The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1904-08-23
THEMARINER'S GUIDE
The Most Valued Possession of the
Sea Captain.
The Making of ChronOmeters a RE
nned Art That Is Followed by
But Few-Expensive In
Etrumants.

bduuS Oi ocean LThf6t5Ebt says VIC
Philadelphia Ledger This is the man
ufacturing, and particularly the rating.
OF marine chronometers. Nearly
every shipmaster, upon entering New
York after an ocean voyage. obtains
from the customhouse permit to land
his chronometer, so that 1t may be
rated according to standard time.
This rating may be likened to the
daily comparison which the man with
the fine watch makes with his jew
eler's timepiece.
In the case of chronometer the ad-
juster keeps careful record Of its
variation, and this record goes with
the CLOCK when 1t Is returned to the
knowing whether his chrono.aeter is
running fast or slow cannot be over
estimated, for, although it may vary
only five seconds d month, each sec
ond makes a difference of for miles
In ships course, and mistake OF
such a short distance, II not corrected,
might result In wreck and the loss
of many lives. Knowing the exact
variation Of his chronometer, the cap
tain Is, therefore, able to maze the
necessary allowance for it when he
ascertains the latitude and longitude
OF the vessel after taking his sight, or,
in other words, after determining the
angular position OF the sun through
the use OF the sextant.
Many OF the large ocean liners carry
three chronometers, the ordinary YES
sci one and the deep-water ships
sometimes two or three, but the life
Of an ocean timepiece, II well taken
care Of is 100 years and more and
accordingly the maker has to meet no
great demand. AS matter of fact,
chronometer really goes out of sery-
ice only when 1t sinks with vessel
A shipmaster, when about to abandon
his command at sea, invariably thinks
Of four things that should be saved
his logboois, sextant, compass and
chronometer With these and fair
supply of provisions he feels GER
tain sense Of security when he risks
his life in an open boat. A Gerelict
with chronometer on board is indeed
rarity. and when one reads of
captain who has been unable to save
his cbronometer the story Is In
dubitable proof that the summons to
leave the vessel was so urgent as
not to aGHit moments delay. Leave
the silip's cat If you will, but save the
cllronome er, might well be taken as
an oee ~ n lxim.
Tho GA c9fefully nursed, the chro-
nome,ci ;AcG,s with many adventures,
1t may 90 through fire, shipwreck and
other perils Of the sea, but rarely does
the regular, distinct ticking ever stop
forever. II captain dies or his ves
sci Is condemned 1t finds another own
er or another berth and this it shifts
about i.oll ship to ship changing
hands continually and travelling at odd
times al! the seven seas,
The manufacturing of marine chro-
nomc,ers in this country Is confined
to four firms. three of which are To-
cated In New York and probably the
whole output for year amounts TO
$50 or even fewer. AS with other arti-
cles, the price of chronometers varies
according to quality and Workmanship.
The che lpeat cost about $500 each.
while tho United States government.
which naturally buys the best, pays
sometimes as much as S375
The movements OF chronometers are
usually imported "blank" from Eng
land-that is. only the plates and
wheels are brought over, The manu-
iacturer here provides the balance,
rings pivots. Jewels and other
parts needed to complete the whole,
together with the brass-bound box in
which the clock is placed, Being set
In gimbals within the box, the
chronemeter will remain in horizon
tai position when the vessel rolls or
pitches, and by this means the poise of
the balance is not disturbed.
1t takes about three months to man
ufacture chronometer and another
three months to adjust 1t. though max
ers declare that the timepiece should
not be sent to sea for two years after
completion, as the delicate mechanism
must be tested in various ways to obtain
q perfect regulation. This adjustment,
as the regulation Is called. is something
that requires the utmost skill and really
ia the most important feature of the
makers art Sudden changes Of temper
ature. humidity and electric currents
will AFFECT the speed, balance and hair
spring, and therefore all the running
parts must be so compensated and regu-
lated that whatever contingency may
arise there will still be the steadiness
which allows no eapricious variations.
0ld-fashioned chronometers we're built
to run eight days without winding, but
these have been superseded by the &C.
hour timepieee. Fifty years ago the
chronometer was brought to its present
state of perfection. and since that time,
despite modern ingenuity, makers have
found no reason TO make any alteration
In the principal parts of its .aechanism.
Natural Mistake.
The Terror~-Do people often throw
things at you, Mr., Doughty?
Mr.. Doughby-No. Tommy. why2