The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-10-26
Standard Railroad Time.
Railroad Gazette.

Railroad Gazette.
The subject of standard time Is now be-
fore the railroad managers of this country,
demanding not simply approval, but action.
II will be remembered that at the spring
time convntions the proposition of Mr.. w.
+. Allen, Secretary of both these conyen-
tions, TO adopt for North America five stand
ard times, exactly an hour apart, namely,
the time of 90, rs, sc, ,105 and 120 degrees west
Of Greenwich, was unanimously approved,
and MIR. Allen was instructed to send lnfor-
nation concerning the new standards pro-
posed TO the managers of all the railroads,
and endesvor to have them adopt them.
This information has been given by Mr.. Allen
in the completest way by means Of two maps
Of the United States, on one of which all the
railroads having the same time standards at
present are colored alike, and on the other
they are colored In accordance with the pro-
posed uniform standards. The map showing
the present standards makes . striking pic
ture of the existing complexity. There are
different times close alongside. A line run
by Philadelphia time projects through net
work Of lines run by New York time; in
some places there are several kinds of rail-
road time; and In the United States there
are no less than forty-nine time standards,
which by the proposed change will be re-
duced to four; for the time of the Goth me-
ridisn will apply only to the British mari.
time provinces. Roughly speaking, the time
of the 18th meridian, which it is proposed to
call eastern time," will apply TO all rail-
roads of New England, New York, Penn
sylvania, Maryland, and the two Virginias
and the two Csrolinas, the exception being
the extension of the Goth meridian time
("Central timer to Buffalo, Pittsburg, and
other western termini Of the trunk lines;
while In Canada, eastern time" will ex-
tend to Detroit and Lake Huron. The chief
points of junction between Eastern" and
"Central" time are Sarnia, Detroit, Buffalo,
Pittsburg, Wheeling, Psrkersburg, Hunting.
ton, W. Va, Bristol, Tenn, Gastonia, N. e.,
Augusta, Ga, and Charleston, S. G. This
time Is four minutes slower than New York
time, one minute faster than Philadelphia,
and eight minutes faster than Washington
time.
But by far the larger part Of the railroad
system of the country will come under
"Central time" or that of the Goth meridian,
which is but one minute faster than St.
Louis time, three minutes slower than
Vicksburg time, just New Orleans time, and
nine minutes of Chicago time. 1t takes
In all the railroads from Buffalo, Pittsburg,
and Savannah tn the Missouri river in Da-
kota, nearly to the Colorado line in Nebraska
and Kansas, and the whole of Texas except
little corner from New Mexico south to the
Rio Grande. Nine tenths Of the railroads Of
the country come under these two times.
The lU5th meridian (Denver) and the 12Gth
(the line between California and Nevada
naturally cover small mileage.
Whether q time which in some places will
be half an hour from solar time will be
adopted for general use is questionable; but
for the railroads the proposed standards are
certainly great improvement on the present
confusion, and perhaps as likely as any that
could be proposed to come into general use.
Mr.. Allen has studied oat the subject
thoroughly, and has prepared "translation
tables" by which the proposed standards can
be substituted for any one of the fifty exist
Ing standards without any computing. A
large number Of important railroads have
agreed to adopt these standards If the major
ity of the roads in their district do SO, and Of
the coming time convention it Is hoped that
something may be effected.