Tom Adams - World of Weird: A Creepy Compendium of True Stories

Only a handful survive to this day, but once, devils like this could be found in a number of churches across Europe, occasionally alongside clockwork angels, Jesuses, and even the odd wind-up God.

TIPUS TIGER

A tiger mauling a person to death. What would possess someone to create such a mechanical monstrosity?

This tiger, known as Tipus Tiger , was built for Tipu Sultan , the ruler of an area of India called Mysore , in the late 18th century. Tipu Sultan loved tigers. He had tiger stripes sewn on his armys uniform, his gold throne was decorated with tiger heads, and he even kept real tigers in his palace. He had someone make this automaton especially for him.

Turning a handle makes the tiger roar and the person scream, thanks to a series of organ pipes inside the beast. The poor man even thrashes his arm around as if in pain. But who is the tiger attacking?

At the time, the British Army were trying to take control of Mysore and other parts of India , so that British traders could buy Indian goods cheaply and ship them back to Britain. The red jacket and black hat the man wears are similar to the British Army uniform at the time. Could the ill-fated fellow be a British soldier? Only Tipu Sultan could say for sure.

Unfortunately, Tipus army was defeated by the British and Tipu himself was killed. The automaton was taken by the British and brought to London.

The area of Mysore is called Karnataka today.

I have always admired inventors. They have the vision to spot a problem, imagination to create a solution, and the technical know-how to make it work. These two inventions... all I can say is that the inventors did their best!

The name simply means storm predictor.

TEMPEST PROGNOSTICATOR

For hundreds of years doctors have used the humble leech to draw blood from patients, believing it did wonders for their health. But did you know they could predict the weather too?

Around 1850 a man called George Merryweather , perhaps ideally named for the job, noticed that leeches become restless before a storm and so developed a device that used this weather-predicting skill of the worms. The prognosticator consists of twelve leeches, that Merryweather called his jury of philosophical councilors, in twelve glass jars, arranged in a circle.

That way the leeches could see each other and so not endure the affliction of solitary confinement.

Alongside a leech, each jar contained a small lever . When the leech became agitated, it unwittingly flicked the lever, which then pulled on a small chain causing a bell, in the center of the prognosticator, to ring. When the bell rang in quick succession, it was a sure sign a storm was brewing.

Naturally, Merryweather was so convinced by the prognosticators accuracy that he believed ports around the British Isles should all have one to warn of approaching bad weather. It never caught on.

PERPETUAL MOTION DEVICES

A steam locomotive can only haul a carriage thanks to the energy contained in the coal it uses as fuel. New-fangled motor cars depends on gasoline. Imagine, though, a machine that could keep going with nothing to power it. It would make you a fortune.