The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-05-04
UNCLE SANS CLOCK

"A
ington, stands the clock that regulates
time for the whole country. 1t is mo-
beautiful, like many lovely French
clocks that noiselessly tick upon The
parIor manteI; i'll fact it is large anC
tall, with plain face, and body OF darF
wood. and without ornamentatiOn. II
is mnch like the old fashioned cloch
that stood in our grandmothers' kitten
ems. 1t nowhere touches either tho
floor or walls of the building, but is
securely fastened to a stone pier, which
rests upon solid stone foundation, sc
that it may not be affected 10y any
motion of the building or ground
Rains may descend, floods come, wind
blow and beat upon the house, but the
clock feels it not, for it is built upon
rock.
1t is a splendid time keeper. At
the present time it gains at the rate ol
As of Il second per day.
In order that people all over the
country may have uniform time, so
imporCant for railroads, steamboats,,
and other public conveyances, at three
minutes before twelve each day this
clock is connected, by means OF gal
youic battery. with the wires ot the
Western Union Telegraph, which eX-
tend into the room containing the
clock. All other messages, however
impol tant, must give way for these
three minutes. and in every town and
station from Maine to California, where
there is a telegraph operator, as the
peudulum of the clock ticks, each see
ond a click is recorded by the tele-
graph, and at the very instant OF
twelve two clicks are given.
At the same time Il huge black ball
which is drawn up few moments be-
fore desceuds upon the dome OF the
Observatory, and hundreds all over
the city stand, with watch in hand, to
see it drop, to keep as we say, ball
time" Thus, when this drops click
in every large town in the land tells
the hour of twelve.
This clock is also connected with the
Fire Alarm in Boston, and the time is
sent to the central office, and then
sounded bv the three church bells
thai give the fire alarm.
So while the clerks in Washington
are watching the ball, the restless
school bov of Minnesota is waiting to
hear the big clock upon the town
house sound its merry peal, the signal
of dismissal, and the tired factory
girl of Lowell listens eagerly for the
same sound.
But YOU must remember that only
places On the same meridian with
Washington, have after all, exactly the
sane time The sun, in passing
round the earth, which is divided into
thee hundred and sixty degrees Of
longitude, every twenty-tOur hours
must pass through one degree, which
is about sixtv-nine miles every four
minutes. SO, if the sun rises at seven
O'Clock, it will not rise in New York,
two hundred miles west, till twelve
minntes after it has reached Boston.
Neither will it be twelve o'clock till
twelve minutes later than in Boston.
Take the Pacific railroad and travel
west, with YOU: watch correct i'll Bos-
ton when YOU reach Omada you will
be an hour and \ half ahead of their
time; ana when You arrive at San
Francisco your watch will be three
hours and a half fast, because old Sol
is still on his way. When in Boston
You are going to church at eleven
O'Clock. the boys in San Francisco are
Just taking theil breakfast at half past
seven.
So, while | tell you that all Tie
towns receive the click at twelve at
the same time, YOU must remember
that in places situated iu longitude
east or west from Washington, the
number of minutes it takes the sun to
pass those degrees must he added to
or distracted from twelve, to give
them correct time.
Another thing in the room where
the clock is would interest the boys
who are delighted with everything
that pertains to a ship. This room
may be termed a government depot,
for here are some two hundred ship
chronomctcrs. These are simply
large sized watches, and are furnished
to every government sea going vessel.
Here they are kept several months to
I've regulated, and their accuracy tested
10y this clock The officer in charge
examines them daily at certain hour,
and carefully rates the time kept by
each.
When n government vessel is order
ed to sea. this officer takes them with
all possible care to the vessel, pro
tcctiug them as far as possible from
all sudden jars or violent joltiIg.
When on his cruise, the captain also
rates daily the time kept 10y the
Chronomctcr. He marks the time
between the moon and some star by
his quadrant, which he veriliCs by hi:
nautical almanac. One was seen al
the Observatory that had been absent
three wears with an Eastern squadI OF
and had varied during the whole time
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