The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-11-20
RAILROAD TIME STANDARD

"on' An'o eHecG Oh sunday, beln
lnaugurated by the Western Unio
telegraph time ball in New Yor
city, dropping promptly on the sola
time Of the 10Th degree of Yves
longitude from Greenwich. or a few
minutes later than the correct TIM
OF the city. Chicago came next
setting her clocks and watch es bacI
nine minutes to the solar time Of
the ninetieth meridian of longitude
The next western meridian from
which time is to be fixed is the 1O5th,
which runs near Denver, and the
last, or Pacific Coast time meridian.
will be the 10th, running between
Nevada and California. Much has
been said of the new system, but as
there is yet good deal of mis-.
apprehension concerning it brief
outline will not be amiss.
The Ilan has been in the
process Of capitalization for
year or more, and is the result of
an almost general desire on the part
Of railroads for a system OF time
that shall be uniform. The neces.
slty for such a system has long been
admitted, as there has been constant
confusion through the old methods.
For instance, in this city trains are
running on two times, one road
operating by the Denver time and
the other by that of Salt Lake. In
Ogden there are four kinds of time
for running trains-Salt Lake for
the Utah Central, Denver for the d.
OR. e., Sacramento for the Central
Pacific, and Laramie for the Union
Pacific. Naturally the public, as
well as the railroad people get badly
and disarranged occasions
ally over the movements of trains. A
few months ago a plan was outlined
and the details sent to every railroad
In the country for adoption, rejection.
suggestions and improvements. All
'he answers having been received, c
and all roads, with the exception of Q
wo or three, having signifed wil> il
1ngness to adopt the system, it has ?
ust been inaugurated. 1t is this: c
The country is divided into four c
'rand divisions or belts, each with II
is standard OF time, solar time being
isregarded for railroad purposes,
At present, or before Sunday, there il
There eighty time standards upon tt
Which railroads were operated. The CT
eW time belts are Gftsen degrees b
part, the first. or eastern, being the a,
5th meridian of west longitude, 81
ne next beginning at the Goth is
leridian, the third at the 1O5th IS
nd the fourth at the 12oth. 81
III territory within these belts will at
nploy the standard time of the gi
'spective meridians. Thus, Salt su
axe, being on the 112th meridian, to
Ill use the time Of the 105th, which &C
the beginning OF the third belt or to-
vision, and our time will be about Of
minutes faster than at present. ev
hat is to say, our watches will be en-
+ 81 minutes ahead of solar time to-
ID noon here would be noon in
irginia City aHd noon in Denver,
I'd, In fact, noon at every point ee'
tween the 1s5th and 12sth msrid- LIN
rs of west longitude. The rail- OF
ads and some Of the eastern cities thl
We adopted the new standard. ou1
le local roads have not done 10, ate
t in ali probability they will find stl'
necessary to place themselves In IL
rmony with others. This new gel
stem must be regarded as Wo
ogressive. and in view of the inti- Me
ste relations between railroads Del
d business Of all kinds, local time In
arywhere should be made to give Che
y to railroad time, and all COM Ser
'rcial affairs be governed by the pes
ne standards-banks closing and tiV
ening, trains running, and so on,
,ording to one system of time. 1t q
Iuires no deep study to discover Ing
advantages to be derived from S'ol
s uniformity, while everybody Oh
Lies the annoyances and incan- ago
liences of having to keep track of OIL, slh'
ee or four times and make math. Ike
atical calculations whenever he OWE
nts to catch train. pes
1ere at home, if we adopt the hin
nda1d meridian time, we will Hs
re to rise half an hour earlier in T,
morning, but we get even gin