The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-23
Frederic Haskin's Letter
Time Regulation by Electric Light.
1spsza, co<re<poseeees q IN Arsas

Washington, D. c.. Aug 2S.-Giv
ing an entire city the correct time
each night by an electric light sig
nal is a project that is being talked
Of since a traveller recently brought
back word that Montevideo achieves
correct time by this method.
Each evening at a set time, cleo
trio lights all over the South Amer
lean city grow dim for an instant,
then flash back to their normal
brilliancy. People on the streets,
in restaurants, at home, catch the
signal and can set their watches
and clocks by it, knowing that all
the other timepieces in town will
be using the same guide. BY this
simple device Montevideo does
away with the endless variety of
time which the clocks in the aver
age city offer.
The success of the Uruguayan
system is being brought to the at
tention of cities in this country
by the Theological Institute of
America
According to A. F. Beal, chief of
the time section of the bureau of
standards, and a member of the in
stitute, the electric light time sig
Eal is quite desirable from the
standpoint of the public.
$50 far as the power companies
are concerned, however," he ex-
planned, there are a few difficult
ties to consider. If the signal is
operated by hand, a reliable man
must be appointed to operate the
switch each evening. If the man
entrusted with this duty delayed
giving the signal for a minute or
two, or forgot to flash it altogether,
there might be criticism of the
company. However, mistakes are
very unlikely to happen. The
chances are that the time signal
would never be in error more thar
ten seconds, and it is entirely be-
yond question to assume that it
would be in error as much as
minute with reliable man at the
switch. If a small mistake did oc-
cur, however, and the signal were
given few seconds too soon or too
late, all the clocks of the city would
still be uniform if adjusted by it.
The operation of the signal
could easily be made automatic.
Necessary apparatus to accomplish
this would involve a small initial
expense, but by using an automat-
lc signal the company would be
practically free from receiving
criticism because of some slight in
accuracy. Whether the signal is
operated by hand or automatically
there must be a reliable clock to be
used as q guide. 1t may be figur-
ed that a couple of hundred dollars
would cover the expense to the
power company. 1t is quite pos
sible that this would be provided
by many cities by popular sub
scription"
In city or town of $4,000 people
where one power plant supplies the
the signal would be
easiest to manage One man could
give it by throwing a single switch
at eight o'clock each night.
In cities that have several plants
the signal would have to be given
from each base. 1t has been sug-
gested that where the same circuits
are used for lighting current and
for power to drive heavy machinery
the flash down and up of the cur
rent might possibly involve Difficult
ties. / Engineers have considered
this point, however. and believe the
signal would not cause any trouble
These difficulties which a power
would have to consider
and investigate thoroughly before
to give the time signal are
offset by certain advantages TO the
company. There are at least two
Mr., Beal points out:
First, the intangible but import
ant asset known as good will"
which means satisfaction and kind
Iy feeling between a company and
its patrons; and this would IN
doubtedly be stimulated by sup
plying the time signal. Then, sec /
0nd, in a more substantial way, the !