Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-02
RECKONING FROM JERUSALEM.
Jerusaiems Claimed to be the Best Point fog
the Standard of Time

JerusaIemsClaimedt to be the Best Point fog
| the Standard of Time
The much-vexed question of primary
| meridian and universal standard of time
has again been brought to the fore In an
interesting and rather promising form
Last June, it will be remembered, the in
ternatlonal telegraph conference at Paris
discussed. the matter, and indirectfyintima-
| ted that the meridian. of Greenwich wonId
| not be acceptable to all nations as the
| standard. A vote was also passed ap-
proving the efforts of the academy of
science of Bologna, Italy to find salts
| factory solution. The Bologna academy
| mas now formulated the results of its
studies and deliberations, and the Italian
government has sent summary thereof to
all the countries interested with request for
Judgment on the scheme.
The plan. Of the Bologna scientists is
briefly stated, to adopt the meridian of
Jerusalem as the primary, and to make
the universal day begin there at noon.
Thus the universal day and the chronoioe-
ical day should be made to concide al
most exactly; result which has for many
years been earnestly desired.
One OF the strongest arguments in favor
OF this scheme is that it would admit of
the establishment of an international
observatory on the prime meridian This,
OF course, is essential, and could not be af-
fected were Greenwich, Paris, Washing
tot, Berne, or any other meridian That had
been suggested, selected For these lat
ter are independent states, that would not
be likely to cede ground for the interna-
tional ownership, and to whose proprietor
ship, even In name of the prime meridian
the other powers would not agree. But
Jerusalem is practically neutral ground,
and is likely to remain such for many,
generations.
Another most important recommended
ton of the Jerusalem meridian, purely
scientific in its nature, has reference to the
portion Of the earth's surface which it
traverses. 1t is for obvious reasons highly
desirable that the prime meridian should
lie on land as far as possible. In this
respect the Greenwich meridian is espe-
cialiy faulty. Just north of the Humber,
IN latitude So degrees, 45 minutes, it leaves
the land and thenceforth extends along the
North Sea to the pole, while southwark it
crosses the mhospitable Sahara, and in
about latitude degrees north leaves the
coast of Guinea and thenceforth, for more
than half its entire length, lies on the
South Atlantic. 1t does not even cross the
equator on land, and is actually at sea for
more than l3l degrees, or nearly three
quarters of its length The meridian of
Paris is even more Objectionable, and that
of Berne is no better The meridian of
Rome or of Palermo would give a vastly
longer land line, Of about 80 degrees, or
half It's whole length, almost spanning
from the Arctic Circle to the Tropic of
Capricorn, and would cut the Equator on
land In the Congo country. The Wash
ington meridian is better still, extending
chiefly on land from SO degrees north to II
degrees south, IS degrees, though much of
it lies in accessible regions. New York
would give a much better meridian;
while Boston vindicates its title to be called
the Hub by presenting meridian lying
on or near the land for 1873 degrees. not
counting the Antarctic Alexander Land.
which it touches dozen degrees still fur
ther on.
The meridian of Jerusalem, however, is
an admirable one, if it does net rival that
Of New York or Boston 1t has a land
line from the shore of the Arctic Ocean
about 60 degrees north, to Cape Corripn-
ties about "a degrees south, total of 90
degrees, from above the Arctic Circle to
below the Tropic Capricorn. Moreover,
it runs through comparatively accessible
regions: Russia, Armenia, AbysSina, the
''hunterland" of Zanzibar, and the lake
Nyassa county, cutting the equator in the
magnificent highlands surrounding the
Victoria Nyanza
Thus for practical science purposes this
meridian is highly satisfactory, while
from the point of view of international
pride and etiquette it is to be preferred
before any other. 1t would seem odd TO
begin saying so many degrees east or west
from Jerusalem, and we should have
to REMARK our charts. But once universally
adopted, the system would prove of in
calculable convenience. Some standard of
reckoning for all the world is coming to
e necessity, and for the reasons we
have given, that proposed by the Bologna
academy seems decidedly preferable to
any other that has set been afforded to the
world.-N. Y. Tribune.