Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-30
THE NEW TINE.
Matters Pertaining to the Change from
Actual to Standard Time The Five
Grand Divisions into Which the Con-
tinent Is Divided.

| Matters Pertaining to the Change from
Actual to Standard Time - The Five
Grand Divisions into Which the Con-
tinent Is Divided.
CHICAGO, Nov. 1G.-As the time next
reckoning time approaches, the interest
taken by the public in the matter is naturally
on the increase. The following facts will
be found of interest: Under the old system
there were 10 less than fifty-three different
kinds of time, some ranging but a few min.
especially to travellers, than where they
differed one or , more hours, be.
cause the complications were more
confusing. Under the new system there are
five distinct times, there being an hours diff
ference between each, and they cover the
North American Continent instead of the
United States only. The time for the Inter-
colonial Railway in New Brunswick is
four hours slower than the Greenwich (En-
gland) time. The next division includes the
railroads in New England, New York, Penn
sylvania and the States south of Pennsylvan-
liitb3 w u lllC lIlliC ID on llOul SloNCl GlluL llttk
of the International Railway, and five hours
slower than that of Greenwich. The third
division takes in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana,
Missouri and the States north and south OF
them. and the time is six hours slower than
that of Greenwich. The next division conl-
prises all the roads west of the Missouri
River in the mountains, and here the
time is seven hours behind Green-
witch. The last division takes in the
roads on the Pacific coast, where
the time is eight hours slower than that of
Greenwich. These grand divisions will be
respectively known as the lntcrcolonial,
Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific or
Western systems. A State enactment is
not necessary in order to change time in a
city. Tho towns of Iowa nave all adopted
Chicago time as a matter of convenience.
Standard time like that now adopted in the
United States was adopted in Great Britain
January Is, 1S4S.
AS has been stated there is just an hours
difference between each division. Chicago
will he an hour slower than New York;
Denver two hours slower; Carson City
three hours slower, md San Francis
co four hours slower. The present solar
and a quarter slower, so that city
will hardly adopt the new time, as it makes
too great a change, and it is doubtful if the
railways anywhere west OF the Missouri
River will adopt it at present. The sections
which will most generally use it are the At
lantic and Central divisions, and to all rail.
ways operating therein it will be convenient.
Most OF the Eastern railroads running into
Chicago use Columbus time, which is just
twenty-eight minutes faster than Chicago
solar time. Hereafter they will all use one
standard until they reach the scventy-lifth
meridian, when a change of just one hour
takes place in their timetables. 1t is sim
pie, and when the system becomes thoroughly
understood by railway operatives it will be
OF great benefit. AS to its adoption by the
general public, it is safe to say that where
the system makes q greater change than
from fifteen to twenty minutes it will not
be apt to come into favor. All the roads
centering in this city, with the exception of
the Illinois Central, nave now definitely de-
cided to adopt ninetieth meridian time.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 16.-Ile Pennsyl-
vania Railroad has ordered all the clocks
and watches in its service changed on the
18th to mark the time OF the seventy-titth
meridian, known as eastern time"