Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-16
THE ALLEGHENY OBSERVATORY.

manent electric connection with the obsery-
atory, but, their managers having adopted
its time as the official standard, their en-
ployes are instructed TO make regular COM
| parisons with IT. and for this purpose, dur
Ing certain time every day, the ordinary
transmission Of time ceases while the wires
are engaged in transmitting the beats OF the
Observatory clock.
To enumerate oil the different railroads
thus adopting the observatory time would
be too long; but to give an idea of the early
extent and use which has been made OF it.
It may be mentioned that In 1879 these were
grouped into three systems-the Southern,
including originally seven railroad COM
panies, and extending 1,150 miles; the
Eastern, including II associated com panies,
1000 miles; and the Northern, including Is
companies, ,563 miles. This aggregate of
lib English miles did not even at that
time represent the whole use of the obserya-
tory by railroad companies, since only those
which have officially instructed their EN-.
ployes to adopt its time as their standard
were included in this estimate.
Over the network Of railroad lines uniting
the Atlantic, through the Middle States,
with the Western lakes, all trains are
moved, and all business carried on, by time
primarily derived from single clock, whose
beats, by the repeating instruments of the
telegraph lines, are virtually made audible
at least once day over q considerable part
of the country. The advantages of so SIM
pie and accessible means of regulating the
traffic through large portion of the CONT
nent, are obvious; and as it is not only of
important advantage in other respects to the
companies employing it, but.by diminishing
the chances OF accident in travelling to con-
tribute largely to the public safety, the OBJ
servatory has seen with pleasure the use
made Of it in this interesting application Of
the processes of an exact science TO the gen.
eral welfare, the more as it is in no way in
compatible with the steady pursuit OF other
and purely scientific duties.
OTHERS ADOPT THE SYSTEM.
For the benefit of any future writer of the
history of the subject, It may be stated. that
in 1870 the Observatory had already in ex-
tended operation the system OF time distribu-
tion above described; that about 1873 the
director at Cambridge, liter conference with
the writer Prof. Langley, 1s84), introduced
substantially the same provisions for con-
Meeting Harvard College Observatory with
the New England roads; and that about the
same time the Washington Observatory,
which had previously sent signals in a
limited and desultory manner, commenced
to do so in emulation OF the new system.
More recently, observatories all over the
country have introduced like connections,
In many instances directly seeking informa-
tion as to the system first introduced here.
While ordinary observations Of precision
are not neglected. the present director, con-
siderlng the advantage Of giving particular
attention to some one portion Of astronomical
science, has aimed TO make the Observatory
principally useful In physical astronomy,
and particularly In solar researches TO
this fruitful field Of labor It's work 10 likely
TO be given chiefly, In tho future a. In the
pastj but II IL growing increasingly difficult
TO carry on such Investigations In site now
more than ha If ringed about with manufao.
tories, and the removal Of the
Observatory TO purer air will soon
become u necessity. Already, In 1881,
seareh became impossible from this eausei
and q special expedition was undertaken
from the Observatory 10 the summit OF
Mount Whitney In the Sierra Nevada, to
complete IT, The principal means Tor tho
instrumental outfit vera furnished by the
late Mr.. William Thaw, OF Pittsburgh but
very essential aid In transportation was OBJ
tained from tho War Department through
General W. B. Hazen, chief signal officer Of
the United States army, under whose off,
cial direction 1t proceeded In the writer's
charge, a iuil hccouut lHo mchhs anu
results OF this expedition will appear this
year (1s84), In q volume printed at the
Government press
PROF. LANGLEY's oBsERVATIoNs.
The above article was penned by Prof.
Langley In 1884 In concluding 1t he says:
1t will appear from all that has preceded,
that, in the 10 years since the first equip
ment. the Observatory has not been mac
tive; and 1t may perhaps be felt that the re-
suits 1t has reached, and the work 1t has ac-
complished, have been>such as the citizens
OF the great industrial centers in which it is
placed have cause to regard as not discredit-
able to them.
must recall in this connection the re-
grettable fact, that, in these wealthy cities,
there are not only no museums OF art, no
Libraries of reference, no collections OF
scientific material, but in general, none of
those aids to the investigator which are to
be found in so many younger and smaller T,
places; 80 that an observatory (Which lives
among such things as its natural medium,
ana depends upon their association) has
here to furnish out Of its own means almost
everything outside of Its actual apparatus
tnat the ordinary resources of American
civilization would provide for it in any |
large American city but Pittsburg.
Tnis Observatory is an exotic in this COM
munity; and that it has been maintained at
All during the time have mentioned, might |
DC, perhaps, supposed to be due to the fact |
tnat IT. represents the sole local channel for |
c0n1npution to science, In return for those J