The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-01
4 Sun DIAL STAFF.
Indian Pilgrims way ef Telling the Ti~e
90 Day.
Ind'a eorvc'po"dencs LoHdon Tis's'.


IRdia aFvrsposdenrs London Tissss.
The principle " the sun dial h too we'll
known TO require description. In II the
Rnomon. cut to the latitude OF the place
where the dial II to be erected. h pointed
due north, while the lines which mark the
hours are set nut ~ certain calculated IN
tervals The sun dial possesses. however.
the great disadvantage that during the
noontIde hours from ~ o'clock A. NJ. to
o'clock r. VI IL IL practically useless. be-
cause the shadows cast by the sun. almost
vertically overhead. are 50 short a. to make
the dial useless a. a clock during thees
hours Also the dial IL fixed in one spot
and cannot be carried about from place
tn place
show how an ordinary walking stick can
- modified to serve as a dial IL stan
with SaS sides were fixed vertically in the
ground and lines were marked across each
OF these sides at appropriate distances for
the different hours. then u Il clear that V
a short stick or style were inserted hort-
zontally in a hole at the top Of that side
of the stan which correspondent to the day
OF the year in question something Of the
nature Of y sun dial would result. II would
he merely necessary TO turn the stan round
until tho shadow of the style fell vertically
down the side Of the Stan for the particular
day. when u the horizontal hour lines had
been correctly calculated, the end Of the
shadow would mark the time Of day.
4 stah Of this kind which fell into the
writer's possession recently had eight sides.
consequently four sides had 10 serve for
eight months of the year. white the Ottser
four sides served each for q single month.
" was made OF sal wood. . sound wood 81
good quality common In the Indian Hills.
and IL vas Shod AZ the end with q sharp
iron rone TO prevent wear when u wss used
a. . walking stick. and TO enable II 10 I've
inserted upright In the ground when II
was desired to Use u - n dial.
~ the top Of the staff. about half an inch
from the end. holes :. inch in diameter
had been drilled completely through each
pair Of opposite faces. Similarly eight
inches further down another set Of holes
% exactly similar character had been drilled
The object NJ these holes was the insertion
Of the style. or Rnomon. In this case q short
straight round stick. when not in uzS
this style Was placed In a hole drilled ver-
ticsIly down the handle for the purpose.
In the eight inches Of space between the
upper and lower sets OF tTansverse holes
the names OF the months were written In
Hind In curriye character, tho@e sides
which had to serve for two months hearing
both names Down each Of the sides lin
were scTibed across At intervals, each Iins
beinR marked with the numbers I. ,, T. Ac.
in turn. and indicating the number Of half
hours which had elapsed since tho sun rose
These numerals were carved on the aides
of the stan In N insii character, though tho
workmanship was not OF . very high class
To Use the stah A. a sun dial the owner
had merely to take out the straight style or
snomon. from lie central resting place and
put II into the proper hole for the month
In quest ION. then, turning the stan round
until tho shadow fell vertically down tho
stan. no Was able to So whe, her the hour
Of prayer had yet arrived
The twelve months 81 the Hindi year
correspond very closely with the English
SHOW What Is The besi arrsns~men, IN
order that with a stah OF eight side. eight
out 81 the twelve months OF the year may
n.;Ian ~ n. month n M me .n mean x del
Of the faces ~ the stan are made 10 serve
each for two months. and, taking the sides
the arrangement adopted: / and S, 4. !, Is.
and IT,. and ~. and finally. for the eighth
side. 2 and y The sixth mark on the
seventh side were missing
In bot caSe- the emission was complete
and no blank panel had been left for the
was a rough one and it, cost would ~ a
!. rupee or 80 only. n would seem probable.
therefore. that the omission was the result
rather than OF design \ sussestion TO
one Of the Indian pundits that the omission
might he due 10 certain religious obsery-
ances met with no confirmation.
STATS or walking sticks Of this de-c ript ion
u made to western ideas OF time measure-
meni. would certainly N. ~ accurate az
the count ryside. Their great adVant age
accurate reading during the midday hours
the traveller or worker Ia the fields moar
desires TO know. approximately. the time
Of day.