Robert Horton checks two 1891 clocks at Brown University’s astronomy laboratories.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Before atomic vibrations, quartz, pendulums and gears, societies looked to the stars to tell time.

By documenting when stars crossed the meridian, trained observers, such as those who manned the transit telescopes at Brown University’s Ladd Observatory, could set fairly reliable time solely by the cosmos, information they shared with the entire state to keep it operating in an orderly manner.

The practice fell out of favor when scientists discovered more accurate methods to set time, finally resting on atomic clocks that keep the world more than one-billionth of a second in synch.

New technology negated the need for tracking time with the stars, and the intricate system of telescopes, clocks and telegraph wire at Ladd fell into disrepair.

But some with a strong sense of nostalgia feel it is time to revive the lost skill of telling time by reading the skies.

With a grant from the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission, Brown has received $45,000 to restore the aging system to working order. Another $45,000 was provided by private donors and the university to complete the project.

The transit room, which houses the unique tools and has a special roof with two narrow slits that open for viewing the sky, is a big attraction for antique clock aficionados, said Ladd director and astronomer David Targan.

From Ladd’s opening in 1891 to the middle of the 20th century, various Rhode Island industries such as whaling, manufacturing and railroads relied on Ladd to set and update accurate time.

“Prior to that, church clocks in various towns would chime anywhere from 10 minutes of to 10 minutes after,” said Targan. “The error was pretty huge at one point.”

Relying on local timekeeping sometimes turned out to be deadly.

On Aug. 12, 1853, a few minutes of time difference led to disaster as two trains, one headed for Providence, the other to Worcester, collided head-on outside the Valley Falls station near Pawtucket.

The Providence Daily Journal story on Aug. 13, 1853, listed 13 dead and dozens more injured, the cause of the crash attributed to a tardy train with the conductor’s watch set two minutes behind.

“The reason for it was the conductors’ watches were on two different times,” Targan said. “In the 1800s, that got people thinking they needed to be on the same time.”

Many concerned parties, including the railroad industry in the Northeast, begun synchronizing their time from observations by astronomer William Bond at the Harvard Observatory.

Called Bond Standard Time, Harvard charged for the service of providing uniformity to the railroads.

Paying for time is a concept that might seem odd today.

Even when the skill could demand a fee, Ladd provided time services to the Providence-area free of charge — a community service Targan said is still available for any takers.

“I don’t think we will start another standard time for Rhode Island, but we will if they want it,” Targan said. “There is a very close connection between our daily lives between the sky and the earth.”

With transit telescopes dating back as far as 1836, the entire system should be restored in the next couple of years, Targan said.

The equipment will be open to the public and Ladd has partnered with Providence public schools to teach children about the antiquated practice.

Society has lost appreciation for accurate time, especially because there is hardly a single person who can recall having to pay for their trains to run punctually.

“We really do take it for granted, it’s totally free,” Targan said. “We will have kids see for themselves what time is all about.”

ngarcia@projo.com