White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-08-06
4 Machines That Are
Almost Human
| BY E. G. TAYLOR
The Great Brass Brain

ne NIcaI DIdSS DRAIN
IN THE office of the United States
coast and geodetic survey in Wash
lngton is thinking machine" that in
seven hours does the work Of fifty to
one hundred mathematician working
continuously for a year.
| 1t is called the Great Brass Brain
by scientists. Its task is to predict
the tides for 1890 ports Of the world,
and it predicts these tides for a year
ahead, In less than an average work.
ing day for man.
The Great Brass Brain does this
work with absolute accuracy; It's me-
chanical computations are rapidly
completed without the possibility Of
error to which human compdters
would be subject.
This marvel of scientific achieve
ment stands six feet high. 1t Is elev-
en- feet long and two feet wide. Upon
this labor-saving device depends the
safety of American shipping through
out the world.
In figuring out tides for year in
advance, thirty-seyen factors enter in
to each computation. The tide rises
and falls 1,40O times year at any
given place on the earth. The Great
Brass Brain not only figures them out,
but in it's calculations it provides
against all variants, such as spring
tides and neap tides, and tells the ex-
ira height to which the water may be
expected to rise or fall.
| Once each year, when the United
States coast and geodetic survey pre-
pares to issue it's annual guide for mar
liners, the wheels Of the Great Brass
Brain are set in motion. and before
the day is ended there Is ready for
the printing presses the most exact
Information as to how the tides will
perform during the coming year in 800
principal ports Of the world and $500
secondary ports.
The result of the Great Brass
Brains work gives mariners all the in
formation about tides that they could
require for year to come, and keeps
many vessel from becoming strand
ed on a shoal because Of low water as
1t makes for port.
| The Great Brass Brain can delve
hundred years into the future, or go
back centuries into the past If called
upon, and accurately answer any math-
ematical question concerning those fu-
ture or ancient times. 1t can tell ex-
actly how high the tide will be at New
York, New Orleans or San Francisco
in 2131, or whether there was high
tide when the Spanish Armada set
forth to conquer the world.
| One of the household legends Of
American history recently was blasted
by the Great Brass Brain. Historians
of the American Revolution generally
accepted the legend that tides held
back the British army long enough to
| give Paul Revere chance to COM
plete his thrilling ride, on which he
called the Minute Men to arms and
made it possible for the American col
onists to launch their war for indie
| pendence.
Seekers after exact facts failed to
find any documentary evidence to SUBJ
stantiate the legend that the waters Of
the sea helped Paul Revere, and that
small phase of American history be-
came clouded with doubt.
So the Great Brass Brain was con-
| suited. 1t was asked whether the
British army, that left Boston at eleven
O'Clock that historic night and crossed
to East Cambridge, Mass, were held
there until two o'clock In the morning
because the tide was against them and
they could not continue their march
against the colonists.
Even Henry w. Longfellow's poem,
THE Ride Of Paul Revere" contained
this legend. Did Providence take
hand? Historians wanted to know.
The Great Brass Brain quickly dis
posed of the myth. Providence didn't
help Paul Revere at all, the thinking
machine" proved. The machines
wheels whirled, and out came the an
swer that instead of the tides retard-
ing the British army, they were most
favorable for their continued advance
on to Concord between eleven o'clock
that night and two o'clock the next
morning.
| m 1a21 western Newspaper Unfonl