The Sun. — 1856-11-18 (London, England)

NEW CALCULATING MACIINE.  We read in the Meniteur—" M. Thomas, of Colmar, has lately made the finishing improvements in the calculating machine, called the arithmometer, at which he has been working for upwards of 30 years. Pascal and Leibnitz, in the 17th century, and Diderot at a later period, endeavoured to construct a machine which might serve as a substitute for human intelligence in the combination of figures, but failed. M. Thomas's arithmometer may be Used without the least trouble or poz.,sibiiity of error, not only for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but also for much more complex operations, such as the extraction of the square root, involution, the reso, lotion of triangles, &c. A. multiplication of eight figures by eight others is made in eighteen seconds ; a of sixteen figures by eight figures in 24 seconds; and in one minute and a quarter one can extract the square root of 16 figures, and also prove the aceuraoy of the calculation. The arithmometer adapts itself to every sort of combination. As an instance of the wonderful extent of its powers, we may state that it can furnish in a few seconds products amounting to 99,9,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 ! A marvellons number, comparable to the infinite multitude of stars which stud the firmament, or the particles of dust which float in the atmosphere. The working of this instrument is, however, most simple. To raise or lower a nut screw, to turn a winch a few times, and, by means of a button, to sli le off a metal plate from lett to right, or from right to left, is the whole secret. Instead of simply reproducing the operations of man's intelligence, the arithmometer relieves that intelligence from the necessity of making the operations. Instead of repeating responses dictated to it, this instrument instantaneously dictates the proper answer to the man who asks it a question. It is not a matter producing material effects, but matter which thinks, reflects, reasons, calculates and executes all the most difficult and complicated arithmetical operations, with a rapidity and infallibility which defies all , the calculators in the world. Tee arithmometer is moreover a simple instrument, of very little volume and easily portable. It is already used in many great financial establishments, where considerable economy is realised by its employment. It will soon be considered as indispensable, and be as generally used as a cloak, which was formerly only to be seen in palaces, and is now in every cottage. Generally speaking, the practical application of any great mechacicat improvement involves an injury to certain interacts, but that is not tae case here. The arithmometer will not cause to the persons employed in banks, count leg-nooses, and public offices any such prejudice as tow knitters suffered from theiuvention of the stocking frame, tte spinners from the spinning jennies, or copyists from the invention of printing. The person who makes use of this machine even daily does not therefore lose his aptituoe fur calculation in the ordinary way. 01, the contrary, although a child may be easily taught to perform the most complicated calculations by the use of the instrument, the more expert in figures the operator is the more advantage he will derive front the aid of this machine. The ar...thunotneter is not only a palpable evidence of a great difficulty overcome ; it is an element of wealth, a new means of multiplying time, like the loComotive engine and the electric telegraph. The discovery is an event the full importance of which it is inapo3sible as yet to measure."  MURDEROUS ATTACK ON FACTORY OPERATIVES ArLAR