The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-02-04

SCI NobCAlSo "HlCAl luIAiISd al IuG CoAi-
ditions, viz: Paris, Berlin, Greenwich
and Washington.
The choice between these four me-
ridians seemed to them to depend
upon tUO practical conditions; first,
which meridian viii have the great
est chance of being generally ac-
cepted by civilized countries, and
secondly, which choice will cause the
least possible labor and expense by
the changes required to be made in
charts, almanacs and geographical
text books?
These considerations limited our
choice to the meridian of Greenwich,
for it was shown by statistical tables
ping in the world use this meridian
for purposes of navigation. The
charts constructed on this meridian
are probably IS per cent of all the
the plates from which they are
printed probably cost ten millions of
dollars. At the same, time as the
Conference had no executive but only
advisory powers, it was the more
necessa ry for it to recommend what
would have some probability of being
accepted.
Mr.. Rutherford called attention to
the fact that the observatory at Paris
now stands in the heart of a populOus
city, that it has been interfered with
by tremors in the earth and emana-
tions in the air, which prevent it
from fulfilling its usefulness, and
that for several years past strenuous
efforts have been made to remove it
from Paris to a better locality. AS
to the fitness of Greenwich, he said
that the observatory was placed in
the middle of large park of 200
acres (the observatory being 100 feet
above the river under the control of
the Government, and that it was i'm a
position which speaks for itself
Finally Jansen said that it was not
their intention to make the debate
eternal, and the French resolution,
OH being put to the vote, was lost by a
large majority, only France, Brazil
and San Domingo voting for it.
The resolution in favor of Green
witch then came before the Confer
ence, and was passed, every State
voting for it, except San Domingo
which voted i'll the negative, and
France and Brazil, which abstained
| from voting.
Mr.. Allen read memorial from
the Railway Convention of the
United States and Canada, deprecat-
ing any change from the Meridian o.
Greenwich, on which the present
system of standard time is founded.
The resolution recommended "th'
counting of longitude in two direc
tons from Greenwich up to 1902
east longitude to be reckoned 20Let
and west longitude minus" On thi
question there was much difference
of opinion.
Some were bound by instruction
from their governments to vote 70
the method proposed by the Roman
Congress,o of counting from % to $50 :
from west east, while several, Xix,
Pastoran of Spain, and Fleming o
Canada, and Com. Sampson, VIII
had made the universal day specia
subject of study, were in favor 0
counting from 90 to 36Oo from cas-
to west longitude.
Considerable discussion arose on thi
point. Mr.. Fleming was anxious t
have the system of hour meridian
(Which has worked so we'll in Nortl
Am erica) extended around the globe
Prof. Adams made a very effectiv
speech in favor of continuing to coun
longitude in the present method a
recommended by the resolution o.
the grounds that it was more likel.
to be accepted generally; that it wa
equally correct in mathematic an
scientific point of view, and NOR
convenient because it would max
the break in counting occur $50 70 from
Greenwich in mid-ocean, where tier
/ 10 NGlS AlLIlS AelilA GllAd lCU
ants, and where we are now accus
toned to change the day of the week
There is the same quasi-scientiffc oh
lection 90 counting latitude in tw
ways, North and South Of the Equa
tor. The result of the system pre-
posed at Rome would be to cause tn
break in counting longitude, and tn
change of dates, to take place a
Greenwich at noon, so that the morn
ing hours of the civil day would hav
a different date from the afternoo
hours, all over Europe, according t
universal time. Instead of that til
late Conference made the Universe
Day identical with the civil day c
Greenwich, and recommended IN
continuance of the present system c
counting longitude.
Those who were in favor of count
ing up to $500 were nearly equal
divided as to whether it should be t
the east or To the west. The vote o.
Mr.. Rutherford's resolution stood
ayes, noes, abstaining 6.
The next subject was that of uni