Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-01-07

Of the clocks OF that corporation at that
time Of day. Those clocks are Of the self
winding variety. ami they are getting
ready to correct any error which may have
crept into their interior arrangements dur
ing the past twenty-four hours. Most peo-
pie know, II they have ever inquired, that
these clocks and hundreds Of others In
every city In the United States are I'm d.
rect electrical connection with the chro-
nometer room of the naval observatory,
and that when the time BALI drops from
the top OF the state, war and navy build
ing eTery clock IN the circuit will in
stantly become correct"
But few people know that this method Of
transmitting time is the invention of Prof.
William F. Gardner, who was born
In Baltimore in 1874 and died in Washington
1898 after nearly thirty years service as an
employee of the naval observatory.
Prof. Gardner early learned the
value of absolutely accurate time. Every
sailor knows that in order to reckon his
longitude he must have access TO a chro-
nometer which shows the exact time at
some given meridian and Greenwich, Eng
land where is located the royal observa-
tory has long been recognized by all mar
thine nations as the prime meridian. II is
Just as important to the surveyor through
mineral region, where the metals in the
earth AFFECT the compass that exact time
should be available and Mr. Gardner's in
ventions have provided for their needs and
in consequence have saved hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars and besides made It
possible to define exact boundary lines be-
tween mining properties.
Signal Around the world.
The first patent papers were taken out
on the 2Sd of october, 1888, and since then
fifteen more were taken out and the per-
fection OF the wonderful system was clearly
demonstrated when the Railway EXPOSE
ton was held here some eighteen months
ago. On that occasion an enormous map Of
the earth was erected on the white lot
An electric device was attached and as the
time signal was flashed around the earth
the fact that it was received at Omaha,
San Francisco, Honolulu, Manila, Hong
Kong and thence through Asia, Europe and
finally back to the initial point, was In
dictated by a flash at a point shown on the
map.
The noon signal Is transmitted from a
central clock in the naval observatory and
/ by this one clock together with its dupli-
| cate at Mare Island, California nearly ev-
| cry other clock in the United States, Mex
leo, Hawaii, Cuba and Canada is set.
One clock in each group is of extra fine
| construction, and acts as the major clock
| OF the company. In addition to the daily
orders from the commander chief this
major clock sets all under it's command
once every hour. Moreover the time balls
In central time, where 1t Is desired that
! they fall at noon, must be dropped by their
local major clock, since II operated directly
from Washington they must fall Mt eleven
I -
the dial of the transmitting clock, on the
| same shaft with the second hand, is an ex-
! ira wheel having sixty teeth, one for every
second-that is, 1t would have sixty but for
the omission of the twenty-ninth and the
| five preceding the sixtieth. Tangent TO
| this wheel is a metallic spring through
which is passed an ele ctric current One
end Of the spring is not fastened and at
the point nearest the wheel there is a pro-
! jecting nib. At each beat OF the pendulum
the wheel jumps forward one tooth, which
tooth strikes the projecting point and must
push it aside in order to pass. Thus the
spring Is disconnected at its free end and
! the electric circuit is broken.
Pin that Drops the Noon Ball.
Now, on the adjacent table an armature
that is being held down upon its electro
magnet by this current is instantly re-
\ leased each time the circuit is broken; It
rebounds against a metal post, and thus
closes another circuit which sends tick
through every telegraph instrument with
which it has been put In connection. These
preliminary ticks prepare the way for the
final noon signal
To drop the time balls set and set the
clocks requires surer action of the cleo
tro-magnets than is guaranteed by the
| touchea nj the toOthed xubaaIs auaipot tt,e
spring. Out of the rim or felloe of the
wheel, therefore, and extending backward
parallel to its axis projects a post about
| an inch high and about twice the diameter
Of an ordinary dress pin. At the sixtieth
| second beat of the last minute this post
presses against another similar spring In
an electric circuit. and remains in firm
contact Herewith for more than half a
second. 1t is this little pin that drops the
balls and sets the clock.
Prof Gardner attended practically every
exposition held in the world between 1899
when the French government awarded him
a gold medal and a decoration. He wit
messed the transit of Venus at Vladivostok
in 1873, and he was regarded as one OF
the foremost men of his time by the
scientists OF the world. His time-recordine
system has been established in half the
countries OF the earth.
| ChiIPs Appreciation shown.
Chilli was one of the first to adopt the
system. What the Chiiian minister thought
of Prof. Gardner is shown in this letter ad-
dressed to Secretary Blaine:
LEGATION OF CHILL, WASHING.
TON, Jan. q, 1SSS.-Sir: During the month
Of July of tho past year, received from the
honorable minister of the navy at Chilli in.
! structions 90 acquire the implements and in.
struments necessary for the establishment
OF a ball time ('horaria'D station at Val
paraiso, recommending me in order to OBJ
tain the most perfect of their kind, TO pre-.
vlously consult the opinion OF competent
persons in this country.
With this view. | had the good fortune
to communicate with Captain r. L. Pythiar
of the naval observatory of the United
States. and with Mr.. W. +. Gardner EN-.
ployed in the same service, to whom Cap
tain Pythian recommended immediate at
tenton to this matter.
Mr.. Gardner most graclousy offered ms
at once the efficient aid of his especial ac
quaintance with this branch. Besides draw
ing a plan for the erection OF the bal
time ('horaria'D station at Valparaiso, and
| calculating the number and cost Of the in
| struments required, he, with the creates
kindness gave his personal attention L
the acquisition OF them so by means o
his important and dsinterested assistance
| hope that the views of our navy de
! partment will be completely carried out.
My government being informed OF thes
! acts has in a recent letter from the min
| later of the navy, especially instructed M