New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-19
AT THE HARVARD OBSERVATORY.
HOW THE APPARATUS WAS ADJUsTED-cRoWDs |
WATCH THE TIME-BAIL.
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RosToS. Nov, 1s.-The work Of changing the
time was begun at the Harvard Observatory Friday
night The fifteen minutes taken out that
night by chan ging the minute hands, out
this made no difference in the signals as
they every five minutes The electrical circuits
were broken while the change being made and then
the circuits restored and everything went on as be-
fore Saturday night the signals were stopped at the
Greenwich midnight; that u.s. at about sixteen minutes
mast by the local time These signals 60 by telegraph
line 70 Boston, and thence branch to the railroad Offices
TO the Western Union telegraph office, and to the Offices
of number of best watchmakers Of the city From
the Western Union office the signals are sent to various
places The time service of New York made special ar
rangements to obtain the time between and
O'Clock Sunday morning They usually obtain ii in the
afternoon.
After the signals were stopped Saturday night the
second hand OF the Observatory clock moved bac
A seconds. The minute and hour hands moving back
proporOnately This completed the desired change OF
time except the fve-tcnths OF second the swinging
of the pendulem having been disturbed so far The
remaining change of fraction of second gradually
accomplished during Saturday night. The altera-
ton was made gradually, III order not 10 dls-
tirb the regularity OF the clock.
Having got the clock right by the Eastern Time
AT little before T. Sunday morning, tho stated signals
were begun on new time at precisely O'Clock This
I
noon Ordinarily in giving these signals, pause Of
| twenty-siX seconds Is made every i've minutes
which tells the time the watcher IL he knows which
five minutes it on this occasion 1t necessary TO
impart this knowledge by giving special signal
This was given just before the houfe OF Z
<, g. 10 and II in the morning. All the time between
sixty seconds before the hour and wcuEfour seconds
before the hour WAS filed by rattle and then came the
ordinary pause The first regular beat OF the clock after
/ the pause Indicated the precise hour by the new
time This operation not carried on NJ II o'clock
noon because Il would have utcIfercd with the railroads
sending the time along their lines. In fact from II
O'Clock Sunday morning everything went on by c new
/ time as il the change had not been ~ recent
occurrence. The time formerly given from the
Observatory for the meridian OF the Boston STATE
House. In order give this II necessary 10 MAKE
an allowance OF fifteen and Oncha seconds account %
the difference longitude between the two places, ana
all the time chtOnOmctCrs at the Observatory were
! set 10 Boston time.
In altering the time the observatory clock there was
possibility Of accident in moving the hands the f
teen minutes than IN any other part o! The operation ANA
that this alteration erected carly 80 as 10
few minutes before the hour Sergeant Cole, ~ the
United States Signal Service took his place by the Jli on
the highest tower Of the Equitable Building. II
was the most important signal that massive
! sphere had ever given; and never before
! had its falling been carefully and oven
critically watched. From the tower crowds could be
various parts Of the city, standing at the corners
watch in hand waiting for the faithful signal
whose power Father Time seemed Ia
have ocp,ed that OF the sun itself. Thiry-7ix sec
ouds before the hour the ticker" ceased to sound.
short pause and then the signal given from the Oh
seryatOry. The ball fell without hitch. The record was
] ma fD,f