Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-07-16

these faculties fails, it follows, us matter Of course
. that mistakes escape notice. In order, them tC
remedy this defect, he constructed the wull-knowr
and singular atithmacul machine by which, with
ont n pen, without counters, and without under
standing arithmetic, all kinds Of computation may
be readily performed. "By other methods" said
he, III writing TO Christina queen Of Sweden, call
the operations are troublesome, complicated, long,
and uncertain; by mine they become easy simple,
quick. and certain"
lie Poro Mcrsonnc, a Partisan monk, about this
time proposed Co the world Of science famous and
difficult problem. Il was required to determine the
curve line described in the air by nail attached to
the circumference Of cnrriaEC-whccl revolving
and progressing at an ordinary speed. Il would
not be interesting nor perhaps Ineligible, to gem
cral readers, were we to attempt explaining the DIFF
lculucs which, in the then state of mathematical
science attended the solution OF this problem. 1t
will suffice TO state that, after having bu1tlcd the
efforts Of all the great men Of t'c day. it solv
cd by Pascal, when not twenty years Old, and while
/ lying on bed Of sickness Moro than this; he
doGcj all the mathcmacians Of Europe to resolve
IN detail the difficulties Of the problem, offering
four hundred francs (oqual to two thousand in the
present day. to whom should succeed. All having
JAILED, Pascal gave his own solution TO the world,
and from that moment took his place in the first
rank OF science.
Torricei, an eminent Italian mathematician,
taught by Calico that air is Il pondcrable fluid,
tried several experiments bv producing vacuum.
These induced Pascal to try some others, which
he caused to be made by his bro,hor-in-law, VI.
Porier on the mountain of Puy dc Dome, in the
province of Auveronc. and which were crowned
with LrilIiant succt-. Calico had discovered the
ilht Of the air; forfcclli measuring the prns.
sure Of the atmosphere. Ind found It equal TO a coll
umn Of water of the same baso, and thrty-two
feet in height or to one of quicksilver Of twenty
cIght inches ne experiments oil Pascal confirm
= /. 4
/ ca Ih9 DINERS, because they established the TACT
'n'I INC column OF mercury becomes low IN the
same proportion that The one OF air dlmlnlshe5 In
hCi9ht. lie was the first who proved clearly, in
treatise on the weight and density OF the Air"
That the euccis-untl then attributed to natures
uDhoWln" vacuum--arc derived from the weight
q Tue atnos pher: air; and reversing this point in
inc physics Of the ancients, he established, as q
pihciPe tncnceouh lncontcstabIc that the mass
| o ms mud has limited and Gecrunablo weight
mat 1t weighs more at one time than another, as in
'hi5k logs IN certain places than in Others, as in
EuIIGys ana on low ground; that pressing on all
me bodies which 1t surrounds, it acts moro power
Iuiy IN proportion To its increase Of weight. From
lAeao facts he deduced several consequences such
~ t,ceftaIhh9 whether two places are on the same
lcVel that IS to say equally distant from the centre
OF the earth; or which Of the two is most elevated
however distant from one another they may be. 1t
renamed To- him TO show that small quantity of
water may keep great weight balanced that two
weights OF different materials, adjusted, while the
ar Is Dry to the most perfect equilibrium, lose their
Cqudhty when the air becomes damp; that bodies
floating in the water weigh precisely as much as
inc liiuld they dsplacc; because the water touch
ing them from beneath, and not from above, serves
only TO raise them. Having established these pre-
limlnary facts, he published "Trcatisc On the
Equilibrium OF Fluids"
in the present day, when immense progress has
oeen made both IN physics and geometry, the writ