San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-05
The MERIDIAN QUESTION.
Some of the Strong Reasons Why
Greenwich May Be Selected.

vi VIC " hN
Greenwich May Be Selected.
From the New York Sun.
A resolution has been adopted by
a large majority OF the Geographical
Congress at Berne that the Green
wich meridian ought to be I'M
iversaliy accepted as the prime. This
gives noteworthy sanction to the
view taken in the WASHINGTON In
ternational Conference of 1884. AL
though the interval of seven years
between these two ssemblages has
seen little progress toward carrying
out the earlier recommendation, yet
il is clear that il there is to be I'M
iversal first meridian for the measure.
ment of longitude and the division of
time, the meridian which passes
through the Royal Observatory at
Greenwich has by far the strongest
claim to selection.
The choice has always been chiefly
a question OF convenience and suit-
ability for reckoning. One of the
earliest primes taken was that OF
Rhodes; then that of the Fortunate
Isles WAS assumed, as they were the
farthest land accessible in that direc-
iIOI. uc pchh VI was IOE d
long lime accepted AZ the first meri
dian. A congress of men of science
assembled by Rchelieu in 1880
selected the Island of FerrO for the
purpose, and this remained an ALI
LhOrity for a long time, although
there were TeckOnings from other
points, such az San Miguel, one of
the Azores. Various countries have
used their own capitals, like Paris
fer example. for the reckoning of
ongitude.
For many years, however, the
supremacy of Greenwich has been
apparent from the fact that many ma
tions which fix upon a meridian with
in their own domains also accept the
British prime. This may be seen In
the maps commonly used in the
United States. Even when they
reckon longitude from Washington
by figures marked at the top of the
map, they give the reckoning from
Greenwich at the bottom. 1t has
long been evident that various ad-
vantages would result from having a
universal first meridian, including
even more safety in navigation in
some conceivable instances. 1t is
further evident that, in order to
bring abOnt this universally, nation
al prejudices must be sacrificed. In
such q scientific matter there Is no
proper room tor patriotic bias.
Great Britain, rs the chief maritime
and commercial Power OF toe world, u
Power, too, whose colonies in both
nemispheres Constitute in some cases
great and growing empires of them
selves, naturally has the prior claim
To the adoption of her prime meri-
dian But when she Is also sup
ported by n country terrItorially aud
commercially as great as the United
States, m.&nd when the Greenwich
meridian Is already adopted on the
charts OF many other countries, the
argument is overwhelming in its
favor. Other things belong equal,
.haDge of this character should be
opted in way that will render OBJ
solete as few as possible OF eXistsng
maps and charts. The question is
practically reduced to that of the
Greenwich prime or no universal
prime, since it would be unreasOn-
able that the majority should yield
to the few. France, supported by one
or two Latin countries, appears to be
the chief obstacle to such an agree
ment. The difference in time between
Greenwich and Paris is nine min
utes.
In the meridian conference at
Washington the recommendation of
the Greenwich prime was very de-
cided, the delegates from France and
one or two other countries declining
to coacur; and on that occasion also a
universal day was recommended.
ArterWard for railroad purposes in
This country came the regulation of
clocks and timetables by the four
standard merIdians, the 25th, 10Th,
1O5th and 10th west of Greenwich,