Posted by John Collins (194.164.38.70) on January 15, 2003 at 00:10:53:
In Reply to: The Frank Edwards connection posted by MrTim on January 14, 2003 at 22:44:29:
: Hi Tim,
I take your posting in the sense in which you intended but for information purposes I'd just like to say that the records pertaining to Bessler are, mostly, held at Kassel. There are lots of additional pieces of record elsewhere, such as the UK, France and Russia and of course in other museums and universities in Germany (east and west).
The existing records, particularly those which were Karl's, give the strongest evidence both directly and circumstantially, that what Frank Edwards wrote of the description of Bessler's wheel is completely fabricated. His descriptions make a nonsense of the records which indicate the history of the progress of the attempted sale of the wheel - records which were made over a period of some twenty years and include numerous letters both to and from as well as about Bessler. These letters include references to Karl and his comments about the wheel as well as about, and by, many others who examined it. I have done a rough calculation as to how many people might have visited the Kassel machine to view it. It was on display for ten years at least. Bessler allowed visitors every day except Sunday, sometimes groups of people would come and look. Even if it only averaged about three or four people a week you can still say that over a 2000 people might have looked at it. Surely they must have written letters to friends and acquaintences about the wheel so I cannot rule out the possibility that Frank Edwards might have stumbled across a letter giving such information. If he did, in my opinion we can still rule it out as evidence because it does not agree with the majority of the record.
Of course many of those visitors would have returned several times but that just increases to likelihood of their writing letters about it. I know that other letters exist, again from circumstantial evidence, I even know who wrote them, but I have so far, been unable to find most of them.
Ignore the Frank Edwards connection - it won't help solve this puzzle.
John C
Hi!
: (Please be aware that all of the following is pure conjecture.)
: Many have no doubt noted the discrepancies of mechanism descriptions in Bessler's 'Das Triumphirende (etc)' and Frank Edwards' story 'Bessler's Wonderful Wheel' (both of which can be found on this wonderful website.) After a careful reading of both, I believe that the inconsistency is easily explained:
: A > Bessler's statements apply to the symmetrical turning wheel
: B > Edwards' description applies the the one-directional wheel
: Bessler's description can't be questioned, as it is a 'first hand' account.
: Edwards' story, on the other hand, is full of errors and lacking in details that we now know. (Big round of applause to John Collins for his fine detective work!)
: As to the 'Count's description' of the device, we are left with two possibilities:
: (1) Edwards made it up. This is entirely within the realm of possibility.
: (2) Edwards had access to another source of information.
: In the case of (2), this brings up more questions:
: > Did Karl leave more in writing than was supposed (or discovered)?
: > Was Kassel under Allied occupation at the end of WW2?
: > Connecting the above two questions, is it possible that some of Karl's documents were 'liberated' or 'confiscated' by intelligence officers (or others)? (Oh great. ANOTHER 'conspiracy theory'....!)
: If this was indeed the case, the mechanism's description in Edwards' story is true, but due to receiving it from a second- or third-hand source and/or compounded with a bad translation, this could make it so garbled as to be useless. But not for a story... (Just grab an old source (probably Dirck's), write it quick and with some embellishment, presto! Instant story!)
: Again, all conjecture (and more questions too!)
: MrTim
: (and please-don't-take-it-all-too-seriously-!)