The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1883-12-14
STANDARD TINE.

the system Of time in use. sidcrial
time which has bson in uso has bean
inadequate to affsrd convenience and
safety in dispA.chipg trains on the
various railroads of the American con.
tinent. Under the old system Of time
nat less than fifty standards of time pre-
vailed, while under tho new only four
will DO necessary to supply time for all
points in the United States. Tie eoun'
try is divided into four great belts
extending frsm north to south. Tho
eastern belt furnishes time for all the
New England and Middle States to
Bsffalo, Pittsburg and Salamanca. The
7bth meridian west Of Greenwich is
the standard for this belt. All points
within q belt have tho same time.
The next time-belt to tho west of
the eastern just named is tho Central
taking It's tims from tho ninotieth mer-
iaan, which runs through New Orleans
aud a littlo east Of St. Louis, covers all
Of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa,
with all the States north of them to the
Canada line and south 70 the Gulf and
the Rio Graude. Tho western bound
AIRY line Of the 4" Central I" lime-bslt is
sn irregular line running west Of the
western border oil Minnesota, crossing
Nebraska and Kansas anb Indian Ter-
riIery, and Touching the Rio Grande
about halfway between the Gulf and
El Paso. From this line begins the
"Mountain" tims-belt, whieh takes its
time from the one hundred and hfth
meriaian, RAINING close to Denver, and
has a. it's western border hsntann,
Wyoming, part of Utah aud all of
| Arizona. The "Pacifc" time-bsls
| which takesits time from tho one
hundred ana twentieth meridian, run
mag near Willows. Oregon, covers
all frem here to the ocean. Aayene
taking the trouble to consult map
will See that the MERIDIAN in eaoa of
these belts occupiss positisn suficient-
ly central fer all practical purposes
From belt 10 belt the difference in
time is just an hour-as the earth, Of
course, in its daily revolution Of 500
degrees, present to the sun an arc OF its
circumference equal TO Is dsgrees.
Consequently, when il is noon in New
York aud eVerywhers ia the Atlantic
belt, it will be | | o'slock ri ChicAgS, 10
At Denver aud 8 at SAnFrancisso. The
true LEGAL time would be for New York
IL %. for lilo, fer Dsnver 10 and for
saa Francisco $50. Thzs the differ
ence from true time at 1hs great center
of each belt is quite unimPortnnt.
After this change has been made a
watch right anywhere will be risht ev
isrywhere in the same belt. One can
travel from BSngor to Buffalo, from
Albany to Augusta, withsus having
occasion TO alter his watch. And
when o.s passes tao boundary into q
new belt ho will simply make change
Of sixty inmates. A single accurate
/ observation will supply standard tims
| fer the whole continent.
The reason why the ueon Of the 18th
meridian was chosen instead OF the noon
lofNsw York As the initial standard for
this country was bscanse it makes
the difference Of time between New
York and England precisely Ave hours
It also prevented any possible lcOa
Iisslously on the part ol Boston or phil
adelphis.
| When this new standard has one.
been generally adopted and the i'm
mense advantages of 1t begin to b
realized, we shall wonder, az We alwsys
do when great but simple improve
ments ars made, why in the name o
common sense it was not brought abou
before.