Year: 1876

AT the Naval Observatory IN W Nashlng-
ton, stands the clock that regulates time
for the whole country. 1t is not beautiful,
like many lovely French clocks. that
noiselessly tick upon the parlor mantel.
In fact, it is large and tall, with plain
face, and body of dark wood, and without
ornamentation. 1t is much like the old
fashioned clock that stood in our grand
mothers kitchens. 1t nowhere touches
either the floor or walls of the building,
but is securely fastened to a stone pier,
which rests upon solid stone foundation,
so that it may not be affected by any mo-
ton of the building or ground. Rains
may descend, floods come, winds blow
and beat upon the house, but the clock
feels it not, for it is built upon rock.


1t is splendid timeieepcr. At the
present time it gains at the rate of As of
second per day.


In order that people all over the coun-
try may have uniform time, so important
for railroads, steamboats, and other public
conveyances, at three minutes before
twelve each day this clock is connected
by means of a galvanic battery, with the
wires of the Western Union Telegraph
which extend into the room containing
the clock. All other messages, however
important, must give way for these three
minutes, and in every town and station,
from Maine to California, where there is
a telegraph operator, as the pendulum of
the clock ticks, each second click is re-
corded by the telegraph, and at the in
slant of twelve two clicks are given
At the same instant a huge black ball,
which is drawn up few moments before,
descends upon the dome of the Observa-
tory; and hundreds all over the city
stand, with watch in hand, to see it drop,
to keep, as we say, "ball time" Thus,
when this ball drops, click in every
large town in the land tells the hour OF
| twelve.


This clock is also connected with the
wires OF the fire alarm in this city, and
the time is sent to the central office, and
then sounded by the three church bells
| that give the fire alarm.


So, while the clerks of Washington are
watching the ball, the restless school-boy
of Minnesota is waiting to hear the big
clock upon the tOS house sound its mer-
ry peal, the signal of dismissal, and the
tired factory girl at Lowell listens eagerly
| for the same sound.


| But you must remember that only
places on the same meridian with Wash
| ington have, after all, exactly the same
time. The sun, in passing round the
earth, which is divided in 800 degrees of
longitude, every twenty four hours must
pass through one degree, which is about
sixty nine miles every four minutes. So, if
the sun rises in Boston at seven O'Clock, it
will not rise in New York 200 miles west,
till twelve minutes past seven, or seven
O'Clock will not come to them for twelve
minutes after it has reached Boston.
Neither will it be twelve O'Clock till
| twelve minutes later than in Boston.


Take the Pacific Railroad, and travel
west, with your watch correct in Boston :
when you reach Omaha you will be an
hour and half ahead of their time and
when you arrive at San Francisco your
watch will be three hours and half fast,
because old Sol is still on the way. When
you in Boston are going to church at
eleven o'clock, the boys of San Francisco
are Just taking their breakfast at half past
seven.


So, while I tell you that all the towns
receive the click of twelve at the same
time, you must remember that in places
situated in longitude east or west from
Washington, the number of minutes it
takes the sun to pass those degrees must
be added or subtracted from twelve, to
give them correct time.


Another thing in the room where the
clock is would interest the boys who are
delighted with everything that pertains to
a ship. This room may be termed Gov
ernment depot, for here are some two
hundred ship chrOnometers. These are
simply large-sized watches, and are furn-
ished to every Government sea going
vessel. Here they are kept several months
to be regulated, and their accuracy tested
by this clock. The officer in charge ex-
amines them daily at certain hour, and
carefully rates the time kept by each.
When a Government vessel is ordered
to sea, this officer takes them with all pos
sible care to the vessel, protecting them
as far as possible from all sudden jars OF
violent jolting.


When on his cruise, the Captain also
rates daily the time kept by the chro'
nometer. This he does by lunar observa'
ton. He marks the time between the
moon and some star by his quadrant
which he verifies by his nautical almanac
One was seen at the Observatory that had
been absent three years with an Eastern
squadron, and had varied during the
whole time bat few seconds.-Krs. b.


a. IYisocaH, in Vide Apdhe.