The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-06-01

Of very hnc quality, and are as nnaa
perfection as possible Although thcy
cannot help bcinr affected by changes
81 tempcraturc and different eondi
lions 81 the atmosphere, they vcrl
rarely arr more than FRACTIONAL part
Of q SECOND out 81 the way. No a.
tempt Is ever made 70 correct snch er.
rorg but they arc carefully noted and
allowed for IN making calculations
For the purpose ~ Distributing time
third eloslt, known a. u trnnsmitser.
Ii used Till. 4 sst Is keep Tins III the
seventy fifth meridian. ami Il rc gulat-
ed rs the standard clock before mon.
toned efs " all respects. similar 10
the other elnek& except that IL haa al.
tachcd ~ II Oh iR.wnions device by
which al electric circuit may he aitcr-
nately opened arid q sod with each
beat Of tho pcnsi,1a4n This efocls con-
trolls such iisuits ans III them icing
used fnr dappsnv tie Washington
time ball and this ether one eonnect-
ing with the several telegraph instin-
mentA. known as rcpcaters, which
stand on c.lse ncar ~ These instru-
ments Ia tafn ess.saest with the tele-
graph cen,, anS 10 eeA az Washington
and New Ns.s aiat eantro the Wash
ington re.slatfa elessit and the OBJ
servatory cleeis limo lily means 81 the
former tic alarm BELLS Ia Ill 81 the Are
engine houses In the city arc struck,
the horses nnhitched and the doors
thrown open. ali by single spark Of
electricity, Just Us Il done when an
alarm Of fire Is sent in; for the noon
signal 70 the.engine houses II used for
the additional purpose Of striking the
alarm for the daily practice Of the fire
department Tho observatory clock
line connecta with the several hundred
clocks lii tho government offices and
buildings, including the white house
and tho capitol. aud sets them 10 cor
rect time at noon hy means IL simple
mechanical device HI each clock, opcr-
atcd BY electricity; No that, whether d
clock loses 81 gains during the twenty
fonr hours. its hour and minute hands
spring totwelsc. and its second hand
to sixty.
A few minutes before noon tho trans
mitter Is compared with the standard
clock. and II u is not found u he exact
ly eight miuntes. twelve seconds aud
nine one hundrelths M Il second ahead
of the standard cIock THAT being thc
exact difference lbstwesn Washington
and standard til0e) il Is set right By
making Il gain or lnse, as the ease may
require, BY qutckening OF rctarsling the
pendulum with Il gentle touch ~ the
finger.
Az aft,...i.s ..;,,,4t...s s,..s1 fs.,t.. a.
seconds after eleven, everything being
IN readiness, d switch ie turned on, and
the next instant tin boats az tho pen
dulnm begin 70 tick the seconds on tho
telegraph Instruments III the Washing-
ton and New York telegraph oilircs
AT this signal al work on the telegraph
lines Ii at once suspended, and connec-
tions made from one Office 10 another.
from town 10 town, aud from state to
state, until the tick, tick 81 the clock
ut Washington is heard IA the telegraph
Office Of every raflroad station. town
and city In the United States.
Every twcnty-ninth tick Is omitted.
because there Is no signal goes out at
the twcnty-ninth second; ~ that
pause Of q second signifies that the next
click Of the instrument viii mark half
minute, on thirty seconds, and the
first click, after pause 81 Ave seconds,
indicates the beginning 81 q minute, as
the ticks corresponding TO the fifty
fifth, fifty-sixths fifty-scveDth. flfty-.
eighth and flfty-ninth seconds are
omitted. In order 70 distinguish the
last minute, and afford time for maxi
ing connections with timc balls, clocks,
etc. tho signals stop at the fiftieth sec
ond or ten seconds before twelve
Then, precisely at noon, the instant
the sun crosses the sevcnty-fifth
meridian, tho signal Is flashed over the
wires, there Is a single throb from one
end Of the land to the other. the tele-
graph Instruments from Maine to Cali
fornia give final click, the timc-ball
on the buildingof the state, war and
navy departments drops. and, stimuli
taneously with 1t time-bnlis drop at
Havana. Cuba, and ut oil the prorni-
nant sea ports from Boston to New
Orleans, those on the Pacific coast
being operated BY branch observa.
tory In California, tho hands Of every
government clock point to twelye..
while the firc-alarm bells throughout
the city Of Washington sound forth
their dangerous announcement Of
noon, and the whole nation Is informed
Of the correct standard time. Clifford
Howard, In Ladies' Home Journal
:. *