New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-21

TIE BOUNDARIES or THE TINE BELTS
4 good many pooplo are pulling over Their maps
Just now to understand the change of time. and
some of them complain Of uncertain knowledge as
10 the exact extent OF each of the four great time
belt, of ftccn degrees or one hour cach into which
the United States are divided. Some published
statement, that each OF the belts takes II, time from
il, cnstcrnmo,t meridian have naturally added to
the confusion The statement rclute, itself. be-
cause the great object sought in arranging the new
system has been 10 MAKE a. little variation rs pos
siblc. the average, from the local time; ANA
therefore the meridian which gives time to the belt
should be ~ nearly possible ia the centre. This
wa, 80 arranged. The seventy fifth, ninctcth, one
hundred and nth. and ouehundred and twentieth
meridian, run down about the centre of the rcspec
tive belt, to which they give time
Tn. extent of the belt on each side of the meridian
vould prupcrly be seven and Ouc-haf degrees. max
iu., the extreme variation of time within that belt
from the meridian only half an hour. But II was
not practicable to mako rigid division OF the
country on astronomical lines. All cities and
town, Of 10000 10000 inhabitants get Their
time from the Tailroad,-hayc, in fact. usually ny
other mean. OF getting IT. 1t was necessary there
fore 10 have regard to the 'cncuce OF railroads
which could not change their time within few
miles. SAY. of a terminus, just because meridian
crossed there The division OF the country Just
adoptrd j., a railroad division and not an astronom-
ica one and it il the representative of the rail
roads. MrW +. Allen, that the credit Of the change
j, largely due.
Eastern" timc-or that of the seycnty-ffth
meridian. which runs little east of Philadelphia
extend, over all New England and in the Middle
State, To Buffalo, Salamanca and Plttoburg; aud
practically over the whole of Virginia, West Viz
rinia North Carolina. and South Carolina. In
Canada occur, one of the incqualitic, of the new
system compelled by the necessities of the rail
roads There is no point there at which change
rOuld well be- made, aud So Eastern time extends
a. fnr a, Windsor opposite Detroit. Detroit is in
cludrd in the " Central timc-belt, and between
the two elite, there will be a difference of an hour.
The Central" timc-bclt taking its time from the
niucticth meridian, which runs through New
Orleans and little east of ST. Louis, covers all of
Ohio. Indiana, Hines. and Iowa. with all the
STATE, north of them to the Canada line and south
to the Gulf and the Rio Graudc. Tho western
boundary line of tho Central tImc-hclt is an IL
regular line running west of the western border of
Minnesota. crossing Nebraska and Kansas aud In
dian Territory, and touching the Rio Grande about
halfway between the Gulf and FL Paso. From this
line begins the " Mountain tmc-bclt, which takes
il, time from the Observation-Disclosures meridian
running close to Denver, and has rs its western
border Montana, Wyoming, part Of tab, and all of
Arizona The Pacific" time-belt. which takes its
time from the one hundred twentieth meridian
running near Santa Barbara, Cal, covers all from
here to the ocean. Any taking the trouble to
consult map will see that tho meridians in each of
these belts occupies position sufficiently central
for all practical purposes.