, he looks, speaks, and acts as little like 'a misanthrope' as any man I ever saw . we were fellow-sojouners for a week about six years_ago, at earl's hotel, in Providence, Rhode_Island; and I presume that I conversed with_him, at various times, for some three or four hours altogether . his principal topics were those of_the day, and nothing that fell from_him led me to suspect his scientific attainments . he left the hotel before me, intending to_go to New_York, and thence to Bremen; it_was in_the latter city that his great discovery was first made public; or, rather, it_was there that he_was first suspected of having made it . this_is about all that I personally know of_the now immortal Von Kempelen; but I_have thought that even these few details would_have interest for_the public .

there can_be little question that most of_the marvellous rumors afloat about_this affair are pure inventions, entitled to about as_much credit as_the story of Aladdin's lamp; and yet, in a case of_this kind, as in_the case of_the discoveries in California, it_is clear that_the truth may_be stranger than fiction . the following anecdote, at_least, is so_well authenticated, that we_may receive it implicitly .

Von Kempelen had never been even tolerably well off during his residence at Bremen; and often, it_was well known, he had_been put to extreme shifts in_order to raise trifling sums . when_the great excitement occurred about_the forgery on_the house of Gutsmuth & Co ., suspicion was directed toward Von Kempelen, on account of_his having purchased a considerable property in Gasperitch Lane, and_his refusing, when questioned, to explain how he became possessed of_the purchase money . he_was at_length arrested, but nothing decisive appearing against him, was in_the end set at liberty . the police, however, kept a strict watch upon his movements, and thus discovered that he left home frequently, taking always the same road, and invariably giving his watchers the slip in_the neighborhood of_that labyrinth of narrow and crooked passages known by_the flash name of_the 'Dondergat .' finally, by dint of great perseverance, they traced him to a garret in an old house of seven stories, in an alley called Flatzplatz, -- and, coming upon him suddenly, found him, as_they imagined, in_the midst of_his counterfeiting operations . his agitation is represented as so excessive that_the officers had_not the slightest doubt of_his guilt . after hand-cuffing him, they searched his room, or rather rooms, for_it appears he occupied all the mansarde .

Opening into_the garret where they caught him, was a closet, ten feet by eight, fitted up with some chemical apparatus, of_which the object has_not_yet_been ascertained . in one corner of_the closet was a very_small furnace, with aglowing fire in_it, and on_the fire a kind of duplicate crucible -- two crucibles connected by a tube . one_of_these crucibles was nearly full of lead in a state of fusion, but not reaching up_to_the aperture of_the tube, which_was close to_the brim . the other crucible had some liquid in_it, which, as_the officers entered, seemed to_be furiously dissipating in vapor . they relate that, on finding himself taken, Kempelen seized the crucibles with both hands ( which were encased in gloves that afterwards turned out to_be asbestic), and threw the contents on_the tiled floor . it_was now that_they hand- cuffed him; and before proceeding to ransack the premises they searched his person, but nothing unusual was found about him, excepting a paper parcel, in_his coat- pocket, containing what_was afterward ascertained to_be a mixture of antimony and some unknown substance, in nearly, but not quite, equal proportions . all attempts at analyzing the unknown substance have, so_far, failed, but that_it_will ultimately be analyzed, is_not to_be doubted .

Passing out_of_the closet with their prisoner, the officers went through a sort of ante- chamber, in_which nothing material was found, to_the chemist's sleeping- room . they here rummaged some drawers and boxes, but discovered only a few papers, of no importance, and some good coin, silver and gold . at_length, looking under the bed, they saw a large, common hair trunk, without hinges, hasp, or lock, and with_the top lying carelessly across the bottom portion . upon attempting to draw this trunk out from under the bed, they found that, with their united strength ( there were three of_them, all powerful men), they ' could_not stir it one inch .' much astonished at_this, one_of_them crawled under the bed, and looking into_the trunk, said:

' no wonder we couldn't move it -- why it's full to_the brim of old bits of brass ! '

Putting his feet, now, against the wall so as to_get a good purchase, and pushing with all his force, while his companions pulled with an theirs, the trunk, with much difficulty, was slid out from under the bed, and its contents examined . the supposed brass with_which it_was filled was all in small, smooth pieces, varying from_the size of a pea to_that of a dollar; but the pieces were irregular in shape, although more or less flat- looking, upon_the whole, ' very_much as lead looks when thrown upon_the ground in a molten state, and there suffered to grow cool .' now, not one_of_these officers for a moment suspected this metal to_be any thing but brass . the idea of_its being gold never entered their brains, of_course; how could such a wild fancy have entered it ? and their astonishment may_be well conceived, when_the next_day it became known, all over Bremen, that_the 'lot of brass' which they had carted so contemptuously to_the police office, without putting themselves to_the trouble of pocketing the smallest scrap, was not_only gold -- real gold -- but gold far finer than any employed in coinage- gold, in_fact, absolutely pure, virgin, without the slightest appreciable alloy .

I_need not go over the details of Von Kempelen's confession ( as far as it went) and release, for_these are familiar to_the public . that he has actually realized, in spirit and in effect, if_not to_the letter, the old chimaera of_the philosopher's stone, no sane person is at liberty to doubt . the opinions of Arago are, of_course, entitled to_the greatest consideration; but he_is by no means infallible; and what he_says of bismuth, in_his report to_the academy, must_be taken cum grano salis . the simple truth is, that up to_this period all analysis has failed; and until Von Kempelen chooses to let_us_have the key to_his own published enigma, it_is more than probable that_the matter will remain, for years, in statu quo . all that as_yet can fairly be said to_be known is, that ' pure gold can_be made at will, and very readily from lead in connection with certain other substances, in kind and in proportions, unknown .'

speculation, of_course, is busy as_to_the immediate and ultimate results of_this discovery -- a discovery which few thinking persons will hesitate in referring to an increased interest in_the matter of gold generally, by_the late developments in California; and this reflection brings us inevitably to another -- the exceeding inopportuneness of Von Kempelen's analysis . if many were prevented from adventuring to California, by_the mere apprehension that gold would so materially diminish in value, on account of_its plentifulness in_the mines there, as_to render the speculation of going so_far in search of it a doubtful one -- what impression will_be wrought now, upon_the minds of_those about to emigrate, and especially upon_the minds of_those actually in_the mineral region, by_the announcement of_this astounding discovery of Von Kempelen ? a discovery which declares, in so_many words, that beyond its intrinsic worth for manufacturing purposes ( whatever that worth may_be), gold now is, or at_least soon will_be ( for_it cannot_be supposed that Von Kempelen can long retain his secret), of no greater value than lead, and of far inferior value to silver . it_is, indeed, exceedingly difficult to speculate prospectively upon_the consequences of_the discovery, but one_thing may_be positively maintained -- that_the announcement of_the discovery six months_ago would_have had material influence in regard to_the settlement of California .

in Europe, as_yet, the most noticeable results have_been a rise of two hundred per cent . in_the price of lead, and nearly twenty-five per cent . that of silver .