1959-06-12 — Page 4

Page

Proof against the ravages of Time?

By A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

THE CHINA MAIL,., FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1959.

THEY, HOPE TO TRACK

Boys 'tune in' to space THE RUSSIAN SPUTNIKS

on home-made 'Jodrell Bank'

FOR

OR £15, a group of boys at Dartford Grammar School have found a way to hear signals from THE

first mechanical clock and the latest, which thousands of millions of miles out in space. They positively defies time even while it registers have designed and built a radio-telescope--a the passing of the seconds and the minutes and the miniature of Britain's giant at Jodrell Bank,

Already they have picked radios and making a suitable hours, are just nine hundred and sixty-three

Tho school astronomical years apart according to those authorities who up signals from the Milky nerlal accept the birthplace of the mechanical clock as Way, the Sun and the con- recicly jumped Magdeburg, Germany, and the date of its inventionstellation known as Sagit- So did the masters,

tarius. as 996-A.D.

at the idea.

One boy's father gave an old Soon they hope to be TV rel. It was stripped. Other were "gerounged," от Russian

Sput- Parts

bought,

Scientists now claim that Britain, for example, which tracking they have produced u mate- was made in 1392 and renika,

in 150 until rial which seemingly ren- mained ilers clocks proof against 1835.

It is the rigours of wear. an alloy which has been subjected to 4 series of tests over a period of eight years.

Staying-power

The idea of "Little Jodreli Bank" that took shape in n shed at Barnehurst, Before the mechanical clock, Kordon

when - 16-year-old mankind relied for the measure- Kent, ment of thing upon such devices Douglas Miller saw plans for radio jour. Hie shadow-lock (from a telescope in

Mol. s

was deve which the sun-dat loped), the clepsydra or water- (which recorded the clock passing of time by the amount of water that drained through a shall aperture in a container), us and the sand-clook

History does not tell the life-span of the first mechanical clock, which is said to have been the ruin child' of a Benedictine monk named Gerbert, who was living in Magdeburg in 996 and who later ascended the as Silvester Papal throne the Second. It may have endured only a short time, or it may have remniged in existence longer than the in- ventive Benedictine who bo- camo a Pope. It seems, a

it had any rate, that weight for motive power,

the prol and that it was type of quite a number of weight-clocks which being used monasteries

glass.

or

'Quito simple'

זיי

Nuts and bolts

Some of the 30-strong society cavenged for nuts and bolts. Others brought wood and scrap tron

Plece by piece, in spare time or holidays, the 12 foot-wide "dish" resector aerial and the receiving equipment was fitted Douglas told inc:

had together and soldered. hour-been building radio sets since boys did all the work,

I was 13. This plan seemed

cloakroom A masters' case of quite simple-just adapting parts ordinary transformed into a control room,

astronomer and phy-

of

The telescope aerial is steered into position to plak ap signals from space. The boys are, (left to right) Melvin Haywood, Roger Wills, David Cooper and Douglas Miller. They hope to trick Russlan

spatulks soOTI.

The

was

Was mon- the "dish" acriol handied on to the school roof, ý

David Cooper, 16, the astro- group of the nomy "expert" explained: "We had to experl-

The Queen will see a dot before we jugor the

the Gold Trail

The Indians, the Eskimos

and the old-timers

Huygens is one of the great mumes asexclated with horology, the science dealing with the construction of instruments for telling the line. Christiann luygens was a Dutch mathe mailclan, sicist who lived during the 17th century, from 1820 to 1093. lis study of the heavens, imbued im with a desire to achieve the degree of becurney maximum

the possible in dealing with ine factur. Largely la Chris- tiaan Huygens was due the general use of the pendulum, which afforded much greater regularity in time-keeping, and which he designed dred years ago.

Today's researchers who be- create clocks lieve they run European which will lost indefinitely, but century which will not be prohibitive in price, have been carrying out their experiments in Britain. them As to the staying-power The alloy produced by of clocka,

them dispenses with costly jewels, for Home of

the Indian chiefs and their wives test it is as hard-wearing have stood up to the

rubies and sapphires used in will gryet the Queen, and in remarkable the of time for

most expensive of time-Dawson City old-timers will periods. There was one in pieces.

join in showing the

... Inter.'

in

#1

1

were

three hun-

right nerial. But, like

Jodreli Bank telescope, ours can be steered to point at any part of the sky,

"The only difference is that we have to lift ours and turn it by hand.".

..

The doubters

What do the signals front

outer space-given out by the turmoil of gas clouds

the stars-sound like?

around

"A variety of hisses," said

COON the Queen will set foot on the fabulous gold trail of the late '90s in Canada's northern terri tory. With Prince Philip, she is due to arrive by air at Whitehorse and go on the Alaska Highway. | David."

One of the first things she, how dredging is curried on for will see: the old stern-wheelers guld. that took the plourers to the riches of the North,

visitar4

In Yellowknife a group of Eskimos will meet the Queen.

week- Twice during their end in this

area, the Queen and Prince Phillip wilt "be left alone to go fishing.

-(London Express Service).

"At present we know very little of what they mean. But everyone is reading up radio- ustrunumy like mad to learn inore about the sound-pictures which the signals give."

How has the rest of Dartford Grammat School reacted?

control David Cooper takes a call in the

room. Haywood watches Douglas Miller at the radia.

Melvin

"Sume do not believe these noises come from space at all." Miller, "Others

· said Dougins are amazed,

"Our task now is to build up a receiver which will amplify 100,000 times. Then we hope So be in position to track sputnikshat should convince the doubters,"

Physics master Mr Colin Wolstenholme, who advises the

1

This is the group, told me: own show. They get on well And is re-

It without me markable for boys to-show such interest in a subject like It."

A WYATT

EARP'

DAY ADDS

COLOUR

TO CHURCH

New York.

CHURCHES through- out the United States are using high- pressure salesmanship to increase public interest and according to many ministers, "business is booming."

One church in Washington declared a "Wyatt Earp Sun- day." Tho, youngsters came siressed as pioneers to drama- contributiona the great made by the missionaries of the early West.

tisc

In Florida, the Pasadena recently. Community Church opened a drive-in church with loudspeakers transmitting ser- vices from tho small church into a parking lot with space for more than 3,000 cars.

A church In Austin, Texas, gives away green stamps at the door merchants' trading stamps which can be redeemed for gifs,

Two other Texas ministers, the Rev. Boyce Evans and the Rev. James Springfield, hovo Joined their local police force.

They have regulation identi-

and authority cation officers, but their badges bear a chaplain's cross: And they use words of guidance few. instead of a baton.

A

ha

chaplain

in even

- THbute from Mr R. L.

Methodist Hudson. the headmaster: "The the US. air force, has school is very proud of its become a barber.

It is now a radio-telescope, permanent fixture. Very proud, tro, of the enterprise the boys

have shown:"

-{London Express Service).

"As I cut the men's hair," he says, "It is only natural that they will let their hair down."

-Landon Express Service).

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