"THE CORRECT TIME"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10495, 19 October 1895, Page 2

"THE CORRECT TIME"

EiECTBICAL CLOCKS AT STREET

CORNERS.

Tha corporation of the City ol Glasgow ia <s*ys the London Daily-Ohronicle) aboottaking a step for .the pnblio "convenience which may likely be followed before lons by other large towns. Electrical clocks are tote placed at all tiie principal street corners. Apart from the assumption of .this duty by a municipality of -eamring accurate, time throoghoat the town, th« scheme, has a uniqns interest in the fact that, it marks a development in'tha application of electricity to clock ' working. From one clock, with the ordinary mechanism, a great number of timepieces, outwardly in dial resembling, large docks, are workad by electrical communication. The mechanism of tha governing clock, so to speak, is simply thsiof a first-class London horologe, except for the electrical contacts inside it. By wire from this cloak auy number of the so-called electrical clocks may be placed on a circuit over any distance, bat, strictly speaking, these time' indicators are not clocks at all, though appearing as such to the eye. They are simply, receivers,of the current from the central clock, whose time is faithfully reproduced upon their dials. It is proposed to instal between 300 and 400 of these clocks m. Glasgow,/and they wHI be hung against the walls on a level wish the first floor at the chief street corners of the city.- The actual working docks, each of which will operate about 100 or 150 of the "•dummies," will be placed in police stations or public buildings. One important feature of the arrange-' ment is that all the clocks will be controlled by Professor Becker, of the Glasgow Observatory, and thus perfect, accuracy in time will be assured^ jFtere-wiH te-a. switchboard st the observatory provided with means of testing and regulating: the, whole of the clocks,'and any defect in one clock can bs located. ' This'is really the novelty ol the present installaiaoh o£ electric elboke. Oh the Continent a number 01 clocks hive been worked' electrically from one central station, but they aie controlled in sections. Here the plan is to control the clocks over a large' ei^r from a switchboard in a room at the Glasgow Observatory. The installation has been arranged by Professor Becker and Mr W. H. Btockall, the latter of the firm of Messrs J. J. Stookall and Son», of Clerkenwdl, who have executed the work. It is stated, that to a central working clock any nnmber of docks, or dial receivers, can be attached, «nd there is no limit to the distance, in would be possible, indeed, for a clock in London'to transmit its time to Glasgow. There will be, as a matter of feet, about 60 miles of wire for time transmission in Glasgow. The question of cost is that of the outlay in laying the wires Once that initial expenditure is got over-the system is much cheaper thsn if separate blooks were used. Tho vecaiver dials are contained in stout metal cises, and cost less than actual clocks.^On each dial is stamped " Controlled I from Observatory," so that people will I know that the time is reliable. In several w»vs in municipal administration Glasgow has led the way, and the latest example of a progressive policy is cure to excite more than local interest At Ixlasgow at any rate, »if you want to know the time it will not he necessary to » ask- s policeman." . . *~ - *