Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-01-29
HOW TIME IS COUNTED In Ma
PIES.
Half an Hour After Sunset is ~
O'Clock.


O'Clock.
A correspondent writes from Naples
to The London Times: The mode of
reckoning time is question of so
much interest to all Englishmen,
whether at home or IN foreign lands,
that | venture to hope few words
on the subject may not be unaecept-
able. Several letters have appeared
IN The Times starting objections to
the change proposed to be made in the
norometry of England. [ am SO &C
customed, from long residence IN
southern Italy, to the counting of time
rom one TO twenty-four. that | am
not likely perhaps to be equally sensi-
bic to the difficulties which some NAV
feel; and there is fixity in the starting
time which renders the mode Of
reckoning suggested for England
much easier than it can be in these
southern lands. Midnight is invari
able, while sunset varies from day to
day, making a considerable differ
ence IN the course of a fortnight. and
creating the necessity of altering the
clocks TO that extent. Half an hour
after sunset is "a O'clock, and from
that point we begin in this country to
open a fresh account with time. On the
day on which l am writing the SUM-.
sets here at 4:37, and "a o'clock is
therefore SOY o'clock, while l o'clock
will be now :07 o'cl. ok. The mani
fest advantage of counting from Md
night as proposed Ia England is
evident. 1t is apprehended bv some
thai the striking of the hours from
l TO "A might occasion q considerable
disturbance to nervous and sicklv
persons. This is a difficulty which is
easily obviated. as it is here. The
twenty-four hours are divided into
four parts of six hours each, so that
our ears are never distressed by more
than four bells at q time, with the
respective quarters. But how to
distinguish between those divisiopsn
it may be asked. The peasantry settle
the question IN a very simple manner.
At the termination of the first division
OF SIX hours they announce that the
first 'tintin' Iatin tintinnol has
sounded. the second tjntin will of
course announce that twelve hours
have elapsed, and SO on till % o'clock.
But without paying attention TO these
indications of the lapse OF time. no
one with a degree of observation or
power OF calculation can mistake the
first dlvieiOn of six hours for the
second, or making any confusion
with the remaining divisions. As to
the dial plate of the clock or the
watch, it is marked in the same wav
as that in countries where what is
called French time is observed-from
TO 10; and the same remarks that
were applied to the hours as they are
announced by the clock bell will serve
for the calculation of the dial. There
can be no difficulty for anyone pos
sessing Of the minimum of common
sense to determine whether 3 o'clock
on the dial is two hours after mid
night, or II o'clock. My only object
has been to show that in those coun-
tries where it has long been in use the
ecclesiastical mode of calculation has
been attended with no practical diff
Guilty, and very much less difficulty
will attend In England, where an
invariable hour will be the point Of
departure. Italians have also another
help, inasmuch as at 81 o'clock the
bells ring out thirty three times. that
being the assumed age of Jesus
Christ It wants then three hours of
"a o'clock, and arrangements are made
accordingly.