New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-24

their chronometers by Greenwich time the question
of establishing standard time throughout tne country
has been agitated for several years pas''
The observatory which has most especially uSth-
gushed itself in this work is the Harvard college, Wv
servatory at Cambridge For forty years that lnstu
ton has been giving time in quiet manner TO chroho
etcr manufacturers and shippers in Boston, following
the precedent Of the famous observatory at Greeh"lch
England, from which all longtudes nave Deeh reoAoou
for long time The Professor detailed the opefduohe
OF the time ball service, performed on the Eq'
able Insurance building at Boston and the western
Union Telegraph building at New-Y0rk Ihe grea'os'
error ever made by former, he sald dld not pIoo
ably exceed half second. This ball Is dropped by tue
astronomer OF Harvard College Observatory
Speaking Of the Ncw-York ball, when Is
dropped by an arrangement with the WASH
ington Naval Observatory the Professor salu'
examination of the number OF large errors IN le ia
ing of this ball. sometimes amounting to hVc or SIX
has convinced the Chief Signal officer Of the truth
OF what has long been acknowledged by oil astrono-
mers namely, that observatory is able to give
time signal daily with the accuracy that ia required Tor
the regulation of ship chronometers' ipS
is owing primarily to the fact that any
given locality is liable to experience a
long season OF cloudy hazy weather Inc
only remedy for this trouble lies in an arrangement
between several observatOries scattered at
distances apart SO that at any time one or more I
stars If daily time signals sent from al tHse on on
always be prepared TO sehG out tihc ,t ~ ,mJ
est degree of accuracy, and an error OF nan
which a very important matter III the rdtc oi slip
chrOnometer-Wll rarely or IcNe ~ ~ Az 10 =
for the cooperaton which the Chief Signal Oncer mas
Wasbinrton Cambridge, Albany, Allegheny city, ST.
Louis Glasgow. Northfeld Mimi near ST IauD Clhcih-
conducting what may termed local tune services vi"
about the lst February send their daily time sSnas
ia the normal clerk the Office Of the Chle SSna OHce
and in return may receive from him standard time sig
which they may repeat 10 then local customers q no
,t.a inu nf
came necessary decide at what tne me HIahu'iru
time signals should be delivered 20 thG papr, O @
point tIere have been several independent
As the proposed system is primarily lor lhc oencu'
the whole shipping, General liazen , niI ~
the line balls exact hours of Greenwich thc lIa
nronosion has during the past summer, met with the
most unnnafed approval of the Government astrono,
mcrs in Russia and Germany, who have Iecohnehu,u
that their own Governments adopt rule Green
irb lime mas been the standard Tor many years in India
the East Indies and throughout Great britain. II Mt ~
seem therefore that long we shall nave nave an III
ernational svslen balls, huch that no hatcr
Wnat port navigator may enter, ne may Al any io
regulate his chronOmeter by the Greenwich merldlau
While debating question Of the establishment OF
time ball Tor New York City, General Hazen received u
valuable proposition from the liof@ioSlcAl 90 we
Wincbester observatory ut Yale College. TINS Durtau
and observatory is under the genera tonto o! Tue
teInan who distinguished ulInse IN the ilc az
Cambridge. Every apparatus Is NJ hls ulsposa ior INC
accurate rating OF chrOnOmetcrs ana CLOCKS ana of INC
accurate issue of time signa7 so Lar As my ou % ]
non can do it, He has proposed 70 provide lhc means
I Iife I0suranca building in NcwYork City scale
commensurate with the extent OF the interests hFoN t
the signal 10 DC visible rom NVbsJ's III any pu W %
To sun set at the zero second OF each GrcenWch houf
and II il expected that by this means the navigator may
a. any bonr of the day the rate hiH cnro
nometer. By cooperation between the signal once hhd
tie more important Obrcryaores OF The country u is
hoped that we will be successful In establishing gen,
el time service highest degree OF accuracy ana
OF the greatest utility both to the mariner ana lHe
| landsuan." a. -
Al the present Chief Signal officer iazen Is only
ahc 10 say Taa he will cooperate TO the ful extent oi
his mower in giving to the puOhc the standard tline
Wherever a signal service station already established
| b o,, f,rtu ne
the local authorities have put it up III the proper man
| ner -. -,--.., D.
In addition tols local interest, officers or the signal ser
vice maintain that matter Of accurate time mas H-o
an Onal interest aud that with the rapid eXieh
son of railroads and telcgTaphs becomes matter o
| inportance that adjoining states and nations sAoi
| agree upon q common standard OF time.