Solution to the Longitude Problem
Longitude problem:
People didn't discover a reliable method of measuring longitude until the eighteenth century, and this
failure cost numerous lives at sea. An instance of this is the 1707 Scilly naval tragedy, in which four British
ships sank only a short distance from the Isles of Scilly, enticingly close to their home port of Portsmouth.
Up to 2,000 men have died in one of the biggest naval disasters in British history when ships slammed
rocks due to sailors' inability to determine their precise position and a little aid from bad weather. A clock
eventually provided the answer to the issue.
The time of day does shift as you go east or west. Local time advances one hour for every 15 degrees of
longitude moved eastward and one hour backward for every 15 degrees of longitude moved westward. As
a result, you can determine your longitude if you know both your local time and the time in Greenwich.
Even without a clock, you may easily determine your local time by looking at the Sun's location. However,
you must always have a clock on hand if you want to know what time it is in Greenwich.
Today it appears simple, yet not so long ago it was a major issue. A ship's rocking and rolling would cause
the pendulum to swing in an irregular rhythm, making the clocks of that era, which were pendulum clocks,
too sensitive to be used on board.
Suggested Solution:
In 1714, the British offered a sizable (at the time) £20,000 as a prize for anyone who could solve the
longitude problem. Several countries had already made similar offers. Many different solutions had been
put up. One involves bringing a wounded dog aboard a ship that would howl every time it was noon in
Greenwich as a result of a mysterious alchemical treatment. Some were more scientifically based. For
instance, one can fairly accurately establish the local time by comparing the Moon's position with that of
the other stars and then referencing a comprehensive star catalog. However, the process takes a long
time and is prone to mistakes.
Final Solution:
The Longitude Prize was finally won by a working-class joiner from Lincolnshire. John Harrison, a
carpenter, began working on maritime clocks in 1730, and his last two were precise enough to receive the
award. He lacked any formal education. In fact, because his family didn't have a lot of money and
because clocks were so expensive, it's doubtful that he had ever seen a clock until he made one himself.
The clocks Harrison made were quite inventive. They required no lubrication, which was unheard of at the
time, and had almost no friction. A clock stood a considerably higher chance of remaining accurate at sea
without oil because there were no lubricants that would vary consistency in response to temperature
changes. No one anticipated such an unorthodox competitor would achieve a breakthrough.