The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-11-26
A MECHANICAL PLAYER.
How Baron Won Kempelen's Chess Aut>
NATION Was Constructed.


How baron Won Kempslen's Chess Auto.
matOn Was Constructed.
In 1869, when at Vienna on official
business, Baron Won Kempelen, during
his intervals of leisure, constructed tho
mechanical chess-player, which was des-
tined to render him famous. The auto
maton consisted of chest or box, upon
which was seated the figure of Turk.
The chest was three and q half feet long,
two feet bruad, and two and half feet
high, placed on casters. which enabled
the exhibitor to move it occasionally
from one part of an apartment to an
other. The object of this arrangement
was to show to the spectators that no
trap-door communicated with the chest.
The left arm of the Turk was hollow.
and through it wire ran which COM
municated with the interior Of the chest,
where, by means of lever, the operator
concealed within it was enabled to give
every desired motion to the arm, hands.
and fingers of the figure. The chest
was divided into two compartments
above and a drawer beneath. In the
smaller of the two compartments, occu-
plying about the third Of the longitude
nal dimensions of the chest, were placed
number of pieces of brass, made very
thin. and designed only for the purpose
of misleading the spectators. for they
were no part of the machinery by which
the moves Of the game were effected.
In the other compartment were also
similar pieces of brass, representing
quadrants and other philosophical in
struments, intended. Gas in the previous
instance, to give the impression that
they conduced to the working of the au-
tOmatOn. The two compartments COM
municated with each other by means
of sliding panel, but SO carefully was
it contrived that the partition had the
appearance of being immovable. The
drawer, which when drawn out seemed
to be the entire horizontal dimensions of
the chest, was deceptive, as it was so
constructed that it could not be pressed
back more than foot and half, while
by species of telescope arrangement
of the sides Of the drawer it had when
pulled out the appearance of being
quite two feet Elk inches in depth. Be-
hind this movable back Of the drawer
there was consequently an unOccupied
space left which extended the whole
length of the chest and was more than
foot in breadth. At the commencement
of the exhibition. on every occasion. the
operator of the autOmatOn sat behind
tie mock machinery of the smaller of
the two upper compartments of the
chest, his legs occupying the hidden
portion of the drawer. Then the front
doors of both apartments were opened,
at the same time a lighted candle was
placed in the larger one, so that it could
be distinctly seen that the space not Oc-
cupied by the quadrants and other in
struments was vacant. Another candle
was placed, not in. but in front of the
other apartment, which was apparently
completely filled with machinery. Next,
after closing the doors. the exhibitor
turned the automaton round, SO as to
show the back of the chest to the spec
tators. While this was being done the
concealed operator moved into the large
compartment, closing after him the
sliding panel. In this position he re-
NAMED until the back door of the small
compartment had been opened and shut
again. Thus by these ingenious con-
trivances the spectators were led to be-
lieve that it was quite impossible that
any one could be hidden in the chest.
As regards the Turk, seated cross-legged
on the box, it was perfectly obvious that.
putting aside the fact that his body was
shown to be occupied by machinery, the
figure was not large enough to hold q
human being. CornhM Magazine.