The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-21
Important Invention affecting Astronomy.


To THE EpIroRs OF THE GIN GAzErrE:-
Genltmep;--At the time of the late commun,-
cation 10 your paper, on the subject OF teieg aphic
clock register Tor the purposes OF Longitude, the
invention was not quite completed; only 50 much
has been accomplished as to determine the practical
bility of what had been proposed. Without going
INTO the mechanical Details may state that by ac-
tual trial II was found that my clock, by the me-
chansm which attached to il, did actually operate
through the line to Pittsburg, producing there the
ticking off of the seconds of time quite audlbly,
and registering them strongly on INLET OF paper,
with the pecularltes of the clock Itself, the
rate OF the clock not being perceptbly changed.
The beats of clock, at Philadelphia, had been
transmitted from that city to Professor Sears y.
Walker, at the Cincinnati Observatory, by Profes-
sor Kendall, who, while listening to those beats,
made the telegrsphic contacts by hand, as near as
possible in unison with the beats, the contacts
being made by means oil a common Geographic
key, IN the same manner as IN telegrapnic wrtlng.
Ii occurred 10 Professor Walker that the contacts
would be more sure to be accurate If the clock 1t.
self could be made to play the automaton ana COM
municate It's own beats, without at the same Tune
being SO encountered by the machinery as to
change Its rate OF golng. This last was the dili-
cult point OF the problem Professor Walker APP
Piled to me TO invent the machinery toaccomt lish
this. In the attempt had the good fortune 10 sue
coed not only in this, but also IN devlsng a tele.
graphic clock register, quite complete In Itself,
which will determine Ioag tude without the aid OF
any other clock, and will determine the difference
OF longitude OF any two places telegrahic line,
without clock at either OF them. T9 persons ig-
norsnt OF the difference Of time on two merldlans,
and that difference of time IS LONGITUDE, tins COM
muncation will be unlntelhglble.
/ viii now state what this clock register VIII
perform. The clock being connected with the
line of telegraphIc wires, will cause all OF the re-
gsters in that line to mark dot at every second
OF time the tillet OF paper passing through
them. These dots may be one inch apart or more
or less, according to the speed of the register.
The commencement OF each hour, ten minutes,
l.. 4 IL. ID, ~.
and minutes, are marked IN the following manner :;
AT the commencement OF every minute dot is
omitted at the commencement OF each ten
minutes, two dots are omitted at the commence
ment of every hour, three dots are omitted, the
fet sui running on on, at the same rate these
cate the several larger divisions OF time, can
easily be supplied, ii desired, by applying manual
ly pair of divders to the spaces before or after
the omission, and with that measure stepping OFT
and dividing the unmarked intervals. During this
current register OF the stream OF time, any deslra
BILE record of the epoch of any special event may
be accurately entered by striking with the hand
the usual key. OF the circuit, when dash,
or continued line, will be commenced in the
midst of the dots, and will be prolonged
at pleasure. For example: Suppose the clock
register to be- dotung the fets,, and an OBJ
server is watching the passage OF the star vega
over the meridian at Philadelphia, and that at
the moment the star passes, he strikes the key,
and holds 1t down near a second OF time, at that
instant all OF the registers from Philadelphia to
Cnclnnatl commence line and continue II near
st cond. This will not interfere with the automatic
dottlng of the seconds, although the dash line may
have crossed and obltered one OF them, still Its
place can be found naturally bv measuring from
the contiguous ones before or after. Now sup.
pose a second observer to be at Cincinnati, and
that when he sees the same star cross the merl-
dian, he also strikes key and closes the circuit
continuously for near a second, all OF the registers
will again commence and'proloug dash as before.
Finally, let the dotted ilets be examined. 1t will
hat tho info hot co man
ment OF the philadelphia dash, and that made at
Cincinnati, as counted off by the dots on the RIB
band OF paper, will be, say thirty. seven min
utes, twenty seconds, and a part OF SECOND,
hundredbs of second Such, then, Is the longl:
tude of Cincinnati west OF Philadelphia, recorded
by one and the same clock, acting automatically.
AS all is done by the same clock It IS not ne, -
time, so it be going at a correct, or al known
rate, for the difference OF time will still be the
same. This observation would require correc-
ton for the rate at which lightning travels, say
one second for 2i0, 900 miles, onetenth Of second
for "a, 600 miles, one hundredth of a second tor
2 400 mles-toO small to be regarded.
BY these and by other aids which are being de-
vised, 1t is hoped that longlt may be as accu-
rately determined latitude, and that the astronO-
mers of the United States may still be able to 2dd
to the trophies which have already honored our
brief career of observation. .-.
A more accurate determination Of longitude, es-
meas urements of the coast survey of the United
States, in country of such extent as ours, will
add materially to the knowledge OF general as
IoDomy, by determining with greater precision
the magnitude and figure OF the earth, thus hxlng
the absolute vnue oil The first base line, from whlcn
all other astronomical dimensions are derived.
Prof. Bache, the superintendent 81 the Coast
| Survey, has already commenced the determination
of loneiudes by telegraphic observation, and mas
| enlisted the talents OF Prot Walker in the execu-
| ~ n tha
| should be. II has been at the suggestions, and
nay say solicitation, OF Prot. Walker that have
| devised the instrument thus briefly described. 10
several very interviews with him, TO MS
| happy suggestions of wha. was needed, and to his
hattering encouragement that l could solve the
me ,hanical problems proposed, is to be attributed
in great degree the result at which we have
Mr.. Walkers leading idea was, to establish
with the greatest accuracy, by telegraphic sig
| mails, the relative tine by two clocks at the ex
tremes of the line. But to perform the whole by
| one clock, and to render clock readings unne
cessary = to daguerre otype the LONGITUDE by, 8
single automaton pendulum, was the result OF the
proplem, when pruned of Its supertlulties, ant
reduce to its most simple terms.
Should this plan OF determining longltudes NEE
the appreciation of our men of science, and should
public sentiment be In iavor OF such project,
central clock may be established, say at the Coas
Survey Office, in Washington, under the contro
| of Prof Bache, who by a small sum occasionally
paid for the use of telegraph on various. routes
would be enabled to determine lopgltudes at
CHEAP and rapid rate, and with great precision
Indeed, such was the suggestion Of my frlen'
Walker, who was of the opinion that 1t would b.
in the highest degree economical. and, by tina
means, mole work could be done in one night o
observations, than in weeks, or even months
without such faculties. . .
The clock itself proposed to be used for this pur
pose, is of my own invention, 80 centrived tina
the pendulum is impelled by uniform weight
raised every second; while the Geographic machi
merry is worked by the surplus force of the clock
interfering in no way with the pendulum, on whlc
alone the speed or rate of the instrument depends
JOHN LOCKE.
p. S. For some of the above general ideas o
longitude, am indebted to Prot. Walker.
LIBERIA-lMPoRTANr INTELI.iGENCE.-A lette
has been received by Elliott Cresson, Esq, o
| - =. Pal, data .ondo