St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-10-12
TWenty-FOur O'Clock.
A NEW TIMETABLE FOR RAILROA

]
"This train starts at twenty-four
O'clock
! These were the words used by
gentleman at Broad-street station,
Philadelphia, recently, in explanation
of theory which will, in all probabil-
ity, be put into practice at no distant
day. The theory is the establishment
of a ''time standard" as the railroad
men term it, to be put into operation
on all the railroads in the country.
The proposed standard would simply
add the hours after midnight to eleven,
so that eleven o'clock in the morning
would be twentythree o'clock and
noon would be twenty-four o'clock.
The dial of the clocks would be made
into twenty-fOur divisions of time, and
the troublesome a. III. and p. IN. would
be avoided. Uniformity and certainty
IN the movement of trains in all parts
of the country is one of the greatest
| advantages claimed for the new stand
ard, and Il simplihcation of time tables
that the public would be quick to rec
Ognize and appreciate would follow.
Iyrha Pennsylvania railroad company
has given the question of the new
standard favorable consideration.
The originator of the theory of the
twenty four hours for standard time
was w. Ii. Devices of Philadelphia.
Mr.. Devices, upon expressing his
views, said recently: "Anything more
crude, uncertain and insufficient than
the style now in use cannot he imagin-
ed. 1t is a relic of the dark ages,
adopted centuries before IL railroad OF
telegraph was thought of. Modern
progress demands something better
adapted to the wants of our present ad-
vanced civilization. If my plan is
adopted | think it will gradually eX-
tend throughout the world ! would
take time from the Greenwich Observa-
tory, for it is the best time that exists.
1t is exact, constant and known Tor as
certainable) everywhere"
COLLECTIONS" he said, care likely
to be urged against Greenwich time 10y
the people. 1t would probably be con-
tended, that, inasmuch us the hours of
the day would run from one to twenty
four, instead of the day being divided
into halves of twelve hours each, as is
the present civil day, great incon-
venience would result TO the public.
SpBlt NOllu SObllY llO"tNNl. hCNpluI
accustomed to the new method. Should
Greenwich astronomical time be taken
as the standard twelve o'clock mid
night would become the end of the
twelfth and the beginning of the thir-
teenth hour. Two o'clock Il. IN. (pres-
enU style), the beginning of the fif-
teenth hour; six o'clock Il. M, present
style, the beginning of the nineteenth
hour, and so on around the circle. \
man reading of events occurring in
Europe ut certain time of day would
not be in blissful ignorance, if the new
standard were i'll force, of the time
when they really did occur. Under
the new standard there would be no
longer any question about New York,
Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh,
Chicago and the numerousother stand
ards now in force"
The Pennsylvania railroad company
is anxious to have the new standard of
twenty four o'clock, and will readily
unite with other companies in having
it put into effect. The officers of that
company say there is no necessity for
the public discarding its present meth
Od of telling the time if not satisfied
with the proprOed new railroad stand
ard. 1t will be very easy, even upon
the clocks and watches now i'll use, to
reckon the railroad time.