Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-01-18
IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING iSVES
IJON

The Cnlqn, Of Sunday mnrninc publishes an intpres
iing comm ulaton from i.eut. CD. Marry the iudel
lIaor superintendent Of the National Observatory On
which he describes new, and, apprars very vaIna
BE. apGica Of The magnetic telegraph the credit of
which tie asctihes 10 lir. Locke If Cincinnati We
publish much Of the Communication which is address
sd to the Secretary o Navy as viii g1ve our read
distinct conception of tbs Interesting invention -.
NATIONAL OBSERVATORY,
Washington, January s. 1919 {
SIR !; have The fo1'r OF making known to you a most
Important discovery FIR asronony which has been made
" d. J. exc. IF OHIO, and Of asking authority from YOU
N avail myself Of for the use and purposes Of This Oh
s-Tvliory.
The discovery consists in The invention Of "magnet
ic clc - by means of which, second. of Time NAV be
divided lA' hundredthS with much accuracy AMI pre-
riSon rs the nacans. VITA rule and c,mplss sub
divide an il ch of space
Nor dol powers md he.e. They are such ,lat the
astronomer il New crI-aos. II. Iou< Boston. and Of
very ohrr place which The magnetic telegraph reaches
may make his ob~ervalinn ana At he same moment
cause ms clock. here in Washington. % record the in
-tant with wonderful precision.
Aims. the Astronomer in ,ion b.rveS the transit Of
star as It fits through the field If his instrument and
crosses 'n1 mericitn Of that place. lstrat If looking at
clock before him. and noting ne in the usual waS he
touches key. and HE cl ok here snblvides his seconds
70 tn mnn est fraction, aud RS the ,ne with uner-
rinr accuracy
The astronomer in Washington waits ,r she same star
to cross his meridian; and it does Dr. Lockes magnet
lc clock again 'ouche divides the seconds and re-
cords the lime for HIM with equal precision.
/ The difference between these lines is the lonr
/ luJe OF Boston from the meridian Of Washington
The astronomers in New Orleans aud ii louis and
every other place within reach Of the magnetic wires.
may wait tor The star; and comes talhei@ me
rdian. they have but T. tonch key. and srli!hiway
,his central magnetic q ok 'ps their longitude
And thus this ubem, which has vpsed astronomers
. and II and yod tl. Iv,rll
duc.d at once. by American Ingenuity. to t,rm and
me''lod The IN st simple and accurate.
While the process IS much Snrici. the results
greatly refined II night The longitude may now
Be determined with far accuracy BY means of lie
magnetic telegraph and clock, than by wears N OBJ
been tried
Tnthe navy belongs the honor Of having frs. applied
the magnetic telegraph the determination Of pngiudp
Five six years ago Caprlin Wilkes of the navy used
II far determining the difference OF longitude between this
city and Baltimore ihls the fist time ii had been
applied 70 ,nch pnrp So and great .mprpve-
manf upon the mehidS which, up that time had been
uSd fir finding the ongitIde fpr it reduced the results
dawn to the accuracy with which the lane between he
"s of the second hand could be measured On the fac,
ni tie clock by the eye and the ear.
And thus he honor of being the first % convert the
magnetic telegraph into astronomical instrument and
lint into Of treat practical value and impurtanc.
was secured by offs off The American navy
hngh HE eros 1T the problem We're greatly reduced
hy this discovery, there wer. however, sn sources IT.
still remaining and it left for Dr. Locke for
merry off ;er Of The also devise means Of
ciunnanng them completely, that there is
trace left in the resuIiS-sJ free they from ubi
and uuce,alniy. The probable Of longitude deter
mined with DR.. Locke's clock, is brought within such
narrow limits that it. whilh he astronomer in St Louis
Or elsewhere operating with The magnetic clock
here hlS longitude, the observer in Washington were
70 move from one instrument 70 another in This huding
the fat that he had moved would be made known at
once and whether he had m1ved to the east or the wes
wnuIt be told by tie clock. and appear in the resulting
l'ngitude. DR.. Lorfe was formerly member of the
medical crps OF The navy and such spent portion Of
his early mani nd and prime years of his life sea.
An Illustration OF he value Of snch clock Just now
occurs. Lam writing night: the sky is very clear and
i The first fair night fir observations that have had
this year The wind is Very HIGH, and the observers
have just cnnr IN osa they cannot hear The clock
account OF The wind, and therefore they observe
Now 1t Is not necessary 10 brar.o the mag
uriic rlck; and had one. we could work quite as
well in windy as in cain. weather.