January i6, 1908 J 



NA TURE 



253 



they crossed the fault line, were interrupted, but the 

 chief reason that fire gained the upper hand was the 

 failure of the water systems in the city. Steel 

 skeleton buildings withstood the earthqualie, but 

 although these and their supporting columns had 

 been encased in fire-resisting material, under the 

 effects of heat the protecting surfaces flaked off. 

 internal metal-work e.xpanded, buckled, and then 

 idllapsed. Fire-proofing had been inefficient. Although 

 tliere is much of scientific interest in the bulletin, its 

 chief value will be to the practical engineer, who has 

 10 contend against, not simply the effects of earth- 

 quakes, but chiefly against the effects of fire. 



PUBLIC CLOCKS AXD TIME DISTRIBLTIOX. 



THE interesting correspondence on " Lying 

 Clocks " inaugurated by Sir John Cockburn in 

 the Times has tended to degenerate into a display 

 uf advertisements by different firms interested in 

 various systems of clock synchronisation. But in its 

 original form, the point raised is one of great import- 

 ance, and if it is not appreciated by the public as 

 fully as it should be, the explanation is probably to be 

 found in the general contempt for accuracy exhibited 

 in this country, and the non-scientific habits which 

 have been so long cultivated or permitted. It seems 

 impossible to get the man in the street to understand 

 the significance of seconds. He is ready with his 

 old adage, De minimis non curat lex, and thinks he 

 has settled the question. But this is not so, and the 

 interest taken in the Times discussion indicates the 

 possible introduction of a healthier state of things. 

 We may look forward to a time when every pro- 

 gressive town or citv will be provided with clocks, 

 publicly exhibited, which will declare the correct time. 

 If such mechanism were provided, it would not only 

 tend 10 economy in various directions, owing to the 

 more complete appreciation of small intervals of time, 

 but such clocks would furnish a wholesome lesson in 

 accuracy, and by the introduction of scientific pro- 

 cesses into everyday life inculcate the importance of 

 paying greater attention to scientific methods. 



The term synchronisation seems to be used very 

 vaguely. For Us successful operation, two distinct 

 processes have to be considered — the distribution of 

 correct time signals and the control of local clock 

 dials. Some seem to think that the problem would 

 be ^ufliciently solved if clocks were all made to show 

 the same time. This result could be ensured by 

 >imple methods of control, and it is true that so long 

 as we remained in one town the annoyance of a " lying 

 timekeeper" would not have to be tolerated, but the 

 uncertainty would reappear as soon as we entered 

 another town, and the only way to secure uniformitv 

 is to arrange for the exhibition of correct standard 

 time. This essential preliminary of the distribution 

 of correct time signals is provided for by the Post 

 Office authorities, working in cooperation with the 

 Royal Obser.'atory. Greenwich. The telegraphic 

 service throughout ihe country is suspended for a few 

 seconds, while the signal is sent through the trunk 

 lines at lo a.m. But, unfortunately, it is to be feared 

 that the duty of forwarding this signal to the smaller 

 towns is very carelessly and inefinciently performed, 

 simply because the oflicials who are responsible for its 

 wider distribution have not sufficientlv apprehended 

 the necessity for accuracy. From personal experience 

 we are afraid that this signal is not sent on auto- 

 matically. Here is the first ilecessitv for reform. If 

 it were thoroughly well known that there did exist 

 in every town and village an office where correct 

 time could be had. even at some personal incon- 

 venience careful people would take the trouble to 

 NO. 1994. VOL. 77] 



keep their clocks fairly accurate, and by .so doing 

 gradually educate the more indifferent to a higher 

 standard. 



The control of the clock dial is a much simpler 

 matter, and has passed into the commercial stage. 

 The convenience of having a number of clocks in one 

 establishment indicating the same minute is so 

 evident that a variety of patents has been secured 

 ivith the view of effecting this purpose. But most 

 )t the patentees do not concern themselves with ex- 

 treme accuracy, and are content if no greater differ- 

 ;nce than half a minute can be perceived between any 

 dial and the master clock, from which the signal is 

 sent generally at intervals of half a minute. There ' 

 are several processes which can be easily utilised,- 

 some of which are admirably adapted for outside dials, 

 and could be supplied at small cost. Probably it would 

 not be wise to insist on extreme accuracy, but to. 

 endeavour to establish a system that could be im- 

 proved. The trouble is that London, and other large 

 towns generally, have no system of clocks under muni- 

 cipal control which could be synchronised. It is 

 necessary to make a new departure, and the discussion 

 in the Time's is so far valuable that it tends to create 

 a public opinion, which may induce the authorities to' 

 take the initiative. 



LORD KELVIN AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF' 

 EDINBURGH. 



ON January 6, at the first meeting of the Royal 

 .Society of Edinburgh since the death of the 

 president, Lord Kelvin, Prof. Crum Brown, F.R.S., 

 vice-president, read the following appreciation, a copy 

 of which has been communicated to us by the 

 society : — 



We meet here to-night for ihc lirst time since the death 

 of Lord Kelvin. 



This is not the time to enter into an enumeration or a 

 criticism of what he did. Our thoughts now are of the 

 loss which we have sustained. But it is impossible in our 

 mind to separate the man from his work. For the trans- 

 parent truthfulness, the simplicity and straightforwardness, 

 the absence of the least trace of affectation or trick, which 

 contributed so much to the charm of his manner, felt by 

 everyone who came, even in the slightest and most 

 transient way, into relation with him, are to be seen in 

 all that he did. It was his love of truth and his sympathy 

 with nature that led him in all his investigations directly 

 to the root of the matter, and made him so zealous and 

 successful in his searches for the essential principles under- 

 lying the phenomena of nature. And when a truly 

 essential new view was obtained, by himself or by another, 

 of the way in which nature works, he rejoiced greatly, and 

 called on his friends to rejoice with him. Nature was to 

 him very real, and no demonstration seemed to him quite 

 satisfactory until it had been " realised." This and his 

 sympathy witli men and with their work gave everything 

 to him a practical aspect. .And so in almost every direc- 

 tion in which he worlvcd he devised working models and 

 instruments of precision. Some of these are known only 

 to specialists, and by them used and valued, but everybody 

 has heard of his compass and of his sounding apparatus, 

 and knows something of the enormous benefits he has 

 conferred on navigation. 



It was not only in pure and applied science that he 

 was interested ; everything that affects the life of the 

 people, education, politics, religion, occupied his thoughts, 

 and on all subjects which he had seriously considered he 

 had definite opinions. While he would, on occasion, 

 defend with zeal and energy what he believed to be the 

 truth, he was always perfectly fair to his opponents, as 

 be was always courteous to everybody. 



We have already bad emphatic evidence that the world 

 knows that a great and good man has left us ; we who 

 knew him more intimately also mourn a dear, trustworthy, 

 and trusted friend. 



