The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-05

rhabdology. There is much that is GOOD
about these bones but as calculauns
instrument 1t will not compare Tor mo
ment with logarithms, for Whlch we are
largely indebted to Napier.
The first real calculating machine was
invented by the philosopher Pascal ABOUT
1850. He was then lad OF 49, helplhg ms
father in work which required much car
culation, and he contrived a series OF
wheels connected with one another, win
the ten numbers 9 to 0 engraved on each.
Addition and subtraction were performed
by turning the appropriate wheels by
hand, the carrying over being mechanic
ally provided for. The machine was OF
very little use.
About twenty years later Leibnitz, the
mathematician, invented a machine when
is believed to have been of an extremely
complicated nature, but no clear descrp-
ton of it is to be found. An interesting
Calculating table was contrived by Dr.
Saunderson. a Cambridge professor of
mathematics, who was entirely blind, ana
designed the instrument for his own use.
1t seems to have been board about a
foot square, divided into many little
squares, and perforated with small holes,
in which pins could be stuck indicating
various numbers. 1t is said that 'he could
place and displace his pins with incredible
nimbleness and facility, much TO the pleas
could even break off in the middle Of a
calculation and resume it when he pleased,
and could presently know the condition
of it by only drawing his fingers gently
over the table"
Whenever calculating machines are men
toned, people invariably think of Charles
Babbage who undoubtedly designed by
far the most complete machine that has
ever been invented. To describe 1t in
full, and tell the story of its manufacture,
so far as ii went, would take several vol
umes, since even large quarto volume,
devoted entirely to the subject, leaves out
a great deal about il that Ii would be in
teresting to know. Babbages machine
was designed to calculate elaborate tables
and automatically set them up in type, or
else supply a mold in which stereotyped
plates of the tables could be cast After
many experiments, he constructed his first
| difference engine, as he called it, for the
reason that he employed the method of
| differences as a general principle on which
| to base the calculations. AS soon as the
| first machine was completed, Babbage re-
| ceived instructions from the English gov
| eminent to construct another and more
comprehensive one a. their expense. Six
years after this order was given the treas
| ury appointed a very strong committee
| to examine and report upon the portion
of the machinery then executed and the
| design for tine whole engine. The result
| was a very strong expression of opinion
| in favor Of the machine but the expense
! was enormous. The government finally
declined further supplies and in 1888 the
| construction of the engine was relin-
! ouished The second difference engine
! was a huge instrument of marvellous pow
| er and an Illustration, that Babbage him
| self uses as a kind of illustration Of
miracle shows one feature of its perform
| ances In an interesting way. He SAID
| that his machine could go on for years
working by the same formula. 1t could
| then change without human Intervention
to another formula for a single calcula-
| lion and subsequently, resume working by
the original formula
Rut. great as were the powers of this
| second difference engine, Babbage had con-
| ceived an even more elaborate machine.
| which he called the analytical engine,
| which would completely supersede the diff
| ference engine. on which, in its incom-
| n,eted $, ate, the government had already
! snent r76O0 1t is not wonderful that the
! chancellor of the Exchequer declined 10
| supply any more funds under these cir
! cumstances.
Two practically useful machines we're,
| however constructed on Babbage's princi-
! pIes one of which. made by ScheutZ, a
! Swede. was completed az a total expense
! 81 f56O which was provided by the Diet
! Of Stockholm. This machine was about the
| size of a small square piano, and would
! calculate and stereotype without chance
| Of error two and half pages of figures
| In he same time that skillful composlior
| would take 90 merely set up the type for
! a single page The machine was purchased
! for q 600 and presented 10 the Dudley OBJ
| servatory at Albany, n. Y. second
scheutz machine was made for the Eng
fish government for 1920, and has used
| for. among other work, portions of the
English NE table No 3. The machine con-
slsts of over 1900 pieces, anq weighs
| about half a ton.
Since Babblge's day many small, calcu-
| Iaurg machines of various kinds have
| been invented, and when the present writ
er searched the records of the patent Office
| TO see IL an Invention of his own had been
anticipated, he was surprised TO find that
an enormous number of patents for such
| Instruments had been taken out. The spe-
cifications proved very interesting read
! ing, and exhibited for the most part a re-
markable amount of ingenuity which, sad
| to relate, must have involved the inven-
| tors I'm a very large expenditure from
! which they received no return: that this
is the ordinary fate that inventors meet
| g'ith.
There are practically only five of these
machines that are worth mentioning One
of these, invented during the past few
| years, Is Burroughes' registering account
| ant, which performs addition 10y striking