New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-27

relating to standard time. with view to hav-
ing it adopted legally. as 1t has been praeti-
cally. all over the country. Standard tine Is
legal In the District Of Columbia and IN a few
of the States.
The adoption OF standard time" said Lieu
tenant Commander E. E. Hayden. o. s. N, in
charge of the division Of chronometers and time
service. has tended enormously to increase tho
accuracy Of time all over the country. Not
even the best watches and clocks win keep exact
time. but must be referred daily to some stand
ard regulated by the stars. Another
great advantage OF the present system is that
there is a recognized authority everywhere for
the accuracy Of the time"
This system requires master minds and intri-
cate machinery. but to the big, unthinking
world, that takes it's blessings as matter OF
course, the scientists OF the naval observatory
who regulate Columbias clocks and watches
have nothing more complicated to do than 20
drop time balls and blow whistles every day on
the exact stroke Of noon. A trip to the OBJ
servatory Is well worth the trouble it takes 20
get there.
beginning can be made with the ChrOnOm-
eter room. small. airy place that gets its name
from the dozens OF thermometers in glass cases
around the walls, which are being tested and
regulated TOT Ine use OF government FeSSel5-
These ttmepieces are bought by the observatory.
and as they expensive-ten in one group
being valued at 5000 six months test in
varied temperatures is always made before pur-
chase. In an adjoining room. where the air
feels like Florida the Fourth Of July, these
timepieees are regulated as TO give correct
time when subjected to tropical temperatures
The regulation OF these naval tinepieces for
government warships is the most important
work of the observatory, as the error Of min
ute week for six months would throw q yes
sci a thousand miles out Of her course
The main interest of the chronometer room TO
the visitor, however, centres upon the great as
Economical clocks and the curious chrOnOgraph.
with its cylinder Of white paper. which red
hnes-spiral and zigzag-are drawn ceaselessIy
by an electrically controlled pen The big
sidereal clock has q wall to itself. and opposite
are transmitting clocks as like as peas. Only
one Of these heavenly twins is needed TO send cut
the time. the other serving as an understudy
ready TO carry the performance in case the
first star clock fails.
In explaining the relation between the stand
ard and transmitting clocks official said: BY
applying the correction to the standard cl1ck We
find what the transmitting clock should read at
noon By accelerating or retarding the pendu-
lum OF the transmitting clock 1t is made TO
read the exact time at which the signals should
go out" The standard clock is consulted every
day before noon Should it be one minute fast
for instance, the transmitting clock is regulated
one minute behind it. thus making the transmit
ting clock exactly right
The interval between two successive trarsits
of the sun is a solar day These days are I'M
equal in length. because the motion Of the earth
about the sun gives the latter an apparent mo-
ton among the stars which varies. This ir-
regularity makes il necessary to use a fictitious
sun which moves on the equator with a uniform
rate equal to the average rate OF the true sun
III the eclptic- The time measured by this sun
Is Uniform in its increase. and is called mean
time. The standard clock at the observatory Is
regulated TO keep this time. To determine mean