The Keota news., 1918-02-22
War Causes Shortage Of chro.
nometers Used In Ocean
Navigation.
NONE N the OPEN MARKET
Price Jumps From $500 70 $500 and
ove-gnoiishman Whe Perfected
instrument Won Prize Of $780,.
900 and Thanks Of Mankind.

people supplying the United States
with war materials are the makers Of
chrOnOmeters. Great care and pre-
cision are necessary In turning out
these navigating instruments. which
are the most accurate portable time
keepers known to science.
Hundreds Of chrOnometers have gone
to the bottom Of the ocean since
the war began. This alone would
cause shortage In the ordinary sup.
ply. while the equippinG Of the new
American merchant marine 10 creating
an unprecedented demand for new IN.
struments. Each of the 1900 ships to
be added to the national cargo-carrying
fleet under the shipping boards con.
struction program. will carry two. and
many Of them three chronometers.
At present there are virtually no
chronometers to be had In the open
market. Before the war England sup
piled the world with most Of it, dne
chronometers. Chronometers are also
made In America. though the English
type still is most esteemed by sailors.
In ordinary times a good chronome-
ter costs about $780, The present price
II $500 or better. according to the trade
made. The supply In this country
passes through the hands Of q few ex.
perts. who are doing their utmost to
meet the demand. and to expedite the
output Of the manufacturers.
From six months to q year and Q
half are necessary to make and adjust
a chronometer. The mechanism - Of
the finest metals, and specially adapt.
ed to resistance to extremes Of tenn
penture. A hlgh.grade chronometer
will keep just as good time II kept In
cold storage six months a. In ordinary
temperature. while q voyage In the
tropics will not seriously change it,
time-keeping qualities.
In appearance q chronometer 10 q
small. metal-faced clock. It IL kept In
a wooden case. usually Of mahogany.
and IL swung on gimbals. to keep II
always on q level. It IL sensitive to
rough handling. and care II always
:aken not to Jar 1t.
Errors Are Notod.
No clock or watch has ever yet kept
perfect time. 20 there IL always .
slight gain or loss to q chronometer.
For this reason the chronometer's rate
Of daily gain or loss IL determined BY
observation ashore. and q card show
Ing the rate IL made out, and deliv.
cred with the instrument. This rate
Of error is allowed in all notations Of
time made from the instrument for
working up observations made at sea.
A gain or loss Of q second q day IL
considered a large rate" for . good
instrument
The chronometer completes, with
the compass and sextant, the trio Of
indispensable instruments required In
modern navigation. BY its aid. longl-
tude. or the east or west position Of
ship. is determined.
Longitude bafled all navigators un.
til the chronometer came into use In
1875. The ancients and later naviga-
tors, including all the great discover
ers, could md their latitude By OBJ
servations Of the suns height. but they
could determine their longitude only
BY dead reckoning" or estimating
their ships progress from day to day.
This system was uncertain. and
caused q great many shipwrecks.
Longitude 10 merely the difference
Of time between two points on the
earth's surface, and 1t became appar.