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


fourths of the merchant marine of the
world use the Greenwich meridian /;
but this is not a scientific reason-it is /
only a practical, material reason. 4
Nothing, gentlemen said Lefai7re,
"is as transitory and fugitive as
power and riches. All the great
empires of the world have given
us proof of it in turn" France was
willing to join with others in making
sacrifices for science; but, to use Lee
faivre's own words: "For the present
we decline the honor of inlE1oIdting
ourselves alone for progress of a prob
| lematie and eminently secondary
order"
| They appeared to be DESTROYS of bar
gaining for the compulsory use of the
metricaI system by England and the
United States but that subject was
decided to be out of order. They ex-
patiated on the glorious history of the
| Observatory of Paris, on the leading
part which France had taken in trig-
| onometrical surveys, and the mea-
vi t1lto VI OliC iA1Ci1hAcsll1 90
well as in photographic surveys and
nautical charts, to show how great
sacrifice France would make in giving
up the prime meridian of Paris.
Such were the strongest points
made in the debate by the French
delegates, stripped of side issues and
rhetorical ornament.
On the other hand, it was claimed
by Sir William ThOmpson and others
that the main object should be to
choose a meridian which would cause
the least inconvenience, the minimum
of sacrifice to the world at large. He
said it cannot be said that one meri-
dian is more scientific than another,
but it can be said that one meridian
is more Convenient for practical pur-
poses than another, which is pre-emi-
nently true of that of Greenwich.
The sacrifice which France was ready
to make in adopting the Behring
Straits Meridian would be much
greater even for her than that which
would be incurred by adopting Green
, wich.
Prof Adams reminded them that
the Inconvenience caused to any one
nation by the adoption Of a new neu-
: trail meridian would not be Iessened
t by the fact that all other nations
5 would suffer the same Inconvenience.
I he French were also reminded that
l the meridian of Greenwich passes
L through Havre, and Furthermore that
t when the Prime Meridian is once
generally adopted, it loses its name
l and becomes simply the Prime Meri-
e dian In regard to the distinction
e attempted to be set up between geo
e graphical and astronomical longitude
+ Pref. Adams denied that longitude
d could be accurately determined ex
d cept astrOnomically, because we dc
d not yet know the precise figure o
o the Earth, which is certainly not {
e simple figure. Gen. Strachey repu
e dated the idea that for geographical
t purposes we are to put up with {
second or third rate longitude, while
!, we require for astronomical purposes
= first-rate longitude. Prof Adam
: showed that if meridian should b,
e taken where there was no observa
: tory, and described by specified dis
o lance from a known observatory, i
h by legal fiction and not a real zer
3, at all. He thought that we ough
y nowadays to get rid of legal fiction
: as much as possible, and call thing
by their right names.
e In regard to the scientific principle
II involved, Mr.. Hirsch at Rome an
e Com. Sampson at this Conference OF
II served that on spheroid of revolu
u ton like our earth there can be n
D. natural Prime Meridian, and tina
,e from purely scientific point of view
Is the choice of any meridian is arb
d trary and Indifferent, provided tina
on the one hand it is defined witt
sufficient precision, and with ampl
v guarantees of permaoence and in
variability, and on the other hand S
situated as to offer all desired facili
az ties for the determination of differ
ences of longitude, by telegraph
lines or by the transport of chrome
" meters.
lie 1t is therefore evident that til
t, Prime Meridian ought to pass through
st an astronomical observatory of tn
to first order. Such observatory shoul
lie be in Geographic communicate
it with the whole world, in order tina
v the difference of longitude from tn
re prime meridian may readily be de
n termined for any point, moreover
1T should be directly tied by astrOnomi
IF cal observations to other nelghborin
observatories, and also connected to
i network of triangles of.the first orde
% in the surrounding country. Sue
IF are the scientific requirements for tb
20 choice of the first meridian, and the.
if exclude all idea of the prime meri
I. dian being established on an islam
! like Ferro, in q strait, on the SUNNI
of mountain like Teneriffe (whicl
was suggested by Humboldt), or in