The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-07-31
A Wonderful Public Time--Perfect.
ing q Wonderful System--Plans OF
the Western Union Telegraph Com.

| A WOnderfui PUBLIC Tfme.-Feriect
ing q Wonderful System--Plans o.
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany
The Ne. York Evening Post say.
that Mr.. Orton, President Of the West
ern Uuion Telegraph Company; Gene
raj Eckert, the general superintendent
OF the eastern division. and Mr.. Brown
manager Of the New York Offices, have
undertaken the difficult task Of secus'
ing an accurate, uniform public time.
The details ofth plan were arrang.
ged by General Eckert. Mr.. Brown,
and Mr.. Hinchmap, the superintendent
OF the first district, with Professor
Harkness and others connected with
the National Observatory, in Washin-
gton. This is SAID to be the only place
OF the kind in the country where abso-
lutely correct time is obtained, as no
other has been fitted up with the re-
quisite instruments and appliances on
such an elaborate and costly scale. The
great clock here, alone, was construct.
ed at an expense Of $4,000 in gold.
HOW TIE WORK Is PERFORMED.
To form the connection between the
Observatory and the principal office OF
the telegraph company in this city,
cup of vulcanized rubber was placed be-
meath the pendulum OF the o observatory
clock, supporting upon little iron
stand in the centre, a globule OF mer-
curry. This is 80 near the bottom OF
the pendulum that the latter just grazes
the mercury as it swings above it on
tie centre OF its arc. A wire extends
from the bottom OF the cup to a battery
in the Observatory. while another wire
from the top of The pendulum connects
with an electrical bell in the telegraph
office in this city. The time is received
in New York, at noon, in the following
manner, the difference in time between
the two cities being twelve minutes and
twelve seconds.
At two minutes before twelve o'clock
in Washington, all business having
been suspended on one OF the wires ex-
tending TO New York, the wire which
connects with the battery is joined to
the cup at the bottom OF the pendulum,
thus forming a complete circuit when
ever the pendulum, at the interval OF
one second, touches the ball Of mer-
curry. The eeconds are thus indicated
on the electrical bell iu the office in
New York, which is placed in front Of
q chronometer, 90 that any variation
OF the latter is observable by compar.
ing the vibration Of its pendulum with
the strokes on the bell. Two OF these
strokes are made at exactly noon in
Washington, snd they are continued
for sixty seconds thereafter. The clock
in the former city is run by New York
time-that is to say, it is kept twelve
minutes and twelve seconds faster than
the clock in the Observatory.
The wire by which the time is COM
municated from Washington is used
for ordinary business. except for a few
minutes at midday.
As no machinery is perfect, device
has been introduced by which the
chronometer in this city is regulated
automatically. Attached TO the bot
tom OF the pendulum are two steel rode,
which pass at each vibration into the
centre OF coil OF fine wire on either
side. These coils are magnets, which,
completing the circuit with the clock
at the Observatory, hasten or retard
the movements OF the pendulum, 40
as to render it uniform with the clock
in Washington.
EXTENSION OF THE SYSTEM.
1t is designed TO have clocks in the
depots of the leading railway lines in
the principal cities, TO be regulated by
the clock in the Western Union office,
as it is regulated from Washington,
thus securing an uniform public time.
From them come nections will be made
with the smaller towns along the line,
either IN the same way or py uIhis
operated by electric magnets.
CLOCKS SHOWING DOUBLE TINE,
Two sets OF hands will be attached
to the regulated clocks, operated by the
same movements, and indicating at
once the standing and the local time.
A clock OF this kind was lately put in
the telegraph Office at Port Hastins,
Cape Breton, the terminus OF the West
ern Union line, which shows at glance
the difference OF 50 minutes, 10 seconds
and l4.60 OF o second between that
time and New York.
A costly clock is now on the way
from England to be placed at the ter
minus OF the French cable in Duxbury,
Mass. This has q double set OF hards,
and will show. for the first time in this
country, the time OF Washington and
Greenwich together. The Washington
time will be furnished from the tele-
graph office in this city. while the
Greenwich time will be transmitted by
cable. The difference OF time between
this city and Duxbury is about twelve
minutes,
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