Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-09
CLOCK CONTROL BY WIRELESS.
Timepiece Regulated In Vienna by
Electric Waves

Translation in Literary Digest
A system by which a wireless tele-
graphic apparatus may control from a
central station the clocks of a whole city
is now in use in Vienna, where it was
experfmentaIly established three years
ago. writer in Paris Cosmos tells us
that the plan has succeeded WELL and we
may probably expect to see 1t adopted
elsewhere as it has obvious advantages.
Saws this writer:
"a Viennese. Mr.. Frantz Morawitz. has
perfected a system Of tfme-distributiOn
to public clocks. based on the use Of cleo
trio waves. The clocks are actuated by
any desired means: the electric waves
interfere each minute to set the hands
correctly
Attempts made before this by various
persons have failed. because of perturba-
tons Occasioned by strange waves. by
atmospheric discharges, for example.
1.-The Viennese inventor, to eliminate
these difficulties. conceived the idea OF
placing the receiving clock in connection
with the receiving antenna for only
minute. During fifty-nine seconds the
clock is isolated and remains unaffected
by the emission of waves. During the
sixtieth second the receiving apparatus
"a radio-conductor actuating an electro
magnetic arrangement is placed auto
matically in circuit with the antenna; the
wave sent out by the central clock then
disconnects the minute hand for the fol-
lowing minute.
eff foreign wave strikes the clock at
this moment no great harm Is done: the
clock gains not more than one second and
Is set exactly at the following minute.
"A central station was installed In 1900
in the Electro-Technical Institute of
Vienna. and the municipal council voted
an appropriation of $3.50 francs tS6OO).
The waves sent out by the antenna are
about 76O meters t2.jOO feeD long. and
easily traverse by attraction all the OBJ
stacles and inequalities Of ground of a
great city. gliding around large metallic
masses such as the cupola or 81.
Charles Church.
1.-TWO receiving clocks were set up for
the trials. one at Breitensee. the other at
the Sienvens- Schuckert factories on the
Praterauai. with receiving antennae about
twenty meters (sixty-siX feet in height
During the storm that ragged over
Vienna July IT, 1907, with extraordinary
violence. the system was not at all inn
paired Despite the atmospheric dis
charges. one of which struck the post OF
the transmitting antenna land escaped to
earth across the lightning guard, and
despite the torrential rain. the clocks
maintained their rate of progress exactly.
1.-The regulating clock of the central
station is an electric pendulum clock with
mercury contacts. which at the desired
moment discharges into the transmitting
antenna the electric energy accumulated
In a battery Of one hundred Leyden jars.
''Such an installation Is very interesting
it may furnish the exact time, without
great cost to an unlimited number Of
mechanical clocks. set up not only within
the limits Of a great city. but even
throughout an entire province: and in
any case 1t makes superfluous the COM
plicated and expensive network Of cleo
trio conductors neCessitated by other sys-
TENS of electric ime-distribution.