The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-05-08 00:00:00

TWO SUNDAYS IN ONE WEEK.

A writer In the Sydney Nail narrates the following :

• -
The day after we left Wellington was Thursday,
and the day after that was Thursday, sio that we had
two Thnrsdsys in one week. Now,, we have heard
people talk of what they would do when there were
two Sundays in one week, as though eueb a thing wail
inquest& ; but it is not nearly no impossible as it
leeks, rebel you me just as likely to have two Sundays
in one week as we were ti have two Thursdays. Cap-
tain Sim told us an amusing account of a lady who
went home with him and was very religious. On
their journey it became necessary that they
shi odd hiss- tvi, 511111144, and at the close of
the tom. Salts ills he told tier that the next day
words' be Sal Math also. She could not believe
hint, and when he came on deck next morning she
was busily engaged upon a piece of embroidery.
He remarked how much lie was surprised that she
should he so employed upon the Sabbath, but still she
thought he was joking, until eleven o'clock, when, as
usual, they had divine service. She could not be made
to comprehend bow there could be two Sundays in
one week, and as the captain persisted in keeping his
Sal ,bath, so she persisted in keeping her own ' • but as
she was a good woman, and slid not wish to hurt any
one's feelings, she refrained from all secular employment
on the captain's Sabbath. They arrived in the Downs
on Thursday, according to the captain's reckoning, and
when the pilot came on board the first question she
aaked him was what day it was. "Thursday, ma'am,"
he replied. Still she doubted, and next day when she
landed at Gravesend, she asked the same question
of the boatman, who replied, " Friday," and when
she reached the shore she asked half a dozen more
before she would reluctantly admit that she had
been wrong and the captain right. It is hardly
necessary to explain that this great change of days
arises from the earth revolving upon its axis once
in twenty-four hours. Greenwich is supposed to be
the starting point, and from Greenwich round the
earth to exactly the opposite centre is 180 deg.,
which are called degrees east longitude ; freest bat spot
hack to Greehwich, by the other side of; he earth is
180 deg., which are called degrees of scent angitude.
The sun, of course, is stationary, and the A to revolves '
from west to east. Now, if the earth starts from
Greenwich at daylight on a Sunday, and takes twenty-
four hours to revolve, the spot which left Greenwich
at dayligtt on a Sunday cannot return before daylight
on Monday, so that if the day was not dripped out of
the calendar in travelling across, sir added to it, you
would return and find yourself in a different day to the
one you were keeping. After leaving Greenwich to pro-
ceed to Australia, the first degree in &straight line is 1
east longitude, and to proceed to America the first de-
gree in a straight line is 1 west longitude; for every de-
gree of longitude east the sun rises four minutes earlier,
and for every degree of longitudewest four minutes later.
Hence, we gain four minutes for each degree we sail
east, and lose fourminutes for every degree we sail west
Consequently, when we reach Wellington from Green-
wich, we have gained 180 times four minutes, which
is twelve hours. An thin is but half-way round,
it is quite apparent that if we should circumnavigate
the globe we would gain twenty-four hours, or one day.
Therefore, having gained a day in getting round the
world, we want to put it into the calendar at such
place as shall prevent confusion. The 180 deg., as it
cuts through the Pacific Ocean, in about the middle,
has been chosen as the most convenient for this pur-
pose, taking Greenwich as the meridian. Any other
line would do just as well from another starting point,
but this has been selected as the best; and universal
practice has now made it a law binding upon all
mariners who cross these parallels to change the slay as
they cross the 180 deg. In going to California, there-
fore, we gained a day, but in miming hack we lost a
day.