The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-25 00:00:00

NEW CALCULATING MACHINE.

A remarkable machine for the purposes of abstruse
calculations has been sent over to this country, and
deposited for the present at the Royal Society. It is
the invention of a Swedish gentleman named Schutz,
who has, it is said, expended the greater portion of
his property in the operations necessary to bring his
invention to a successful issue. It must not, how-
ever, be supposed that the machine is of a compli-
cated nature. Oa the contrary, its simplicity is one
of its most remarkable features. There appal*
nothing in its construction which would overtaak the
capabilities of an ordinary mechanic, and the model
exhibited is said to have been constructed by two

Swedish workmen, instructed only in the oommo.
principles of their art. It is, of course, impossible to
give an adequate conception of the machine without
the use of diagrams. It will be sufficient here to!
state the principle which has been made use of
to direct its operation., and some of the
marvellous results which it is capable of accom-
plishing. The principle is one well known to mathe-
maticians, and may be verified by a person possessing
only a knowledge of the common rules of arithmetic.
It is, that all tables of numbers which follow any law,
however complicated, may to a greater or less extent
be formed by proper arrangements of successive addi-
tions or subtractions. Mr. Babbage is the person to
whom the world is indebted for showing the wonder-
ful use that might be made of this principle in the
construction of a calculating engine. But the cost
involved in the construction of the parts of his
engine, and of the tools required, was enormous.
We believe that government contributed as much as
20,0001. to the expenses, and that Mr. Babbage him-
self disbursed large sums from his own private
means. Moreover, although the portion of the
machine which was put into operation produced
satisfactory results, grave doubts have been ex-
pressed by many persons whether the me-
chanical aifficulties to be conquered before a
complete engine could be fabricated were not
insuperable. The machine, therefore, has never
been completed, and we believe that the only portion
slit left in a finished state is to be seen in King's
College, London. The estimates for its completion
frightened the government of the day, and Sir Robert
Peel is said to have expressed the magnitude of the
financial difficulty in one of the only mote that have
ever been attributed to him. lie insinuated a doubt
whether Babbage's engine, however powerful, would
be able to compute the cost of its construction. The
invention of Mr. Schutz may be said to complete the
problem started by Mr. Babbage: "Can a machine
I be made, at once simple and inexpensive, which shall
perform laborious and extensive computations quickly
and infallibly ?"
Here is the engine. It may be seen in full opera-
tion. It will compute all the logarithms in Hutton's
tables without the possibility of error. It not
only does this, but it prints them and stereotypes
them. Hutton's tables are mentioned because they
ores best known, but other astronomical tables not
gatefold in Hutton can be computed, registered,
end abwootyped by the engine of M. Schutz in the
time that a compositor would take to set up the
type. It will, at the ordinary rate of working, pro-
ems about 260 figures stereotyped on plates ready
be printing in about ten minutes.
Now, the importance of correct mathematical tables
of the nature alluded to may be judged by the fact
that an error in a single figure in a set of tables used
by a captain at sea, may occasion the loss of his ship.
Handrail; of cases of a similar nature might be
given, but it would be useless, as the universal cue-
tom of civilised governments, in expending
large sums in obtaining tables correctly
calculated, is sufficient to show their value.
Many years ago the French government
determined to execute "a monument of calculation
the most costly and imposing which had ever been
seen." To carry out this intention it was necessary
to employ five or six mathematicians of the very
highest clam; seven or eight mathematicians cele-
brated rather for acquirements and industry than
genius, and a corps of some eighty computers. The
results of their labours appeared in seventeen large
folio volumes. All the most important of the compu-
tations noes ary in thesis vast operations can be
managed in M. utz's engine by the simple turn-
ing of a handle, and this without the possibility of an
error. As a proof of the wonderful powers of the
en and the extraordinary delicacy with which
sufficicertainentlyconsi-
dered accurate unless the logarithms are
carried out to seven places of decimals. But in order
Ito get seven places accurately it is necessary originally
team out the computation to a much larger number
of places. The first seven of these are printed, and
tin rest rejected. Now, it has been accepted as a rule
mathematicians, that it the first of the rejected
is above 6, the last of the seven retained is to
be Isereseed by a unit. M. Schutz's machine cal-
=kW to 16 places, but only prints 7. The machinery
memo, however, perfectly to understand its duty when
the first of the rejected figures is above 6. In that
sees it eats " like a thing of life." It increases the
76 Awe by a unit, as if it were gravelntroducing
a sessedles, suggested by its own knowledge of
sesthosdise.
The emengements of the various portions of the
mile rise admirably planned, and the itecheaisel
sestdeetises models of beauty and eimplisity.lt mut
be es sliest of Intense interest to every sae, but only
theme testi=szsainted with the labour of con-
tables, the great danger of error,
sadlisopsland =penes of correction, will fully
appellate excellences of this machine, simple
in-lte i and so infallible in its tremi so
lte.

On Monday, Marshal ,Banta Cm, Envoy Extvaord
dtury at Snails has aid amothite of Betide, took We
the ILiag et the Belgians its model nem%