The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-09-27
Famous AutOmata.


No autOmatOn or deception ever had
such success as the autOmatOn chess
player, which for more than half CEN
fury astonished and delighted the whole
OF Europe. The chess-player was con-
structed in 1869 by Van Kempelen, a
gentleman of Presburg in Hungary. 1t
was exhibited to thousands in Pres
burg, Vienna and Paris, Immediately
after its completion. In 1783-S4
it was exhibited in London and
other parts of England. After this it
seems to have fallen out of repair. In
1919, Maelzel, the mechanician, over
hauled it, and exhibited it in Great Brit
ain in that and the following year, where
sit excited" says Sir David Brewster, "as
intense an interest as when it was first
produced in Germany" The chess-play-
er was life-szed figure, clothed in a
Turkish dress, and seated behind a large
chest or box-somewhat resembling a
library desk-three and a-half feet high.
The machine ran on casters. The chess
player sat on chair fixed to the square
chest; his right arm rested on the table, and
in the left he held pipe, which was re-
moved during the game, as it was with
that hand that he made the moves. A
chess board, eighteen inches square and
bearing the usual number of pieces, was
placed before the figure. The exhibitor
then unlocked four doors, two in the front
and two in the back of the chest, and
held lighted candle at the opening by
which to exhibit the machinery, which
consisted of levers, wheels, cylinders and
pinions. The figure was also examined,
and out of a drawer at the bottom and
front of the chest a small box of count
ers, a set of chess men and a cushion for
the automaton's arm, were taken. All
the doors and drawers were then closed
and lOcked-the spectators having salts
fed themselves that there was no place
for concealed person-the exhibitor
busted himself in adjusting the mechan-
ism from behind the chest, removed the
pipe from the figures hand and wound
up the machinery. The automaton was
then ready for play, which began as soon
as an opponent was found in the audi
ence. The automaton took the first move
in all cases. cat every move made by
the autOmatOn the wheels of the machine
are heard in action; the figure moves its
head, and seems to look over every part
of the chess board. When it gives check
to its opponent it shakes its head thrice,
and only twice when it checks the queen.
1t likewise shakes his head when false
move is made, replaces its adversary's
piece on the square from which it was
taken, and takes the next move itself.
In general, though not always, the au-
tomaton wins the game. During the
progress of the game the exhibitor stands
near the machine, and winds it up like a
clock after it has made ten or twelve
moves. At other times he went to cor
ner of the room, as if to consult small,
square box which stood open for this pur-
pose.
Pyschc, the whist player, has not i'm
proved much upon the automaton chess
player, invented more than hundred
years ago. Van Kempelen never pretend
ed that the automaton really played the
game. On the other hand, he distinctly
said that the effects Of the machine zap
peared SO marvellous only from the bold
ness of the conception, and the fortunate
choice of the methods adopted for illu-
sion" There is now little doubt that
person was contained in the chest who
really played the game of chess, and that
the ostentatious exhibition of the ma
chinery was simply to throw the specta-
tor off his guard.
We have no space to describe Babbage's
calculating machine and Jeven's logical
machine; but, before leaving this enter
tanning subject, it may not be inappro-
pirate to add that automatic construc-
tons are not as useless as they seem. AS
Sir David Brewster well says: "The ele-
ments Of the tumbling puppets were re-
vived in the chronometcr, and the shape
less wheel which directed the hand Of
the drawing automaton now serves to
guide the movements of the tambourng
engine. Those mechanical wonders
which in one century enriched only the
copjurer who used them, contributed in
another to augment the wealth Of the
nation; and those automatic toys which
once amused the vulgar are now en-
ployed in extending the power and pro-
noting the civilization of our species. y
Appietons' Journal.
ROMANCE OF A BATTLE-FIELD.-In one