The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-16
CHANGES OF TINE.
A Uniform System That Is To Go Into
Effect Next Sunday.
The Details of the Methods of Computation
How the Changes VIII Affect the
City and Local Railtoad Time.

The change to a uniform system Of time, which
will 20 into effect az IL O'Clock noon on next
Sunday, will Obviate many of the confusing
complications which generally arise III railroad
travel. Under the old system there were no less
than ffty-three kinds of time, varying from a
few to many minutes, but sufficient to fire.
quently cause travellers 10 miss trains. When
the difference was a matter of only q few
minutes it was more confusing than where the
variation vas an hour or more. The
new system comprises five distinct
times, with an hours difference between each.
1t covers the whole of the North American con-
tinenL instead of the Uuited States. The time
for the Intereolonial railway in New Bruins
wick will be four hours slower than the Green
wich (England) time. The second division in
oludes the railroads in New England, New
York, Pennsylvania and the States south of
Pennsylvania, where the time was an hour
slower than that of the International railway
and five hours slower than that Of Greenwich.
The third division embraces Illinois,
OHIO, Indiana, Missouri and the ad-
jacent States north and south, in
which the time vas six hours slower than that
of Greenwich. the roads west OF the Missouri
river are in the fourth division, and the roads of
the Pacific coast are in the fifth division. The
time in the fourth division is seven hours slower
than Greenwich, and inethe fifth is eight hours
slo wer. The divisions will be known respectively
as the IntercOlOnial, Eastern, Central, Mountain,
and Pacific or Western. Standard time, exactly
like the new system which Is to go into effect in
this country, was adopted in Great Britain, Jan.
IS, 1S48.
The new time will he eight minutes and twelve
seconds faster than Washington time now. The
Naval Observatory, which has been furnishing
Washington time to the country east of the Mis-
sissippi, will send out, at IL o'clock noon, on
Sunday, the time of the seventy-tfth meridian.
The preparations for this important change
n va alrnahU haan mazda nv tho OhGarunfnTU IN
thOrities. For years. at three minutes before
noon, the telegraph operators have closed their
instruments dtthree minutes before IL noon, to
have the wires clear for the daily
time dispatch from the Naval Observatory. The
face of the clock with which the telegraph wires
are connected will be changed so as to give the
time of the seventy-fffth meridian, and this will
be done simply by moving the minute-hand eight
minutes ahead. The wire running into the clock
is connected with an artimine in a table where
six wires converge. The beats of the pendulum
are thus transmitted simultaneously to the six
wires, and thus the time message begins its long
journey over the country. The pendulum of the
clock closes the circuit on the telegraph wire at
each beat.
The division of the day into ante-meridian and
pOst-lneridiam will continue In effect. The num-
berIng of the hours ia regular order up to TWEEN
ty-four has simply been suggested aud probably
Will ultimately be adopted. 1t will be considered
by a committee appointed at the last tlme-card
meeting of the railroad men, and will be acted
upon at the next semi annual meeting in March.
Under the new standard the time for all lines
between Denver and Philadelphia will be the
ninetieth merldian-siXUeen minutes slower
than Indianapolis time, nine minutes slower
than Chicago, and twenty-five minutes slower
than Cincinnati. The standard time will be used
in all tlme-earns. Trains on Chicago lines will
run on Chicago time, nine minutes slower than
now. The Bee1iue trains, running on Cleve-
land and Columbus time, twenty-eight minutes
behind. will leave here twenty-eight minutes
earlier than according to the present city time.
Trains for ST. Louis over the Vandalia
and l. & St. L. will leave fifteen minutes
earlier, although the watches of the
train men will be turned back fifteen minutes;
or, to put it in another form, the morning trains
which DOW leave here for the West at 1880, wil,
beginning on Monday, leave at 7:15 instead. The
new standard will, however, be generally
adopted, and local time Will be made to CORE
spond with railroad time. A meeting of the In
dIanapolis jewelers. was held yesterday after
noOn, and they decided to change their time, on
Sunday, to correspond with the new railroad
time, and the courthouse clock will also be reg
ulated according to the standard railroad time.