Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-01
OCTOBER MONTH
when ALL CLOCKS
SET BACK HOUR
Heavens Will Seem to Slip
Cog and Everything Will
Appear to Happen an
q Hour Sooner.
BY WILLIAM F. RIGCE

On the 9th, the last Sunday Of
the month, at 2 a. m, according to
the daylight saving law, all our
clocks are to be set back an hour
and are again to indicate the usual
tune that they showed before the
law went into effect. This turning
back OF an hour is best done in prac-
tice the evening before, Just as we
are about to retire for the night.
That night will then by all hour
longer than usual and will thus
restore to US the hour we lost in
March.
Turning the clock an hour back
IS, however, not as simple an opera
ton as setting it an hour forward,
as we did on the last Sunday of
March. Every clock may at any
time be set forward any fraction of
: an hour as we'll as any number OF
hours by simply turning the minute
hand forward, but it is not every
timepece that may be set back
without injury to itself A watch
or clock that indicates time only
without striking continuance and
without an alarm, may generally be
set backward as we'll as forward.
But if the timepiece strikes the
hours, or half hours, or quarters, or
has an alarm or similar mechanism
like a program clock. we can never
without serious injury turn the min
ute hand backward past the time
that this attachment is to operate.
The only thing to do with such
clock is to stop it altogether for an
hour by comparing it with a watch
or other clock that is kept going
during the interval. There is no
harm done in stopping the clock
longer than an hour, because, as said
before, we can at any time turn any
timepiece forward by the difference.
We may also if we like set the clock
backward twice or oftener by frac-
tons of an hour. But in no case
should we turn it backward past its
striking time or the time it is to set
off its alarm or other attachment
The penalty for the violating OF this
rule will be serious injury to our
clock.
Just as on the last Sunday OF
March, the heavens will seem to
slip cog. and everything will at
once appear to happen an hour
sooner. Thus on Saturday, Octo-
Der 20, the sun will rise at 7:48 and
set at 6:2o, while on Sunday, the
9th, it will rise at 6;49 and set at
5:27. This will seem on Sunday
evening as if the day had suddenly
been shortened by an hour. On Sum
day morning, however, it will bring
US all unusual brightness. The
moon also will feel the jog, be-
cause. while it is accustomed al
ways to rise, south, and set later
on the following day. it will rise
only two minutes later on the 18th
than on the 9th, and actually south
and set even earlier on the 9th
than on the 10Th. The. true length
of the day is of course not affected.
This is II hours 46 minutes on
the lst, II hours 8 minutes on the
18th, and 10 hours % minutes on
the 31st, a loss of l hour II minutes
during the month.
There are no planets visible yet
in the evening sky. Jupiter is the
first to appear. rising at ll:29 p. m.
on the 18th. Saturn comes next,
rising at ESQ a. M, and then Venus
at Gas a. m. Mars is too near the
sun to be seen.
The moon is in conjunction with
Saturn on the lst and 18th. with
Venus on the Sd, and with Jupiter
on the 18th.