The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-09-02
THE SPIRIT Of DEMOCRACY.
Tuesday. September g. 1873.

A yRonaetfns Public Tsme.-per-
feeling "a sy0nberfui syssem--
Plans Os she Western Union Tel-
egraoh Company. $500
The New York Evening Post says
that Mr.. Orton. President of the Wes
tern Unicf Telegraph Company Cen
eral Eckert, the general superintendent
OF the eastern division. and Mr. Brown,
manager of the New York Offices, have
undertaken the difficult task Of securing
an accurate, uniform public time
The details of the plan were arrang-
ed by General Eckert, Mr. Brown, and
Mr.. Hinchman, the superintendent OF
the first district, with Professor Hark-
ness and others connected with the Ma |
tional Observatory, in Washington
This is said to be the only place OF the
kind in the country where absolutely
correct time is obtained, as no other
has been fitted up with the requisite in-il
struments and appliances on such an
elaborate and costly scale. The great
clock here, alone. was constructed at an
expense of $4,000 in gold.
HOW THE WORK IS PERFORMED.
To form the connection between the
Observatory and the principal office Of
the telegraph. company in this city, a
cup of valcanized rubber was placed be-
meath the pendulum of the Observatory
clock, supporting upon a little iron
stand in the centre, globule of mer-
curry. This is so near the bottom of
the pendulum that the latter just grazes
the mercury as it swings above it on
the. centresof its arc. a wire extends
from the bottom Of the cup to 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 iu time between
the two cities being twelve minutes and
twelve seconds
sAttwo minutes before twelve o'clock
in Washington, all business having been
suspended on one, of the wires sexten
ding to New York, the; wire which con-
meets with the battery is Joined to the
cup at the bottom of the pendulum,
thus forming a complete circuit, when
ever tile pendulum, at the interval of
one seconff, touches the ball of mer
curry The seconds are thus Indicated
On the electrical bell in the Office in
New York, which is placed iii front Of
chronometer, so that any variation OF
the elatteris- observable by comparing
the vibration of its pendulum with the
strokes on the bell. Two ofthese strokes
are made at exactly noon in Washing
ton, and 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 min
utes 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..ian ss5islssa sd x asa
As no machinery is perfect, a device
has been introduced bywhieh the Uhron
emeter in this city is regulated autofn
atically. Attached to the bottom Of the
pendulum are two steel rods, which pass
at each vibration into the centre of q
coil of fine wire on either side. These
coils are magnets, which, completing
the eeircuit with the clock at the Ohser
vatory, hasten or retard the movements
Of the pendulum, so as to render it uni
form with the clock in Washington.
as=s EXTENSION OF THE SYSTEM. m
It 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 uniform public time. From
Them connections will be made with the
smaller towns along the line, either in
the same way or by dials operated by
electric magnets. -. :
ed CLOCKS SHOWING DOUBLE TIME. e
Two sets of hands viii 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
telegraphsoftic at Port Hastins, Cape
Bres0A, the terminus of the Western
Union lire, which shows at glance the
difference of so minutes, 10 seconds
and 14-60 OF a second between that
time and New York. I'D 5.ra "a,
.lAicostly clock is now on the way
from England to be placed at the term
linus of'the French cable in Duxbury,
Mass This has double set of hands,
and viii 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 ip this city, while the Green
wich time win be transmitted bv cable.
The difference of time between this
city and Duxbury is about twelve min
utes. <.