New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-03

pendulum alone il controlled by electricity. liz
is admitted that both these methods are beset
with difficulties in practice, but the Jones sys-
tenn has been much used in England In this
country attention has been more directed TO
the simple communication of time signals by
electricity. The late Prof. Joseph WinlOck
devised mode for sending such signals
from the observatory of Harvard Uni
versity; and the railroads centering in
Boston, many jewellers there, and the American
Watch Company at Waltham, obtained stand
ard time by such signals. The Dudley OBJ
servatory at Albany has adopted different
system to attain similar results. The differ
ence can be briefly stated. telegraphic
"sounder" is introduced, in the Harvard sys-
TEN, into the electric current upon the Ordi-
nary telegraph wires the "sOunder" being acttl-
ated by the pendulum of the observatory clock.
At every two beats of the seconds pendulum,
q click of the magnet is heard except that
every 5Sth second is omitted 1t follows that
the next click is the start of new minute.
There is also much longer break every five
minutes. The method of the Dudley Observ-
atory consists in sending signals during only
ten seconds twice every hour. One system oc-
cupies the wires continuously and furnishes
time at any minute; the other requires very
little use of the wires, and sends only Occa-
sional signals. The new device that is meeting
favor in England, controls all the clocks in con-
nection with the standard tmepiece, automatic
caIly. A narrow slit, cut in the dial OF clock,
admits two projecting pins. When the minute
hand is passing this slot, the pins, moved by
magnet, fall into the slot, seize the minute
hand and bring it to true time, and then re-
lease it. The magnet at the moment of
this performance has been charged by an
electric current from the standard clock at
Greenwich. The POst-Oliice authorities, who
control the telegraph in Great Britain, have
granted the use of wires for this system. The
Bankers Clearing house was among the first
to adopt it, needing some means to be assured
of precise time, since numerous disputes had
previously arisen as to whether large payments
were made plnctually within the minute. A
general adoption of the device by railways
and other public concerns is confidently pre-
dcted.
The advantages of uniform time are so mani
fest that frequent suggestions have been put
forth with view to some system OF the En-
glsh sort in this country. Several of our rail
rs to the time used on different lines or be-
tween the local time and that of the railroad.
Innumerable instances happen every year OF
travellers missing their trains through mistake
concerning the time used upon road The
advertised timetables are usually sad puzzle
in this particular. 1t Is absolutely I'M
possible, for instance, after a days visit in
many of our Western towns, to learn with
certainty from the local newspapers the time
to take a train. The railway schedules are
advertised, indeed, but in three cases out OF
four they do not indicate whether the time
they name il that of the locality or OF
the railroad To add to the confusion, some
of the towns on the line of a railway adopt
the railway time while others do not. At
Buffalo one of the hotels keeps its clocks set
by New-York city time. The New-YOrker
who steps into the waiting-rOOm at the foot
of Cortlandt-st. is Inundated to find that
though his foot may be still on his native
heath, he is constructively in Philadelphia, ac-
cording to the clock before him. and this is
only a beginning of his trouble if he travels
about much and sets his watch occasionally.
1t is comparatively easy in small country
like Great Britain to accept the time OF one
place as the standard for all. The change is
ot most matter of few minutes. But to
attempt it here would require almost revolu-
tion of ordinary ideas. On shipbOard, IN the
navy, it is never noon until the captain de-
clares it is. If Washington time were au-
thoritatively adopted throughout the United
States, it would be noon at San Francisco
by order of the President and Congress about
9 O'Clock in the morning We hear great
deal about the capacity of Americans for
adapting themselves to circumstances but
such change as that would strain most San
Franciscan tempers beyond the limit OF elias
ITCHY We may be permitted to doubt II the
problem will ever be solved exactly in that way.
But most of the advantages of uniform time
could be secured by a simple device, whenever
plans for transmitting Washington time
throughout the country shall he matured.
Public clocks could easily be made to show
Washington time as well as local time, by
additional hands, which might be more slender
or of a different color from the others. On
this side of the Alleghanies, only minute
hand would need to be added. Once fixed ut
the proper distance from the other hands,
the new hands would never need changing.
This device would soon fanlliarize people
with the notion of Washington time, and
many persons would. no doubt, have similar
addition made to their watches. Az soon MS
the new time became popular, the railroad
companies would have to adopt it In their adj
yertisements. and perhaps would substitute it
entirely for the present system of confusion.
"Clory to God! Hold on to one electoral vote IN
Oregon. have 1OO,O 900 men to back it up. CoRsE.'
Who il IN, lively cors. that tclegrapls in this way