The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-07-12

We have received of late sundry queries
from correspondents relative 30 the gain or
loss of time in circumnavigating the globe.
Those who have not found answers in the
columns devoted to such purpose will re-
ceiye general response in the following
rather amusing discussion recently carried
on between two grave and learned French
saranfs on the same rather paradoxical
topic Nj. Jules Verne, Of the French
Geographical Society, has written book
entitled "Tour around the World in Twen-
ty-four Hours What the nature Of the
contents of the volume is, we know not /;
but at all events itexcited NJ. j Bertrand
Of the Academy of Sciences, to attempt to
pose NJ. Verrs with the following eonun-
drum; "a person, supposed to be furnish
ed with the necessary means Of transpor-
tation, leaves Paris at noon on Thursday !;
he travels to Brest, thence to New York,
San Francisco, Jeddo, ETC., returning to
his starting point after twenty-four hours,
that is, encircling the globe at the rate of
15o Of longitude per hour. AT every sta
ton as he passes on his journey, he asks :
"What time is it?'' and he is invariably
answered: "Noon." He then inquiries
'.what day Of the week is 2" At Brest,
Thursday" is the reply, at New York the
same but on his return, supposing he
passes Paris from the east and stops at
Pontoise, town some 10 miles to the
northwest Of that city, he viii be answered
"Friday." Where does the transition hap
pen? Or when, if our traveller is good
Catholic, should he consider Friday
abstinence from meat to begin? at is
evident, continues the questioner, shat
the transition must be sudden, and may be
considered to take place at sea or in a
country where the names Of week DAYS
are unknown; but, he continues, suppose
the parallel at which it happens should fall
on continent habited by civilized people
speaking the same language, and that there
should be two neighbors separated, say by
a fence, on this very parallel. Then
would not one say it was Thursday, at
noon, while at the same moment the other
would assert it to be Friday, at the ike
hour 2"
M. Verne answers as follows: 1t is
true that, whenever a person makes the
tour Of the globe to the east, he gains a
day, and similarly when travelling to the
west he loses like period, that is to say,
the twenty-four hours which the sun in his
apparent motion occupies in describing a
circle around the earth. This is so real
and well recognized that the administration
of the French navy gives a supplementary
days ration to vessels which, leaving
Europe, double the Cape of Good Hope,
while it retains on the contrary similar
provision from ships rounding the Horn.
1t is also true that, If parallel existed.
such as above described, across an inhabi-
ted region, there would be complete disa-
greement between the people adjacent
thereto; but this parallel does not exist, for
Nature has placed oceans and deserts in
our path where transition is made and
day gained or lost unconseiously. Through
an international convention, the point for
making the days agree has been fixed at
the meridian Of Manila. Captains of
vessels, under the same rule, change the
dates Of their log books when they pass
the 18th meridian.
Edgar A. Poe, if we are not mistaken,
avails himself Of this apparent puzzle, in
one Of his desultory sketches, to point the
tory Of an individual whose would-be
Iather-in-law refuses him the hand Of his
ldored, with her concomitant Of an agree
IDLY large dowery, until that time shall
happen when atwo Sundays fall in week.
The luckless lover IN despair goes to sea,
ails round the world, and returns TO renew
lis suit exactly one year from his depar-
ure. In the course Of events discussion
axes place between himself and the stern
'arent relative to the present day Of the
Feek, in which he insists that il is Monday,
nd the old gentleman is equally positive
hat It is Sunday. The one produces his |
iary, kept since his departure the other
ais hack upon the calendar. Finally il !
that the traveller in sailing round
be globe 70 the east has gained day in
i reckoning hence both disputants are
GIT. two Sundays have come together,
I'd the happy de'sossa'saf follows-
'eifat.fr dmer'pas