Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-02

aMA a. AOhhA 0oAN0
The dial stood for great number of
years in front of the Eudicott mansion in
salem, and was in the hands of the family
until sixty OF seventy years ago, when it
was placed in the care of the East India
Marine society of Salem. The society held
it in trust until 1869, when il came into the
possession of the Essex Institute, where it
now rests in glass case in the museum.
Being unable to reclaim the original
members of the family have on different
occasions had replicas made in bronze and
placed near their residences.
The sundial of King Ahaz, who lived 742
before Christ, is the first dial on record in
the world
This dial was a graduated instrument
having degree marks of some kind which
showed the daily course of the sun. The
Old Testament tells us that 1t was known
in Jerusalem as early as seven centuries be-
fore Christ and the manner of its mention
indicates that it was a novelty in that city
at that time
The sundial took many forms. The art
of dialling involved mathematical problems
of considerable perplexity, and it is very
likely that this contributed to the knowl-
edge of mathematics which the world
possessed at that early period
Imperfect sundials we're common in Rome
about a century and half before the Chris
tian era, so common indeed, that, as new in
ventions nowadays afford material for the
paragraphsr, they were targets for the funny
men OF the period.
The Romans later perfected a suudial
suitable to their latitude which was much
more accurate. The dial was later adopted
and improved by European nations, and
some very accurate ones were made by
clockmakers throughout EuroDe
A dial, or rather a series of dials, of every
conceivable description, forming a struc-
ture, was erected in Whitehall, London, in
1869, by order of King Charles H. It was
the invention of Francis Hall,
Jesuit, and professor Of mathematics at
Liege. Vertical dials, inclininR dials and
dials for showing time, as computed by
various nations at different periods, we're
all included and ranged on platforms.
OF these bowls or brackets appear to have
been the most attractive. One, on the first
platform to show the hour by FIRE, consisted
of a little glass bowl filled with clear water.
This bowl was about three inches in
diameter, and was placed in the middle of
another sphere, about six inches in di-
ameter consisting of several rings or
circles, representing the hour circles ia the
heavens.
The hour was known by applying the
hand to these circles when the sun shone,
and that circle where the hand felt burned
by the sunbeams passing through the bowl
filled with water showed the true hour
King Alfred measured time by burning
candles marked with circular lines to indi-
cate the hours. Ingenious devices were
adopted to prevent drafts from striking the
fame, and thus, as it were, make time
speed on its fight" by melting the tallow
of the candle before it was burned, but this
was very imperfect method of time. keep
ing.
The gnomon, the predecessor of the sun
dial, was probably one of the earliest de-
vices for the reckoning of time. aud it may
reasonably be concluded that the Egyptian
pyramids, with their great altitude, formed
part of a design for time e-keeping by the
shadow thrown on the desert sands. The
obeiisk, too, in all probability, served the
purpose, for as a matter of history an ODE
lisk at Rome was actually used for a sundial
in the time of the Emperor Augustus.
The rising aud setting Of the sun and the
changes of the moon we're undoubtedly the
hrst records of time kept by man, the
Of the early ages reckoning time
by full moons.
The lengthening Of a trees shadow gave
warning that night was approaching when
another day or period of time would be at
an end.
If we could step on board of a Malay
proa we should see floating in bucket of
water a cocoanut shell having a small hole
in the bottom through which the water by
slow degree finds its way into the interior.
The hole in the shell is so proportioned that
the shell will fill and sink in an hour, when
the man on watch calls the time and sets it
lhoat again.
The Chinese have a water clock in use at
he present time which invention they as
,ribe to Hwangti, who lived, according to
heir chronology, more than IS centuries be-
lore Christ
A water clock, or time-recording ma
,hine, very similar to the Chinese instru.
nent, and named the Clepsydra, was used
BY the ancient Greeks in determining the
mount of time speakers in court should
axe to make their arguments. This ma
,hine was in the form Of spherical vessel
With minute opening at the bottom and
hort neck at the top into which the water
yas poured.
The running out Of the water could be
topped by closing the neck. The familiar
association Of this device with the courts Of
hat time is shown in many ways. In inn
,ortant cases Of great moment to the state
ach party was allowed 10 amphorae, or
bout so gallons of water, as the time in
which to make their arguments.
DemOsthenes showed the value he placed
N the time allotted him to speak for dur
ng an interruption In one Of his speeches
e turned to a.court officer with a peremp-
ory You there Stop that waterp'
The time system Of early Rome was of
he rudest character The day and night
aeh were divided into four watches, the
eriods Of which were roughly determined
y observations Of the courses Of the sun
nd stars.
The aecensus watched for the moment
'hen, from the Sc nate House, he first
aught sight Of the sun between the rostra