The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-11-26
DEWEY AND THE CLOCK.
A Clear Explanation of a Somewhat
Confused Matter.
From the Philadelphia Record.

a question being asked by many people
is the time-United States time-at which
occurred the naval engagement in Manila
Bay. The statement frequently made
that, could the news of the fight have been
sent to us instantaneously, we would have
received it on Saturday afternoon, was
mistake. The truth is that, though news
was not transmitted to us instanter, it came
in remarkably short time, and it reached
US Sunday evening, as it should have done,
for the day was Sunday with us as we'll as
at Manila. The mistake is so obvious
upon moments reflection that it would
hardly be worthy of notice, were it not
that the whole tenor of the article is cal
culated to render more confused a subject
which to many is already sufficiently con-
fusing, and about which it is desirable just
at this time to have clear ideas
Manila is situated very nearly half way
around the globe from Philadelphia, reck-
oning westward. Its distance is such that
the sun in its apparent daily course around
the earth (due to the earth $ rotation on
its axis, having reached the meridian of
Philadelphia, and having thus marked for
us the hour Of noon, must travel for near
ly / hours before it reaches the meridian
of Manila At the end of that time cur
clocks will, of course, indicate l. P NJ,
while at Manila it will be monday. In
other words, our time is II hours in ad-
vance of Manila time. The attack of
Commodore Dewey on the Spanish fleet
was made "about daybreak on the
morning of Sunday, May 1. At that
time the hour was p NJ. with us in
Philadelphia.
But was the day with us Sunday or
Saturday. The answer to this question
depends upon the position of Manila with
reference to the "Date Line" and it was
apparently a misapprehension as to the
locality of this mystic line which led to
the error above noted. The day was then
Sunday with us, and we get at this fact in
this way
THE DATE LINE.
The international date line the line
at which by the common consent of ma
tions the day is conceived to begin--is
commonly, and, generally speaking, cor
rectly stated to be the 18Oth meridian of
longitude, located half way around the
globe from the ''prime meridian of
Greenwich. The day has different names
on the two sides of this line. When it is
Sunday on the east side it is Monday on
the west side; Monday on the east side,
Tuesday on the west side, and so on
through the week, although the same sun
shines and it is really the same day. The
reason for this rather curious arrangement
will appear at once if one will imagine
himself to travel westward around the earth
as rapidly as the sun travels, or appears to
travel; that is, so rapidly that the sun will
seem to him to stand still in the heavens.
He starts from Philadelphia, We will say,
at noon on a Sunday. In three hours he
reaches San Francisco. The sun is still
on the meridian and it is still noon for him,
though in Philadel lphia the time is B p.
NJ Across the ocean to Hong Kong. 1t
is still noon. On to London, speeding
across Asia and Europe at the rate of Is
degrees of longitude every hour, and still
it is MONDAY At the end Of "a hours
he is back in Philadel phia, and there also
| it is noon,
IF he has been unconscious of the lapse
of time he may imagine that it is still
Sunday; but really it is now Monday at
Philadelphia The question arises, where
in the course of his flying journey did the
day change its name-what part of his
trip was performed on Sunday, what part
on Monday? The answer is that it was
Sunday until he reached the 190th meri-
dian, and after crossing that line it was
Monday.
Now, the Philippine Islands lie west
ward of the meridian-four hours west
ward, Manila being very nearly in longi-
tude 120 degrees east from Greenwich.
Accordingly, if this scheme of dating were
adhered to strictly when it is Sunday at
the Philippines it would be Saturday on
our side of the line. But for some rea-
son doubtless good and sufficient rea-
son-the actual date line, as it is laid down
upon a chart, does not follow exactly the
18Oth meridian 1t comes down through |
Bering Strait, which is 10 degrees east of
this meridian; then, taking Southwestern
ly course, running parallel with the east
ern coast of Asia, quite close to but east
of the Japan Islands, it curves around the
Philippine Islands, passing between them
and the Continent, and then, taking a
southeasterly course, passes eastward of
Australia and Now Zealand
MANILA HAS AMERICAN TINE.
The Philippines, being thus located east
ward of the ''date line," have American
time, SO to say Hong Kong lies on the
other side of the line, and accordingly,
although the difference between Manila
and Hong Kong time is less than half an
hour, the day bears different names in the
two places At the time when Commo-
dore Dewey began his attack, which all
accounts say was on Sunday morning, it
was Monday morning, about s. 80, accord
ing to the Hong Kong calendar This
fact is brought out very clearly in the brief
dispatch from Hong Kong, dated May 2,
announcing, prematurely, however, that
the bombardment of Manila had begun.
We need to keep these points well in
mind to avoid confusion respecting dates
in following these Eastern events.
Another point, since it is Monday morn
ing in Hong Kong while it is still Sunday
afternoon with us, a telegram coming to us
from Hong Kong seems to reach us before it
was sent Thus, the McCulloch arrived
at Hong Kong in the forenoon of May
Z. The cablegram announcing the fact
reached us about daybreak on the same
day. On the other hand, dispatch d.
rect from Manila, however quickly it may
come, must seem to us to have been about |
ii hours in its Transmission.
How TO AcT.-If man cheats YOU.
L