The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-23
TICKS ALL OVER TOWN.
SAVANNAH TIMHPIEOES SET FROM
WASHINGTON NOW.

Seconds Split aud Hands Put On the
Dot Daily and Hourly by the Master
Clock in the National Observatory.
The Synchronized ClocE Business.
What 1t Is and How Observatory
Time is Received.
Doubtless many of the readers of the
MORNING News have noticed the sign on
the large clocks in the hotels, railroad
offices and jewelry stores of the city
"Synchronized daily to observatory time
by the Western Uniou Telegraph Com
pany."
Those who have inquired the meaning of
the sign have found that in effect it means
that these clocks are set once a day to the
same time with the naval observatory at
Washington.
The meaning given to the word synchro-
nize by Webster's dictionary is "to
agree in time, to be simultaneous
and this is exactly what is done.
At the hour of noon by the master clock at
the United States naval observatory at
Washington several thousand clocks
throughout the country are made to agree
with it in time by electric connection,
whether the difference is only a few
seconds or amounts to several minutes.
THE TIME FROM WASHINGTON.
When it is 10 o'clock in Washington it is
II o'clock in Savannah, at which time the
connection at the Western Union
office is made with the wire
which sets the second and minute hands of
all the clocks in the city upon the circuit
exactly at IL, whether they are too far
ahead or too far behind.
1t is seldom that a clock differs more than
few seconds, and when it does 1t may be
taken for granted that there is something
wrong with it. and that it should have the
attention of a goldsmith at once.
There are nearly fifty clocks synchro-
nized TO observation time in Savannah. All
the hotels have them, and so have the
Savannah, Florida and Western aud Cen
trail railroad Offices, nearly all of the jewel
ers and number of the banks and leading
business houses One of the latest has been
put in the MORNING NEWS Office. The
board of trade and cotton exchange have
not as yet been supplied, however.
NEW THING IN SAVANNAH.
The system Of synchronizing clocks has
only recently been introduced in Savannah
by Manager j. j. Maxwell of the Western
Union Telegraph Company and the number
of clocks synchronizsd has grown so rapidly
that "master" clock has been ordered
which will be in constant touch
with the observatory clock at Washington
and by which all of the clocks upon the
circuit can be automatically synchronized
hourly as well as daily. This "masrer"
| clock will also be in touch with all the
''Daster" clocks upon the same line. and its
pendulum will swing at the same time with
| the master clock at Jacksonville, If they
| have one there, and other clocks hundreds
| of miles away. This synchronism is due TO
| the fact that one clock automatically regu-
| latss many clocks by the simple electrical de-
vice of circuit breaking.
ONE CLOCK REGULATES MANY.
| Electrically connected with the master
| clock is a "transmitter," combination Of
clock-work and electromagnetic. Every
| other stroke of the master" trips the es-
capement of the transmitter and permits a
little wheel, which has five notches, equally
dstant on its rim, to make a fifth Of a revo-
luton, which lifts a spring called the cir
cuit-breaker." Every clock in the system
is connected through relays with this trans
mitter, and thus every other beat of the
| master clock is lnstantaneouslY teegraphed
| to all the clocks.
One minute before each hour the trans
mitter stops working and a large "relay"
takes up the service and exactly on the hour
rings the bell and sets the hands of the con-
nected olGcks.
THEY WIND THEMSELVES.
The synchronized clocks are also self
winding. A tiny electric motor, which is
connected with gravity cell placed in the
clock case, is the key which winds the
clock once every hour. So the clocks are
not only set correctly by electricity, but are
also wound by the same power.
ALI the large cities have this service, but
| Chicago leads in the number of clocks hav-
ing three times as many as New York.
AS soon as the master clock is placed in
position at the Western Union Telegraph
| Compauyis Office here the number of
these clocks il Savannah will probably
be largely increased.