Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08

electrically without going near them
Each OF them gains or loses slowly,
and no attempt is made to set them
to correct time. When it is said that
they gain or lose slowly one must re-
member that gaining or losing, in the
minds of those scientists. is a thing
that would escape the notice of
layman. Instead. a record is kept of
the error and rate of each clock. as
derived from the astronomical OBJ
servations, and when any use is made
of them. the errors are allowed for.
During cloudy weather, when no
observations can be made, these
clocks are trusted to furnish the time
on which the daily time signals are
based.
The time signals are broadcast
from the Annapolis and Arlington
stations and are invaluable to navi-
gators. watchmakers and persons en-
gagged in scientific work requiring &C
curate time. The government also
furnishes the time to commercial
telegraph and telephone companies
but is not responsible for the time
sent out by them. The official time
is so arranged as to permit of the
interval known as the lag" that
| tiny period which is taken up by the
transmission OF the signal.
In the time casting room is a
young genius, Paul Sollenberger who
has devised some very important
| methods of transmitting the time
In this room are dozens and dozens
of thermometers that have been sent
in for repairs. They come from the
different craft used by the Navy, from
battleships. cruisers, submarines or
torpedo boats; from navy yards, from
all parts of Uncle Sans domain; and
when they have passed the tests in
this room they are perfect, have been
put through all sorts Of trials, have
lain in a room that looks like giant
refrigerator, and have been subjected
to tests for heat and cold, for this or
that.
Some of the finer ones cost $500 to
$500 at wholesale, and with any kind
Of care, such as the Navy gives them,
should last a hundred years. Each
ship carries two or three Of the
larger size.
Each chronometer must stand a six
months test A peculiar thing about
even the accurate clocks that the
Navy uses is that when two time
pieces are placed side by side and
very close to each other, they do not
function as we'll as when there is a
space between them. Just why this
Is so no one appears to be able to
state, but the fact remains that they
do not work as we'll when close to each
other.
Across the lawn is he big tele-
scope. the twenty six inch chap that
brings the stars right down to the
observer, 80 close that he feels all
he has to do is to stretch out his
| hand and pluck them from the
| heavens, but he should not be de-
ceived by this pet that is under the
personal care of that noted astron-
| omer, Commander Asaph Hall, for
this officer states that the big fell
low" brings down to earth stars that
are 5000 light-years away. When
you come to think that light travels
$4,000 miles second, you will have
an idea as to how far away some
stars really are.
X
VITHEN you get on the platform and
w the commander starts to get
the telescope in position you wonder
how he Is going to manage to get
the great tube in the place desired.
You look around and see that the en-
tire circular floor has commenced to
rise It slides gently up from its
| moorings and then, when 1t has
reached the point desired, he turns