Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-12-15

ed by the standard clock before mem
toned IL Is, In all respects similar TO
the other clocks, except that IL has at
tached 10 It an ingenious device by
which an electric circuit may be alter
nately opened and closed with each
beat OF the pendulum. This clock con-
trolls such circuits, one Of them being
used for dropping the Washington
time-ball, and the other one connect
ing with the several telegraph instru-
ments, known as repeaters, which
stand on a case near by. These instru-
ments In turn connect with the tele-
graph compauy's Offices at Washington
and New York, and control the Wash
ington ire-alarm circuit and the OBJ
servatory clock line. by means of the
former the alarm bells in all OF the fire.
engine houses in the city are struck,
the horses unhitched and the doors
thrown open, all by single spark OF
electricity, Just as is done when an
alarm Of fire is sent in; for the noon
signal TO the engine houses Is used for
the additional purpose Of striking the
alarm for the daily practice Of the fire
department. The observatory clock
line connects with the several hundred
clocks In the government offices and
buildings. including the white house
and the capitol, and sets them TO cor
rect time at noon by means OF u simple
mechanical device in each clock, oper-
ated by electricity; SO that, whether Il
clock loses or gains during the twenty
four hours, its hour and minute hands
spring to twelve, and its second hand
To sixty.
A few minutes before noon the trans
mitter is compared with the standard
clock, and II IL is not found to be exact
ly eight minutes, twelve seconds and
nine one-hundredths OF u second ahead
of the standard clock THAT being the
exact difference between Washington
and standard timc) 1t Is set right by
making It gain or lose, us the case may
require, by quiclening or retarding the
pendulum with a gentle touch Of the
finger.
At ffty-six minutes and forty five
seconds after eleven, everything being
in readiness, u switch is turned on, and
the next instant the beats OF the pen
dulum begin to tick the seconds on tho
telegraph instruments in the Washing
ton and New York telegraph Offices
At this signal all work on the telegraph
lines is Mt once suspended, and connec
tions made from one office to another
from town to town, aud from state L
state, until the tick. tick OF the clocl
at Washington is heard In the telegraph
Office OF every railroa' 'ation, tow
and city in the United States.
/ A.. H. Al ~ l. N.l
because there is no signal goes out n
the twenty-ninth second; SO that
pause of a second signifies that the mex
click OF the instrument will mark hal
minute, or thirty seconds, and tn
first click, after pause of five seconds
indicates the beginning Of u minute, a
the ticks corresponding TO the fifty
9th. fifty-sixth, fifty-seventh, fifty
eighth and fifty-ninth seconds ar
omitted. In order to distinguish til
) last minute, and afford time for NAL
ing connections with time balls, clock
etc, the signals stop ut the tlftieth So
ond or ten seconds before twelve.
Then, precisely ut noon, the instau
the sun crosses the seventy-flft
> meridian, the signal is flashed over I'll
WlTeat thcIc IN "a oihBio thAcp ioih VI
end OF the land 10 the other, the tel
graph instruments from Maine to Cal
T fornia give n final click, the time-ba
on the building Of the state, war m
navy departments drops, and, simr
tnneously with it time-balls drop
i Havana, Cuba, and at all the prom
: nent sea ports from Boston to Ne
Q Orleans, those on the Pacific Goa
:, being operated by branch observ
d tory in California, the hands Of eve
y government clock point to twelv
o while the fire-alarm bells throughol
Q the city of Washington sound for
q their dangerous announcement
q noon, and the whole nation Is inform
q of the correct standard timc.-Cliffo
J. Howard, in Ladies' Home Journal.