Section III., 1908. [ 1S3 ] Trans. R. S. C. 



XI. — Wireless Time Signals from the St. John Observatory of the 

 Canadian Meteorological Service. 



By D. L. Hutchinson. 



(Communicated by R. F. Stupart, and read May 27, 1908). 



In April, 1905, the writer suggested that the Marconi Wireless 

 Station, then being equipped at Camperdown, near Halifax, N.S., be 

 made use of to extend the time signal, which is sent daily to all Western 

 Union Offices in the Maritime Provinces from the Observatory at 

 St. John, to ships at sea within the zone of that Station. This re- 

 commendation was approved of by the Director of the Canadian 

 Meteorological Service, R. F. Stupart, F.R.S.C. 



After some unavoidable delay the apparatus was installed at 

 the Marconi Station, Camperdown, N.S., and the following " Notice 

 to Mariners " was issued by the Department of Marine and Fisheries 

 in May, 1907: "The Meteorological Service of the Dominion of Canada 

 is now sending time signals from the Observatory at St. John by tele- 

 graph to the Marconi Wireless Station at Camperdown, where special 

 apparatus has been installed to automatically transmit the signal to 

 ships at sea within the zone of that station. 



" Time signals will be sent each week day morning as follows: 

 Beginning at 9h. 58m., a.m., Atlantic time, dots are made each second 

 up to and including 9h. 58m. 57s., then a pause of two seconds, fol- 

 lowed by a dot at 9h. 59m., then a pause of two seconds follows. 

 The clock then makes dots each second up to and including 9h. 59m. 

 50s., a pause is then made, followed by a dot at lOh. a.m., Atlantic 

 or Standard time of the 60tii meridian west longitude, equivalent to 

 2h. p.m. Greeijwich mean time." 



The electric transmission of time signals over a continuous wire 

 is practically instantaneous, and the problem of repeating from the 

 land line to wireless without the intervention of a human relay was 

 solved by the construction of a simple apparatus at the Observatory, 

 St. John, consisting of an automatic key which is thrown in circuit 

 with the land line immediately before the time signal is received 

 and out of circuit when the signal ceases. The wireless key is operated 

 automatically by direct Western Union wire from the transmitting 

 clock at St. John, with no more delay than would be caused by going 

 through a repeater on the ordinary telegraph line. Thus to Canada 

 belongs the honour of the first, and, so far as is known, the only daily 

 wireless time signal of the world. 



