The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-02-03

/ IL WAS apparently thrown COnlpISelt opeH
to public inspection, and his work is ac-
companied with drawings to demonstrate
the presence of a hidden player. Mons.
Mouret, one of the most eminent chess
players of Europe, was for many years
the secret colleague of M. Maelzel in the
direction of the automaton and he sub
sequently revealed the moaus operdndi,
corroborating the correctness Of Mr.. VIII
lis's coniectures. The chess player was
hidden, as Mr.. Willis supposed, within
the chest, Seated upon low stool which
moved on castors, he was enabled with
facility to change his position as circum
stances might require. During the ex-
hibition of one portion of the machinery
he took refuge in anotheI-sometimes 10
the body Of the Aulomaton, and at 9th
ers in a portion of the chest. These
changes were of course in obedience to
pTeconcerted arrangement, and compelled
an undertaking regularity in the opening
and shutting of the different doors which
Mr.. Willis had remarked.
Perhaps the most interesting and in
genious part Of the contrivance was the
method by which the hidden operator
was made acquainted with the moves Of
his opponents, and enabled to repeat them
on smaller chess board of his own. He
was seated in his narrow cell, immedi-
ately under the chess board upon which
the Automaton and his antagonist made
their moves aud the reverse of this
board, which formed the ceiling over
head, was an exact representation OF the
upper side, except that on the side pre-
sented to the concealed player every
square was numbered according to the
usual notation adopted by chess players,
and was furnished by small metallic
ball. These sxty-four little knobs were
suspended a short distance from the
square by silken threads and as each
OF the chess men on the table above con-
tanned magnet. the moment any one of
them was placed upon the chess board it
attracted the little ball suspended from
the corresponding square below, and fix
ed it to the board, SO that by the time
the men were arranged in due order for
battle, thirty two of these metallic indices
being the number of pieces) would be
closely attached to as many squares on
the inside of the bord /; while the re-
naming thirty-two, deHoting the vacant
squares above, remained suspended to
the extent of the thread supporting them.
We may now suppose the game com
menced and the Automaton to open it.
Duly turning the handle which directs
the arm of the figure. and setting in mo-
ton the springs by which its fingers act,
the operator sits watching the board
upon the ceiling of his cell, and,
upon the piece intended to be played be-
ing taken up, he observes the little cor
responding index fell as before described i
and when this piece is played to its des-
tined square, he also sees the ball below
il attracted to the board. Having COM
pleted his own move, and carefully re-
peated it on the private board before him.
he anxiousy awaits the play of his ad
yersary. This is communicated to him
by the same means. He sees one ball
decline aad another rise, marks down on !
the board the move thus indicated, and
the game in this manner is carried on 10
its conclusion. But little more remains
to be explained. During the progress of
the game, the hidden player was furnish
ed with a lighted taper to assist him in
his labars, and supplied with fresh air
by means of apertures not visible to the
spectators. The mass of work, levers.
wheels, and cylinders, which seemed al
most to fill his narrow abode, were all
sham, being made of pasteboard, and so
contrived as to collapse and expand AS
his changes of position might demand |
Such are the leading facts connected with
this ingenious machine, which was ex-
hibited not only throughout Europe, but
in the United States and Canada and is !
reported to have also gone to South Amer
lea. 1t has been stated that the machine
was not many years since lying neglect
ed in an old lumberroom in the city of
New York I; and it is believed to be now
in the possession of a gentleman living !
in Philadelphia. It's day has gone by. |
and it is now only interesting as relic
of the past