Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-07
"No Leap Year in 1907
Editor of The EVENING STAR:


While the above is strictly true the explana-
ton appearing under that heading in The STAR
Of last Friday evening, taken from the Raleigh
On. Co. Ne,os- Observer, simply furnishes an
other example showing how imperfectly this
matter is understood generally, and even by
those of no mean attainments in literature and
science. This would be very surprising, since
the historical facts and the computations in
volved are so few and simple, were it not that
people seem to regard chronology as a sort of
occult science The little that is ever pub
shed relative to it is better calculated to beget
and foster error than to correct and remove it.
1t Is desirable that the civil should coin
eide as nearly as possible with the solar year and
since the latter includes a fraction of day.
which would be a very inconvenient appendage
to the former, the elimination of this fraction
becomes a necessity. To accomplish this julius
Cesar, forty-six years b. c., conceived the
plan Of reserving the fraction until the accu-
INFLATED fractions would amount to one day,
which should be added to the year, making
that year one day longer than common years.
Taking this fraction to be one-quarter of day,
or six hours (Which it is very nearly-lacking
only about eleven minutes), which would Of
course, amount to one day in four years. he
ordained that one day should be added to
every fourth year, which was done invariably
until the correction of the calendar by Pope
Gregory XIII in 1882
But one leap year was not dropped every
hundred years, as indicated in the article al
luded to; neither was any other provision made
ito allow for this difference of eleven mInntes
per year" until said correction, which omis-
sion alone made correction necessary, Nor
was this difference recognized or even known
until, in making the correction, it was discoy-
cred by apportioning among the intervening
years the accumulated difference as shown by
the difference in date Of the autumnal equinox
In 1882, when the correction was made and
that in 325 A. D., when the Council of Nice"
was held Further, if Pope Gregory had, as
stated. "decreed that every 'centuriar year
divisibls by four should be leap
provement," as, in that case, every
such year would still be leap year, Just as be-
fore, because every centennial or 'centuriaP
year is Invisible by 4. His plan is based on the
fact that, in adding one day every four years,
as under Caesars plan, too much was added by
about eleven minutes every year, or forty
four minutes every four years. amounting to q
loss of about three days in four hundred years;
| hence the essential feature of his correction is
the gain Of three days by dropping that many
every four hundred years, and the importance
| Of keeping the error as small as possible by
gaining these three days singly and at regular
| intervals, combined with the prominence Of
the centennial years, led to the selection Of
| three Of them, rather than three others, from
which to drop the day.
| For this reason only those centennial years di-
visible by 400 are leap years under the present
| (Gregorian) system, while other years though
Invisible by are not such. But the Gregorian
plan included something more than establish
ing a correct system. To make the reform
| complete, Gregory made ii retroactive. and
| fixed dates as they would have been had his
system prevailed throughout the centuries
| passed This involved q change (setting for
ward) Of 10 days, which was further increased
| to II days by the English through the addition
| Of the day to the year 100, as England and her
| colonies did not adopt the Gregorian cal
| endar or 'snew style" until l152, which
| accounts for the difference Of eleven DAYS be-
| tween 30. g." and IN. g." in dates in our
history for the early part of last century. As
| 1t Is no unusual thing for the public to be
treated to choice bits Of dubious information
based upon an imperfect knowledge Of chro-
nology mot the least of which Is the conclusion
that the present calendar will need ''doctoring''
again in about 1900 years., II is hoped that
| this subject may receive moro attention In the
| future, so that people may not be misled by
such published statements a. that Q certain
Senator was President Of the United States
from ~ o'clock March to the same hour
March 8, 1853. w. E. @.
"RosKDALE," C1rY, Dec. 10, 1883
PRINTERS AND DEsIoNERs have an opportu-
nify to secure fame ~ well - fortune In the
printing Of the Official program Of Inauguration
day. The advertisement Tor proposals of the
committee deserves their attention.
The Rev. DR.. Geo. z. Reed, pastor Of Trinity
Methodist Episcopal church In New Haven, has
concluded TO accept the presidency Of Dickin-
! son college, Carlirle, Pa,