The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-11-30
CHRONOMETERS ON ICE.
ONE OF THE REMARKABLE
THINGS SEEN AT THE NAVAL
OBSERVATORY
The Importance Of Absolutely Correct
Time on shipboard-Tests Based on
Purely Scientific Prlnciples-work
Exceedingly Technical.

exceedingly Iecnnicai'
One hundred ships chronometers
kept in cold storage is one of the
the United States naval observatory at
Washington. To the layman 1t would
appear that the authorities we're APP
prehensive that the timepieces would
spoil" One more experienced would
reason that the process had something
to do with regulating their time keep
ing qualities. Neither surmise is cor
rect. The fact of the matter is the
chronometers are allowed to go tick
ing merrily on in their own way and
time. No one hurries them, and no
one tries to diminish their speed.
Yet so important is absolutely cor
rect time on shipboard that a differ
ence of four seconds means a mile in
longitude or latitude. And mile In
rocks.
While no one corrects the running"
OF these chronometers, a most ac-
curate record is kept of their manner
of running" under different tempera-
lures. This why they are kep< on ice.
The regular annual chrnometer trial
begins on January 2 and ends June
20, and during this period there is
scarcely a minute of the day that the
time-keepers are not under the closest
observation of experts who can tell
their variations to a hairs breadth, all
of which are carefully noted on a rec
ord, and, at the completion of the
test, handed to the commander of the
vessel to which the instrument be-
longs.
The temperature varies at different
times of the test from SO to 80 de-
grees and the losing or gaining
qualities of the chronometers under
these conditions are accurately kept.
Thus with chart expressing in
curves just what he may expect from
his chronometer under different condi-
tions of climate, and, with his thermo-
meter and barometer close at hand,
the sailing master may calculate to a
nicely the correct time and get his
| location to a certainty.
The Importance OF central station
where navy chronometers and other
navigating instruments may be stand
ardized is not appreciated outside of
those directly interested, despite the
/ fact that millions of dollars and thou.
sands OF lives are wholly dependent
on the efficiency fthe service in this
line Of work. 1t is essentially neces-
sary that chronometers should be re-
gulated by common standard, and,
in order that this may be done sue
cessfully, the same person who trans.
mits all over the country the standard
time should have charge of them.
In other countries there are several
naval authorities that do the work
which the Washington observatory is
| practically doing alone. In France
there is a great central observatory
at Paris, with branch naval observa-
tories at Toulon, Lorient, Cherbourg
and Rochefort. The same method of
dividing the work is adopted in other
countries.
The policy of the United States
however, Is to combine all the en-
ergies and talent at the central obser
vatory, for instance, between 100000
and $4,000 worth Of chronometers are
tested during six months each year
and many others all the year round
The tests are made by the most ex
perienced men in the government ser
vice, and the room was constructed
after years of study and experience
There are a transit-house and a clock
room, which are considered the finest
in the world. To establish duplicates
of these arrangements in four or five
different points along the coast would
nearly Quadruple the first cost of the
plants, with a proportional increase
for maintenance, and at the same
time would abolish that exact com
parative test and standardi2ing OF in
struments which is today one of the
strongest points of the present sys
TEN in this country.
1t is recognized, however, that the
great area covered by the United Stat,
is too vast field to be attended to ex
clusively at one point. A small nava
observatory has, therefore, been con
structed at Mare Island, California
from which the naval vessels in the
Pacific receive their supplies of navi
eating instruments-all of which are
first standardized at Washington
and receive the correct time. 1t 1.
probable that before long another sub
division will be established at Tutuila
Samoa, to facilitate the work of navi
gators.
The test of chronometers is baset
on purely scientific principles. Tn,
temperature room is constructed s,
carefully that the thermometer doel
not vary one-half of a degree in {
week. The room is 20 feet long b,
10 feet wide and eight feet high.
has double walls. quadruple windows
and warm water pipes surround II
Below 1t is a big refrigerator holdini
5000 pounds of ice. A perfectly ad
justed thermograph keeps a record o
| the temperature. III IL. becomes tOt