The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-23

purely practical point Of view. In the
first place let us consider the maps in a
work on geography. How many peo-
PIE ever think to ask how these maps
/ are made? 1t is true that the ordinary
/ processes of the surveyor would enable
US to draw d map showing the outlines
of a part of the earth's surface. Even
the location of the towns and rivers
| might be marked IN this way. But one
/ of the most important things or all
| could not be added without the aid OF
/ astronomical observations. The latl-
tude and longitude lines, which are es-
! sential to show the relation OF the map
/ to the rest of the earth, we owe to
| astronomy The longitude lines partlc-
| ularly as we shall see further on, play
] a most important part in the subject or
| time.
The second indispensable application
of astronomy to ordinary business az
| fairs relates to the subject of naviga-
ton How do ships find their way
across the ocean? There are no per
manent marks on the sea, as there are
on the land. by which the navigator
can find his course. Nevertheless, tile
skillful seaman guides his Vessel Oh tIie
trackless ocean with d certainty as uh,
erring as would be possible ashore. Ana
If is ali done by the help of astronomy
The navigator's observations or tne
sun are astronomical observations Inc
fables he uses in order to make the on
servations tell him just where ne IS ana
in what direction he must go are as
Economical tables Indeed. it is not 100
much to say that without astronomy
there could be no ocean Navigation
But the third application of astron-
onv is of still greater Importance IN our
dajly life. We refer 10 the furnishing
of correct time standards for all Sorts
of purposes. 1t is TO this use OF as
tronomy that we would direct par lSu-
lar attention in the present article. ew
persons ever think of the coinpllceteu
machinery that must be put IN inotluh
in order to set a clock. A man forSets
some evening TO wind his watch at the
accustomed hour. The next morning ne
finds il run down. 1t must be reset.
Most people simply go to the nearest
clock. or ask some friend Ior the urAI'
so as TO start the watch again coi.gcc
". More careful persons, perhdP9'
a jewelers. and take the time from ms
ssreo1Iator" But the regulator user
needs to be regulated. After an; II Is
nothing more than any Cfher cloch, -
cent that greater care has Deem lahS-i
in the mocha nical construction ana ar
rangement of its various parts. Ie' II
is but a machine built by human hStllu:''
and, like all human Won II ~, - iiS Iii
ear.ilv imperfect. No matter now WI
il he's been constructed, it VIII nor run
viii perfectIy rigid accuracy Every
do1- there will be a variation from the
+r1e time by small amount dliu ia
the course of some days or Weehs .iiT (
accommodation of these successive sHltI
mounts will lead to a total OF quite
appreciate size ;.;.o,, ,o,,l,s m
tho Jewellers regulator TO correct ms
watch so the jeweler appiles 10 tiio
astronomer for the correction OF ms
regulator. Ever since the dawn u
astronomy in the earliest ages Oh "nicIi
We have any record. the princlpal uutS
Of the astronomer has been the FURNISH
- Of accurate time to the people we
ba7-a not space to enter into deta1le9
accot,nt however interesting II Woulu
Ia Of the gradual development py
which The very perfect system a. -
ont in use has been reached We M
content ourselves with a descrlptIoH VI
the methods now employed IN heatiS In In
The civilized countries or the Wollu.
~ t,ret Mace. every observatory IS Oh
curse provided with what Is known
&c an astronomical clock. rms iistru
nant from the astronomer po!iie "a
,-ie,v is something very different from
the ordinary popular idea. 10 tne l.
80 90 nerson an astronomical CLOCK Il
g ase and elaborate affair. CIV
80. H. date. day of the week, phases
90 +l,a moon and other miscellaneous
- fo,.,,oa ton. But in reality the astron-
me. wants none of these things ms
me and only requirement rs tnat tne
Siock shall keep as near uniform lliile
,s may be possible TO macnille col.
.tr,lcted by human hands. NO eApsnSI ,
& SHARED in making the standard clocA
for an observatory. Mechanical artists
~. AYE attained world-wloe ceieo
.itv for delicate skill in fashiohiils Ihe
oarts of a clock are often empioyeu W
,strononers from the most distant Ior
IGN countries. To increase precision
Il motion in the train of wheeiS II 10
,ecessary that the mechanism De az
.imple as possible. For this reason an
,omnlications of date, etc, are LETT out
Tvhey have even abandoned the conve-
,ient plan of having the hour ana MN
nc hands mounted at the same center.
cor this makes necessary a siign.y
more intricate form of wheel work me
,stronomers clock usually has the CEN
ers of the second hand. minute hand
md hour hand in a straight line and
equally distant from each other Each
,and has its own dial, all drawn of
course upon the same clock face
Even after such a clock has been
made as accurately as possible it will,
nevertheless. not give the very best per-