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Johann Bessler frequently refers to his ‘enemies’ and has a considerable amount to say about them, It is clear from his publications that they were a permanent thorn in his side, pouring scorn on his claims and constantly trying to undermine his attempts at verification of his claims. He also alludes to them in brief coded entries in his publications by including their initials whenever he refers to the enemies in a more general way. The initials W,B and G are always together in one sentence and the font of each letter is differentiated in order to call the reader’s attention to the matter. To go to such time and effort is indicative of the amount of trouble they caused him over a number of years
The persons in question were firstly, Andreas Gartner, Master Model maker to the King of Poland, an elderly man by this time and although not taking a major part in the war, probably willing to lend his name to any amount of muckraking that the other members of this gang of three could accomplish;
Secondly Johann Gottfried Borlach, a geological engineer who developed the salt mines at Bad Kosen, and who was responsible for the publication of a cartoon showing how, in his opinion, the wheel was driven
And thirdly, the most active of the three, Christian Wagner , a ‘student’ mathematician from Leipzig, who published several tracts in criticism of Bessler. I have reproduced the English translations of two of these documents because it gives some additional information about the appearance of the wheels. Interestingly Wagner reluctantly admits that Bessler’s machine has some inbuilt drive but that it is not perpetual motion.
Let me give due credit to the men responsible for acquiring and translating these documents. Andrew Witter, who did the translations and Al Bacon (nome de plume) who commissioned the work and has published them via myself.
Please click on the buttons to the left for Wagner’s critiques 1 and 2.
Copyright © 2011 John Collins
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