THE WILLIAM FERREL TIDE-PREDICTING MACHINEThis was the first tide predicting machine used in the United States. It was designed by William Ferrel, a mathematician with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, and completed in 1882. The machine summed 19 harmonic tidal constituents and gave direct readings of the predicted times and heights of the high and low waters. Predictions were made on this machine from 1885 through 1991. (clicking on the pictures brings up a larger photograph) The larger version of the image on the left will be 1537 KB --- The image on the right will be 969 KB
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