The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-09-28

Americans. and to warn them against Tor
saking without maturer investigation the
costly realities Of life in America for tho
fictitious cheapness OF llfe In England.
The Prime Meridian Conference.
On Wednesday next, the list Of October, an
International Conference. convened In order
to discuss and agree upon common prime
meridian for the whole world, will begin Its
sessions at Washington.
This Conference is the result Of o resolu-
ton introduced into Congress year before
last by the Hon. Roswell p. FLOWER, em-
towering the President to call 1t. The de-
STABILITY Of such Conference had been re-
peatedlv urged by both European and Amer
lean scientific bodies. and certainly no coun-
try could moro fifty arrange and superintend
1t than our own. The mainland, continental
possessions OF the United States span more
than ono hundred degrees Of longitude. be-
tween Passamaquoddy Bay and Behring
Straits. and throughout these domains we
are afflicted with double first meridian. as
the inspection OF the top and bottom lines Of
any school map will show.
Other countries In like manner use dou-
bic, and In some cases even triple zero OF
longitude. Germany, besides Greenwich,
employs, for her Typographical maps, the
longitude Of Berlin. Russia uses Greenwich.
Paris. and st. Petersburg; the Netherlands
use Greenwich and Amsterdam or coun-
tries which do not recognize Greenwich at
oil there arc France, which reckons from
Paris; Denmark, which uses Copenhagen;
Spain, which uses San Fernando; while
Italy uses San Fernando. Turin. and
Milan. In earlier days Of navigation this dis
crepancy was natural. The British were not
the only great sailors. The Danes, the
Dutch, the Spaniards the Portuguese, and
the Italians each In their day held the highest
laurels OF seafaring enterprise. National
pride reinforced this feeling Of right to fix
the standard Of time reckoning within ones
own domains. But now the interests that
bind nations together are stronger than
the map lines that keep them apart; and
universal convenience, even were there no
stronger motive. would demand the abandon
ment Of local prejudices and the acceptance
Of system In common.
There is, however, stronger motive than
mere convenience in the considerations Of
actual peril resulting from the existence Of
the present confusion. These considerations
are thus set forth In the report Of the Senate
committee which investigated the subject:
source of danger navigation in the Of several
prime merdians when two vessels signal each other
under Of weather. and the which has had
observation for longitude receives and longitude
from the other vessel based upon different from
her aud may proceed to her destruction. Tie
may happen to svssse approaching strange coast line
A second rectiflcation Of the meridian sys-
TENS will be undertaken by this Conference.
Under the present practice. as is we'll known,
longitude Is reckoned east from Greenwich
1870 degrees. and west from Greenwich 100
degrees. Thus for each point In east longi-
tude there is corresponding one in west
longitude. It is evident that mere clerical
mistake In substituting one letter for another
may lead to serious consequences. There
might be llttlo liability to this error where
surrounding circumstances would them
selves indicate whether east or west longi
tude was meant In notice To mariners; but
In points lying near the prime OF course this
liability is greatly increased. or this danger
the Senate committee spoke as follows:
"Ths single liability to thos
navgators near the and near the laOth degree
| making In their calculations . mistake in sign which
may place them the wrong side Of those meridsns
The gravity Of this point 10 appreciated when re
member that the OF longitude through Greenwich
crosses the track Of an immense commerce along th,
| dangerous coasts Of western Europe"
Accordingly the Conference. II able to agre,
on prime meridian. will undoubtedly PRO
coed to recommend that all longitude shall
be reckoned In one direction only from tn,
prime, through full circle OF 800 degrees.
It has been intimated that French accept
ance Of the Greenwich meridian could b.
purchased by recommending the adoption
In England and the United States OF tn,
metric system OF weights and measures
This, however. would be q mistaken policy
The two subjects are wholly distinct, ant
each should stand or fall on its own merits
The selection OF a common zero OF Longitude
and standard for time reckoning. which i
indisputably desirable, and which could b
effected by comparatively easy changes Q
charts and by simple formulas OF allowanc
on existing maps, should not be made de
pendent on the advisability Of effecting Al
entire revolution In the weights and measure
Of all the trade transactions OF life.