New-York tribune., 1881-12-25
NIl.NU1RD TI.IE.

S1.INDARD TLIE.
The question of standard time has been for
perhaps forty years growing in importance
From the period when chronomctcr makers
were in the habit Of taking their chronomcters
to the nearest observatory, to compare them
with the standard clock of the institution, to
the present time when in all the large cities
jewellers receive very accurate time signals by
telegraph automatically from the observatory
clock, many plans hayC been proposed for in
creasing the usefulness and accuracy of the
time thus disseminated. OF course, the first
point of Importance is to have the clock sending
the signals accurately regulated. IL IL clear
that on account of cloudy weather and irrcgu-
laritics in the running Of timcpicccs, II Is nm
wise to depend on the signals from any one
observatory. This feeling is entertained by all
astronomers. The only remedy for this dill
Guilty is in the iutcrrhanSe of time signals be-
tween obsoyatoTics separated by such distances
as will generally insure clear weather iOr OBJ
serving the stars ut jat least one Of the ooscrv-
ing points. Heretofore this exchange of time
has been deemed impractcablc on account ot
the great expense that would be- incurred by
the individual iu,tituticus.
There has been % feeling Of late that all OF
the obs.ryltor.c5 now distributing time ought
60 cooperate in this matter. Their JOIN, en-.
dcayols will, however, need the assistance oi
some person OF corporation controlling great
tclcgaphic facilities. This assistance must be
rendered disntcrr.tcdly because The ob,crya-
tories VIII icalou-ly guard their natural right to
the pcrGuisitrS derived from the sale OF time
4 I'm. o. D. n
for their entire support The Army Signal
O1irc ha accorlugy ukcn step, nwlrl bring
iug about tAis uujou between tur o.-cryatJric-,
and they iu turn have expressed hearty Will
iuguo.s to make the facilities offered hy the
Chief yual Officer their medium or exchange.
II /. evident that no bD;tcr mean, can be had,
as II Is The policy OF the Bureau % do all
In its power 10 increase the accuracy and
efficiency OF any work that affect, .nc results 70
br attained by the service. The Signal Service
has the u.c OF Telegraph line, extending to all
parts of the country, Tor the purpose pf trans
nitting message, at stated times daily. II also
holds most friendly relations with ,In i..l'ront
ob,cr,atoIc,. nearly all OF them furnishing
meteorological data for It's use. This cocprrl-
ton of the obscryatorcs would und0ubicdly 10
more than any other stop hat could bc taken
toward cicrtiug an agreement In regard ., the
introduction OF a common standard of time.
There are now III usc by different railroad COM
uauics no least seventy distinct standards of
time. The work that is being done by the
various scientific bodies, both at home and
abroad. in relation 10 the establishment of Il
uniform system Of timc mc-rcckoEiny, should meet
with the encouragement OF all vino are in any
1 IN, iI,o .ul 4 In a
comparatiycy recent number of The NOrfk
In,erican RcricG ascribci to the late Professor
pcircc the idea of establishing time mcridans
one hour apart, so that all timcplcccS would
indicate the same number OI minutes and
seconds, differing only for the hours, in differ
ept lougitudes. This division of time viii un-
doubcdly be adopted.
A time signal of quite recent invention Is the
time ball, Of which there are at present about
dozen in operation i'll this country the most
urrnincnt being that at Boston. This Is in the
immediate charge Of the Signal Service OBJ
server in that city. There is now in process of
construction ball OF similar magnitude, to be
ploccd in Ncw-York and 20 be operated by the
Signal Service officer at this station. This Eall
il 10 be dropped on Greenwich time, and Will
uroyr of great benefit to the mariner, rs il viii
fan at the beginning of each hour for five or
SIX consecutive hours daily, thus enabling him
10 rate his cLroAomctcr Al a much shorter
.pcriou Of time than is ordinarily required. \
bill was recently introduced in Congress by
Mr.. King. OF Louisiana, to appropriate the sum
OF 80. 900 to provide for the placing oI time
balls on the respective Custom Houses or such
other public buildings rs are most suitable at
MI port, OF entry, and at all cities having %
uopulaliQn Of not less than fifteen thousand,
d" ana to provide for thc expense OF transmitting
daily by telegraph the meridian time of
the Naval Observatory at Washington, Dis
uict of Columbia, to said cities" This
money is to be expended under the direction Of
hc Secretary OF the Navy. Undoubtedly time
balls should bc erected in 10 many cities as pos
siblc; but IL does not seem advisable chat they
should be dropped by the signals from any one
observatory, hlt from the combined signals OF
the different obscryatorirs.
Experience has shown that it requires
skilled man at Jhe place OF dropping the ball, in
order to insure its perfect working All Of the
larger cities have signal Service observers, who
occupy prominently exposed positions. These
men ale thoroughly trained in the use of scier-
tiiic and mechanical apparatus, and ii is evident
that rs only about half an hour day is re-
quircd % a man for the care of a bail, il would
bo impossible TO Hnd better, cheaper and
more systematic way Ol managing the time