New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-12

within four degrees OF absolute zero, cleo
trical resistance disappeared altogether. The
discovery exists now Of course merely as a
principle, and has no practical application
Some dav, however, a wizard may arise with
a practical method Of insulating electric
wires with liquid air, and then the problem
of light. heat, and power for the iarthermost
corner of the world will have been solved.
Telling Time with Pin
IF ones watch happens to run down when
L he is on a long camping expedition IN the
woods where he can't find passcrby 10 give
him the correct hour and minute, there IS a
simple method Of computing timc-correCt
10 a hundrcd-thousandth part Of sccond
With this trick, like all others in the ma
pician's bag, one must go prepared. Inc
DroDcrties. however, are not cumbersome
consisting simply Of an ordinary pln-or a
needle will do. Also YOU must set down IN
your mind this group Of figures minutes
559O944 seconds In actual practice one
can discard the last three figures in the
fraction Of seconds and call the decimal 81.
Set it down as 3 minutes 55.9l seconds.
When YOU leave your train compare your
watch with railroad time. This IS likely 70 be
observatory time, because a railroad Watch
that varies more than fifteen seconds week
( mt into the discard. When you get TO
carnp that night is the time TO set up your
observatory and take an observation.
Drive the pin into a window frame 50 that
:, stands ont 'horizontallv across the glass, II
vour camp boasts Of window. II not, PICK
ont q stable treetrunk that will not sway
Nth the wind. Now pick out some object
a hundred feet or more away that stands out
ebarn1v AGAINST the western sky. A hlgh
rocl or the sharp outline of a mountain crag
will do. The best thing is the roof OF a near
bv house. The main thing IS to get a point
that IS absolutely stationary, 50 that Wheh
ono eiohts in a bee line over the top OF inc
MIN he IS shooting a straight line into INFINITE
enace In other words, the pm and the out
line Of the rock or crag must answer INC
same purpose for the observer as the TWO
sights on a rife barrel.
About ten O'Clock at night, or le" mn
utes before, take peep across your SiHl'!.o
and pick out some prominent star Ihat Is
near the outline Of your crag ms SIdI'
like all others in the heavens, IS Slowly NOV
mo toward the west, and at DEFINITE houl
that night will set on the line you nave pro-
;octcd into the sky. As the star approaches
The line keep your eye on your watch' :,
Won will be surprised at the sudden as, as
ooncarance of this star as it hits the line:
AZ that moment note instantly the time OF
yorr watch. which you must presume IS
correct on this occasion.
cav the star you have selected sets at
evacflv ten O'Clock. Put the time down OWL on
Dancr, with the date. That star VIII SCI SET
ice t%1cc minutes and 559l seconds, carrier
c o,,,I night. Thus it now becomes the mana
81 yonr astronomical clock.
:" vo o' Won't have any use for this star Tor
.or,c ~ 70 come. You still have iaith IN
YOUR watch But say two weeks weeks, iater u: you
1 Ir that you have forgotten to W VINO
U ,.n,,r watch. Then you will be glad that
;,o,, have n;cked out guiding, star.
yo Ca, ,5' his is the fourteenth day you nave
bocn in The woods. Your star mas Geeh set,
,;ng three minutes 559l seconds Garner : eacm i
. Ilf t. Cor fourteen days Multiply this by
Ggps ao' which s gives ftyve minutes pa
i louan H. Subtract this from ten o'clock,
I'D you have four minutes 5'A SECONDS
I 1noa-IyS mast nine. Set your watch at
GIN From this stage proceed as )cw o.er
80 a,,Id wbcn he is starting chronom,e,ter
, Woa'n ,,ret he correct TO split seconds. When
. .i,a' hande are indicating the right hour'
mir and second he slips the UP J' .. a
n l.,, hair brush in the balance "Iiee' u