Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-20
TIE NEW TINE.

How the system is Looked Upon-ihe
CIoeJss in the Hotels and Public Build
inrs-A Consideration for LabOriBG
People.
The refusal by the city to recognize the
new time standard which has been adopt
ed 10y the railroads. and which went into
effect on sunday, is creating considerable
confusion and is likely to cause serious
complications in business. The new
time. which the railroads were
the first u adopt, IS now tue tliile
al the hotels and steamship lines,
tho r7s+ office and telegraph Omcee- while
The civ time is tie same as before. ne
working people who have to be at Work at
= O'Clock in the morning were disappointed
yesterday when the whistles blew about
the same as usual, except at the
railroad shops. Thirty-six minutes
inc the short winter mornings
is something OF a consideration. In all
railroad business the new time was yes
terday strictly carried out, freight being
delivered bv the standard. A little incOn-
venjence was OccasiOned by the drayage.
but il was looked upon by the draymen
as a Joke. Very little difficulty was eN-
perienced By travellers who were posted
as TO the movements Of trains by the new
where new clocks have been placed. The
banks. with the exception OF that OF the
CDtral Railroad. viii maintain the old time.
Al the most office some difficulty was eX-
Uarienced in the delay of delivery OF let
ters 10 the Office in time for the closing oil
mails. This Will be Obylated as soon as
the new arrangement Is thoroughly under
stood. The iewelry stores will nearly all
keep both the standard and old time but
will observe the old.
\ map recently published shows the
different zones governing the new stan
dard time TO be the IntercOlOnial, Eastern,
Central. Mountain and Pacific. The At
lantic States. except Georgia ana flOrida,
are in the Eastern zone. The DIVISIONS OF
the zones do not follow the longitudinal
/ lines exactly. but are so arranged as 10
| cover the various systems OF roads. For
the convenience Of the railway officials
/ these are cOlOred-the Eastern red, the
Central blue. the Central standard time
/ being one hour behind the Eastern. In the
I Eastern zone are included all the Eastern
| states. all of the Middle States, except
I small section Of Western Pennsylvania,
| and Maryland. Virginia, West Virginia,
North and South Carolina of the Southern
I States.
The Eastern zone, however, runs as far
/ West as st. Joseph, Michigan, which IS
about the same longitude as Cincinnati,
/ and the Central zone as far east as tue
| eastern coast Of Florida. which Will show
I how irregular are the division lines. Inc
4 convenience Of the standard time to the
people who live i'm the Eastern zone VIII,
/ however, De easily understood. III one
/ wishes to take an outgoing train one can
/ safely regulate his departure without the
/ danger Of being left. which was heretofore
| incurred; and if one travels north tnere
I will no longer exist the necessity OF SNOW
/ II. TO srQff 70 a
4 time. This advantage and convenience
/ will be recognized in places where the
standard is generally adopted, but ia
I Savannah one has to carefully study up
/ the difference. The various railroads are
issuing new schedules TO conform to the
meridian Of the zone from which tnef
/ time IS taken.
( While the matter IS thoroughly unuer-
/ stood in railroad and in many business
/ circles. a great deal Of confusion will en-
/ sue unless the city adopts the standard,
/ which il eventually viii be compelled to
I do.
This movement on the part of the rail-
/ roads. il is claimed by some, Will prove
I the beginning Of a system Of time standard
I which Will he used the world over. Inc
I various points from which longitude Is
now reckOned. and the want of any
| general standard will probably be supplied
/ bv the men Of science who have studied
/ this important question. The possibility
of unificatiOn Of longitude all over the
/ world has engaged the attention OF sclen-
/ tific men for some time past, and may be
/ said to he about accomplished by the
| result Of the recent International GeOdetc
/ Conference. All lOngitudes are to be reck-
] oned west from Greenwich, the meridian
/ beng already more generally used than
any other At present longitude IS
| reckOned both east and west from any OF
! the standard meridians. Under the new
! plan Greenwich Will be the universal
starting point and all distances will run
I west The circle will be divided into 500
/ degrees and the day into LAO minutes.
/ Hence one degree west OF Greenwich Will
] be indicated bv four minutes after Green
witch time. The GeOdetic Conference
/ urges the Assembly Of National Conven-
\ tinns to adopt this new standard, which
I will give uniform measure Of distance
/ and uniform time all over the world.
! Many reasons are urged in favor of the
/ new system. and the common consent OF
/ scientific men seems TO indOrse 1t.