Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-10-02
ON TIME.
How Time Is Transmitted.

The determination and transmission
OF exact time forms. in utilitarian
sense, is On important part of the Ma
tional observatory. 1t is interesting to
observe the routine followed every dav
by the time officer. At IL o'clock he
enters the chronometer room, and
spends half an hour or more in COM
pairing and winding the chronometcrs.
Some of these are ready to 90 on sea
voyages, while others must undergo q
long period of correction. In the room
are also two clocks, a mean time and q
transmitting clock. The former is new
CT corrected, and when the Post report
er visited the observatory it was nine
and some hundredths seconds fast 1t
is never over thirty seconds out of the
way. Once u year it is taken down and
cleaned, but it is never tinkered with
or regulated" Every day its error
is closely calculated by the Lieutenant
in charge.
At 40 the error of the transmitting
clock is obtained. This is done by re-
cording on chronograph both its
beats and the beats of the mean tim
clock. If they do not register stimuli
taneOusly the difference can be deter
mined to the hundredth part of q Sec
ond. The point of lead pencil held
jast near enough to the pendulum of
the transmitting clock to retard it If
it is fast. or accelerate it if it is slow.
enables the officer 10 make the differ
encc between the clocks just equal to
the error of the mean time clock, which
will be shown on the tell-talc chrono-
graph.
At 1850 the officer signals 10 the
Waterman on the roof, and he hoists
the time bell.
At 11:56 the chronOgraph is connec+
ed with the mean time clock, and the
clicking-each click represents sec
ond-begins.
Half minute later the officer turns
switch, and the transmitting clock is
ready to be connected with the outgo-
ING wires.
At 11:56:44 the repeater switch, con-
Meeting these wires, is closed, and the
beat of the next second, the forty-fifth,
goes out, the first signal that the hour
of noon is approaching.
At 11:58:55 an automatic break ar
rangement causes the clock to cease
transmitting the electric current, and
for five seconds there are no beats. The
next click begins the last minute be-
fore noon. This click is the signal for
the Waterman on the roof to slip bolt
through q ring, thus fastening the
bail.
Ten seconds before u final adjust
ment is made. Then there is mo-
ment's silence-then 4 click us the seq
ond hand reaches 50, and the ball on
the dome has dropped and the hour of
noon has been flashed across the land
in every direction.
1t used to be the custom for the time
officer to listen for the click and then
press a key. This has been abandon
ed, and now the signal flashes direct
from the clock itself. There are sew
eral telegraph instruments connected
with the clock, communicating with
the several telegr: phi companies, the
fire alarm bells, and by private line
with clocks in the War, State, and Navy
Departments, White House, National
Museum, clerks office United States
Senate, Government printing office,
Interior and Post Office Departments,
city post office, Treasury Department,
and the headquarters of the Surgeon
General. The Signal Office also gets
the correct time. Washington lost