The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-30
THE NEW CENTURY.
Begins Next Friday if Certain Chro-
noIosists Are Right.
From the New York Herald.


From the New York Herald.
There has been good deal of discussion
recently as to when the twentieth century
begins. But this has turned simply upon a
general question: Does century begin
on the year date when change occurs
in the third figure of the date-for exam
pie, does the eighteenth century begin On
jan /, 1900, the nineteenth century on Jan.
/, 1900? This point has now been practl-
cally settled. The centuries cannot ra-
tionally be reckoned in this way. Right
" speaking, the nineteenth century closes
on the last day of 1900, from which 1t re-
eeives its name. The nineteenth century
began lust after midnight of Dec 81, 1900,
it closes with midnight of Dec. 81, 1900. The
twentieth century therefore begins on Jan.
/, A ID. 1901.
Now, it is pretty well established by the
unpleasant class of people who deal in ng-
ures and who don't care what long estab-
llshed principles they overturn that, prop
erly speaking, next Friday will be Jan. ],
A. ID. 1901. IT'S no longer a question as
to whether the twentieth century begins
in three or in four years from now. The
point is that the twentieth century begins
next Friday.
How is this worked out?
Simply on the basis, which is now ac-
cepted by all careful chronologists, that
an error has been made in the date of
Christs BIRTH. so that in what is accept
ed as A. d. /, or the first year of our
Lord, Christ was in point of fact, years
old. He was actually born in the year u.
c. 5, or. in other words, in the fifth year
before Christ, before Himself! That is
the apparent mathematical paradox which
the accepted chronology would force
upon us.
How did the mistake occur? Very cas-
lily. The Christian era has its epoch or
point of departure determined by the Gre
gorian rule, viz: ''The years are denomi-
mated as years current from the midnight
between Dec. 81 and Jan. l Immediately
subsequent to the chronological determine
ton of the event by Dionysius Exiguus. ;"
Now, as Dyonysius, the obscure author OF
this chronological scheme, lived in the be-
ginning of the sixth century, there was no
exact determination of the epoch, and it
cannot, therefore, be so precisely formu-
lated as other eras of less Importance. 1t
is generally agreed that the beginning of
the era should have been fixed four years
earlier, since Christ was born four years
earlier than the date now settled on by
the Christian calendar.
This proof lies in two main facts. One is
the death of Herod the Great, which is
known to have occurred thirty-seven
years after he had been declared king by
the Romans. Now, this declaration took
place in A. u. c. ia. The initials A. U. c.
stand for ammo urbis condito, the year of
the building of the city (by Romulus),
which was the epoch whence the Romans
computed time. Add thirty seven to TIA
and you get A. u. C. ISL, which CORES
ponds with b. c.. 4. 1t is obvious that
Herod could not have died four years be-
fore Christ Further, we know that there
was an eclipse of the moon on March II,
B. C. 4, on which night Herod ordered
some Jewish rabbis to be burned for urg-
ing their pupils to destroy his golden ca
gle, and that he was dead before the Pass
| over, which took place on April u, b. G.
| 4. Christ must, therefore, have been born
| before February, B. c. A. The 25th of De-
| cember, B. c. s, would fulfill all historical
| requirements.
Our present reckoning then is just -four
| years in error. 1t might indeed, seem
that it is five, instead of four, because
| the interval from a given date in b. c,
| to the same in A. d. is five years. But
a little thought will convince you that
| this would be still another error. Christ
| it must once more be remembered, was
| born, according to our reckoning, in the
concluding days of the last year of the
| old era, i. e., on Dec. rs, B. c. 1. Now b
| C. is the fourth year before that, Sc
year of the nativity, the present year, 1896
| would be 1900, /. e., the nineteenth hum
| dredth year after the birth of Christ. Al
| its close. nineteen centuries from thai
event would be completed, and the TWEEN
| tieth century would commence with next
| Friday, which would be called Jan. /, 1901
The error, however, is not one that could
| easily be remedied. Nor, in view of the
| inconvenience which it would entail, is Il
worth remedying. To take just one sin
| gle instance. think how every reference
book, every history and every individual
| memory would have to be overhauled
| Every event would have to be pulled jus
| four years forward. A world in which
| America was discovered in 1896, in which
the Mayhower landed in 1924 and the revo
| luton broke out in 1779 would not be The
| same old world that we know and love.
|
| How to Sell Clothes.
s'Them pants is too short" said a huck