The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-09-22
HUNDRTDTH YEAR.
Why the Date Of Celebrating Amer
ica'S Discovery Was Changed.
October SISt - the Trus Natal nay
-HOW the Discrepancy In
the DaISs Has EeeH
Caused.

The approaching celebration Of CoIum-
bus Day is in houor Of . historical event
which, among the events whose centen-
mails the world has arranged to celebrate,
Is without parallel 10 worldwide import
auce, exact dating, Snd remOLeuess in
time.
With the exception Of . few battles,
whose dateS are fixed by their historical
connections with ancient eclipses, there
are no events Of great importance, earlier
than the destruction Of Jerusalem, whose
dates are not in dispute. The time Of
Christ's birth is 10 Slmost total obscur-
ity, and the date Of the crusi6ction is
variously assigned. From the rapidly &C.
cumulating evidence for this latter date,
the twentieth century will probably Wit
ness, after nineteen centuries through
which the true date has remained un-
known. the grand celebration Of q centen-
nial Esster day by the whole christian
world.
The days that have passed since the
discovery Of America by Columbus have
been counted with undoubted accuracy,
but the number that a'e needed to make
four hundred years is a question that ad-
mits Of debate and that has divided opin-
ion concerning the true date for Colum-
bus day. It is not q question that Is
simply solved by adding 400 TO the year
Of the discovery sud assuming that four
centuries are comprised between October
l2, 1892, and October u, 1892. The frat
ninety years iu this interval was meas
ured by a calendar In which the average
length Of the year was exactly 3651<
davs, and the remainder is being meas
ured in q calendar that omils three
continual leap years 10 four centuries,
and thus makes the average length Of the
year 10 minutes aud 4s seconds shorter,
When the change IVES made from the old
TO the present calendar teo days we're
omitted, 80 that the year 1882 cont9ined
but 305 days.
Because Of this irregula; keeping Of the
calendar, October IL, 10 the year as is
now observed, marks point nine days
earlier IN the autumn season thSA It did
in the century when Columbus made his
discovery. This error has been reeog-
nized by resolutions In congress, and
President Harrisoo, 10 conformity there
with, has proclaimed October q, instead
Of October u, as tbe day on which 10 e<-
press homo: 10 the discoverer and appre-
citation Of the great achievements o. the
four completed centuries Of American
life.
The impression is current ia many
minds that q year 10 the period Of time
that the earth requires to make the cir
cult Of the sun. This period is known as
the sidereal year, but 1t is not the year
to which the calendar that we now use 10
adjusted, and which has the len tn that
is best adapted TO human affairs. For
this purpose a period Of time known aS
the tropical year, which is 20 minutes
and "a seconds shorter than the sidereal
year, Is employed. This Is the period TO
which the alterations Of summer and
winter, Of long days and long highs,
most nearly conform. Exactly stated,
it is 365 davs, 8 hours, 4s minutes and
45k seconds in length. Our preseot cal
endar 10 adjusted 10 this year with great