Los Angeles daily herald., 1884-12-16

Some time siuce The C0mal<rtial NfBs an.
nonDced that the government was about ID
establish ~ observatory on Mare Island. and
would furnish standard time 70 this Coast
The observatory hnA been built and thor
uughly equipped under the direction Of
Lieut. u X. Harria. and u now only remains
for the enterprise Of the telegraph company
OF private org tnizali1r 70 lay a submarine
cable frem Mare Island to Vallejo and con
meet the obsery tiory with the telegraph sys.
teln oi the coast 70 have accurste time fur
nisned eaea city and town desiring IL For
some time past the Navy Department has
hAd ~ view the establishmenI Of an ooserv-
alorg on this coast, and giving Il Lhe same
Advantage enjoyed 10 the East whore the
naval observatory hAz furnished the time OF
Washington n0on through the telegraph ser
yice for namber OF years, and ball has
Escn gear the demand for a standard finle
has grown Il Is but year since the rail-
roads have agreed. for their own conven-
ience, upon division OF the country Into
bands, each one having itk hour. minnie and
secDnd, thus differing from his neiEhbor By
one honr, Thus the lninute aud the second
remain the same throughout the land. In
the principal cities there aFe samc
means ..,:. s:.Iepleyed 70 set the el9ek,,
pisces oi business once day 70
correct time, or having system Of controlled
CLOCKS, which are controlled BY standard
which Is compafed daily With aome
'INE"A tNNN
marine. q common syslem of dropping time
balls AZ the priqclpai shipping ports. Affords
them r simple and accurate neana
oi Obtaining ihe errors and rates
oi theit chfouometcts Undcr the
dlfeelion Of the Secretary o. he Navy, Com
modore Russell has had built a small ohser-
vatcFy a Mare Island, and u nog ready to
give the time irniu that point The little
observatory has clock room and an ohsefv-
Ing room. Tbs clock f0osn has meantime
clock, which Is slwsys referred to as 4
atandara, and is set 10 the local mean time
ol the place The transmitting ciock Is set
70 l10th meridian, or PAclde standard Ila
ileks are sent ont automatically oTef the
wires Suf1K three minutes before leoeiock.
The last siFasl Is exactiy f1 hours. co min.
uies. % seconds ~ proper manipulation.
clocks arc set bells are struck Ead halla
dropped b the last tic <.
About az hour Deiore noon the two clocks
afe compared upon chsnnograpb. which
allows the means 81 measuring time 10 ,sA
of Q kenond with accuracy.
The error Of tho STANDARD clock being
known the transmitting clock Il set 70 It's
eernecl time, so thai the signals which are
received have practically no afrez, except
iof ne change ~ fa.e % The slspderd clock
STAGE lAst observation This VII aisafn he
ne olscks are each ,nounted upon ilsown
pier. Whie1 arf wholly lsrla.ed from the
bnudfes and als removed from ~ gibFa-
relays aud sWiiehaf; a nc proper instant
they are used 70 a. 10 give tie proper d.
sired slxnais. Ia The Observing rouin d the
lfauslf Iastrauieut ~ Il The pbaeryA-
tinns are taken, the time tQlnf registered
upon the ehrnnpxrsph. 4lin liii0Wins fore
noon theg will * computed Ia Hfne 10 tei
the flhhkmiitlnF oitfk Tor that day T4uk
lhe furnine of The clocks Il carefully
watched, aud with lhe AMPLE plant viii III.
sure seeaFtta t.l1t.1eepinf
The edFa11nEe 81 ne rdiir01dS aft fht
tnlee FL qpnptny bt1ka manufacturing
and mlffAnIi|f 1lItfIIlfueaia ant hoItia
afe spuage44 In many LaIItfn 1iiies atlI.
paniss are iatp.ed enlth flAqe eiquks IN