The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-12-12
WONDERFUL MACHINERY.

WONDERFUL MACHINERY.
The following account of Htost extra
! ordinary machine invented and constructed
by Mr.. BABRAGE of London, is gwen by the
scient'hc DIR. Brewster, in his A" Natural
Magic" We could scarcely have credited
1t on any less competent authority.
| OF all the machines which have been
+ constructed in modern times, the calcula-
ting machine is, doubtless, the most extra
ordinary. Pieces of mechanism for per
forming particular arthmetical operations
have been long ago constructed but these
Dear no comparison, either in ingenuity or
magnitude, TO the grand design conceived.
and nearly executed, Ivy Mr.. Babbage.-
treat as the power of mechanism is known
TO be, yet, we venture 10 say that many of
the most intelligent of our readers will
scarcely admit it to be possible that astro-
homical and navigation tables can lie ac-
curateiy computed by machinery, thai the
machine can itself correct tho errors
winch II may commit; and that the re-
suits OF its calculations, when absolutely
Tree lrom error, can be printed off without
,he ald OF human hands. or the operation of
human intelligence. All this, however.
mr.. Babhage's machine can do, and as |
nave had the advantage of seeing it actual
" Calculate, and of studying it's ronslruc
ton with MIR. Babbage himself, am able
10 make the above statement on personal
observation. The calculating machine. now
constructing under the superintendent of
the inventor, has been executen at the
expense OF the British Government. anu is.
OF course, their property. 1t consists essen
uaiy OF Two parts, a calculating part and a
printing part, both of which are necessary
to the tuilment OF Mr.. Dabbage's views /;
for the whole advantages would be lost if
the computation made by the machine were
copied by human hands, and transferred to
types by the common process. The greater
pait of the calculating machinery is already
constructed. and exhibits workmanship of
such extraordinary skill and beauty, that
nothing appr oaching TO it has been witness
ed. In order to execute it, particularly
those parts of the apparatus which are dis
similar TO any used in ordinary mechanical
construction, tools aud machinery of great
expense and complexity, lave been invent
ed and constructed, and. In many instances,
! contrivances of singular ingenuity have
been resorted TO: which cannot fail to prove
extensively useful in varions branches OF
the mechanical arts. The drawings of this
machinery, which form large part of the
work, and on which all the contrivance has
been bestowed, and all the alterations made
cover upwards Of 400 square feet of surface,
and are executed with extraordinary care
and precision.
In 30 complete a piece of mechanism in
which interrupted motions are propaganda
simultaneously, along great variety Of
trains Of mechanism, it might have beer
supposed that distractions would nriee. OF
even incompatibilities occur, from, the i'm.
practcability of foreseeing all the possible
combinations of the parte but this doubt
mas beeu entirely removed by the consan,
employment OF system of mechanical no
tation, invented by Mr.. Babbage, which
places distinctly in view, at every instant
the progress of .aotion through all parts o.
this or any machine, and by writing down
IN fSaies the time required for all the move
ments; this method renders it easy to avoid
all risk Of two opposite actions arriving al
the same instant in any part of the engine
In the printing part of the machine less
progress has been made in the actual exc
cution than in the calculating part. The
cause of this is the greater difficulty Of its
contrlvance, not for transferring the COM
!, putations from the calculating part Of the
copper or other plate destined 10 receive it.
but for giving to the plate itself that mum
Der and variety of movements which the
form adopted in printed tables may call fol
in practice. The practical object of the
calculating engine is, to compute and print
great variety and extent of Astronomical
and navigation tables, which could not be
done without enormous intellectual and
manual labor, and could not be calculated
with the requisite accuracy. Maihemati
clans, astronomers and navigators do mol
require TO he informed of the real value o.
such tables; but it may he proper to state
for the information of others, that seventeen
large folio volumes of logar.hmic tables
alone, were calculated, at an enormous ex
pense, by the French Government; and
that the British Government regarded these
tables to be Of such national value, thai
they Proposed to the French Board of Longi
tude to print an infringement ofthem at The
joint expense Of the two nations, and offer
ell to advance $4,000 for that purpose. Be
sides logarithmic tables, Mr.. Babhage'
machine will calculate tables of the power
and products of numbers, and oil astronom
ical tables for determining the positions o
the sun, moon, and planets; and the SAM
mechanical principles have enabled him t.
intregate innumerable equations of finit
difference that is, when the equation q
difference is given, he can, by setting a
engine, produce, at the end of the give
time, any distant term which may be requiI
ed, or any succession of terms commencn
at distant point. Besides the cheapnes
and celebrity wthwhich this machine will PEE
form its work, the absolute accuracy of tn
printed results deserves especial notice =
; By peculiar contrivances, any small errt
produced by accidental dust, or by an
, slight inaccuracy IN one of the wheels,
corrected as soon us it is transmitted to II
next; and this is done in such manner
} effectually to prevent accumulation of sma
} errors for producing an erroneous figure
the result.
To MAKE STRONG BooKRiSDRR's PASTE. Nj
wheaton -four in cold water ; then boil it til
DO Of u glutnous substance. This max
common paste. When you wish it to be of
stronger nature, mix fourth fifth or sixth 4
weight of -four of powdered alum; and whe