This book was published in 1911....

[Paul Mackin]

Mark Kohut wrote:
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com>
> To: pynchon -l <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Friday, February 15, 2008 12:58:33 PM
> Subject: This book was published in 1911....
>
> The Anarchists Chapter 8 
> <http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/vizetelly/vizetelly8.html>
> *...* that he did so with the express object of studying a branch of 
> mechanics which he might utilise in preparing a really effective 
> *infernal machine*. *...*
> dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/ 
> <http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/> 
> vizetelly/vizetelly8.html - 79k - Cached 
> <http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:yy8zuU1ytBsJ:dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/vizetelly/vizetelly8.html+%22infernal+machine%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=492&gl=us&lr=lang_en> 
> - Similar pages 
> <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=related:dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/vizetelly/vizetelly8.html> 
> - Note this 
> <http://www.google.com/search?q=%22infernal+machine%22&hl=en&start=490&sa=N#> 
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Think it was a pretty common 19th Century term.

Remember coming across it as a child. In E. Nesbit's "The New Treasure 
Seekers" the two younger Bastable children while exploring the cellar of 
their house come across a bunch of coils and wires. They jump to the 
conclusion that it is an "infernal machine." Someone they believe is 
trying to dynamite their father who has recently won a local election. 
They cut all the wires, etc.  As a result the house is plunged into 
total darkness. Turns out they have destroyed the new electrical system 
the father has recently had installed.