Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-12
TRAINS On UNIFORM TINE.
THE ANNUAL SCHEDULE CON
VENTION ADOPTS 1T.

II
commodore Shufeldt Promises His CO.
OperatiOn-The Michigan Central Road
the Most Important One Opposing the
Plan-An Explanation of the system
and It's Local Effects
CHICAGO, Oct. 1.-THE Annual Rail-
way Time Table Convention began here
this morning, and is being attended bv
representatives from nearly every i'm
portant railway in the country. In addi-
tion TO arranging the winter time tables.
1t is proposed to take definite action in
the adoption by the railroads throughout
the country Of proposed plan for uni
form time standard. The new plan has
been termed the ''hOur0 system. If pro-
vides for standards differing from each
other by exactly an hour, leaving out the
eastern and western extremes of the
continent. They are EASTERN ''Cen-
tral" and "MOuntain" time. The first
will be employed from New Bruns-
wick to the meridian of Detriot,
the second as far west as
the boundary between Kansas and Colo
eadO, and the third to the line between
/; tah and Nevada. 1t is proposed that
all roads now using Boston. New York.
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Toronto, Hamil-
ton or Washington time as the standard
shall be governed by the Eastern .
or loth meridian time, minutes
slower than New York. This includes
roads run by Portland, Providence, New
York, Montreal, Albany, Richmond and
Charleston time. In addition to those
speclhed the roads now using Columbus
savannah. Atlanta, Cincinnati, Louisville
Indianapolis, Chicago, Kansas CITY.
Jefferson City or st. Paul time shall
he run by Central, y or ninetieth meridian
time 9mlnutes slower than Chicago time)
This includes the roads run by Macon,
Rome, Nashville, Selma, Mobile, st. Louis
Nicksburg, Dubuque, MINNEAPOLIS, St.
Joseph, Galveston, Houston and Omaha
time. West Of this roads are to be run bv
Mountain" time on exactly that of Den
yer. 1t is stated that the eastern district
standard has been used by all the roads
between Boston and Montreal since last
Sunday, with view to testing the plan.
p. IL. Wright, General superintendent
OF the Lake Shore Road, was called to the
Chair, and w. T. Allen was chosen Secre-
tary.
There were 63 delegates present. The
following resolution was submitted and
adopted:
WHEREAS, The managers of $4,000
miles of road having voted in favor of
adopting a system of time standard at the
last convention, we hereby pledge our
selves to adopt the same and run trains
by it whenever the next schedules go into
effect.
The only roads voting against the propo-
sitiOn were the Michigan Central, De
troit, Lansing and Northern. and the De
trOit. GrandhaVen and Milwaukee, The
reason assigned by the former was
that it crossed the meridian and
could not adapt its running ar
ranSements to the new plan at pres
ent without great Inconvenience 1t was
stated III the convention that the roads in
question would doubtless soon adopt
new schedule. 1t was decided that the
present schedules should remain in force
Till November Is, when the new schedule
would 90 into force. The Secretary read
Il communication from Commodore Shu-
teldt, in charge Of the Naval Observatory
at Washington, in which he congratulated
the convention upon the change contem-
plated, and said that, while he thought a
single standard would be better from
scientific point Of view, he thought the
present change Il long stride in the right
direction.
The Commodore promised the co-Opera-
tiOn of the Naval Observatory. in carrying
out the policy Ofthe convention. He said
that the observatory would change the
time Of dropping the New York time call
to the mean time of the 10Th me-
ridian. and in addition would endeavOr to
secure its adoption for local time in the
whole section in which it is to be used for
railroads. The observatory, he said,
would furnish the time of the
10Th and Goth meridians to railroads
throughout the entire country daily.
Il. d. Edmunds in charge of the Boston
Observatory, telegraphed the convention
as follows: The railroads, city and OBJ
servatOry only await the atlirmat i've vote
of the convention before fixing date for
changing all nublic time in Boston,