Evening star., 1898-05-14
WHERE THE DAY BEGINS
Proof That There Is Such Place in the
World.
Curious Condition of Affairs Along
the Line-freamnaviga
ths. Globe.
From the st. James Gazette.

From the St James Gazette.
Seeing that as one moves westward the
time gets earlier aid earlier SO that when
1t Is Monday noon i'm London it is some time
on Monday orning in America it follows
that. If this principle were continued with
out limit all the way round the world at
the same moment that it was Monday noon
in London it would he also twenty -four
hours later-ie, Tuesday noon in London
AS this is a reductio ad absurdun1, We have
to look for the limit, which does. in fact,
exist. TO the principle that as one moves
westward the time gets earlier, and as one
moves eastward gets later.
Before the circumnavigation of the globe
there was 10 difficulty. When on a Mon
Gay the sun stood over London it was
Monday noon in London. AS the sun
moved Ito use the popular phrase) west
ward, and stood a little later over Dublin
II became Monday noon sin Dublin and so
Oh until he reached the western limit of
the known world When the sun passed
over that limit that was the end of noon
for that Monday. and nobody knew what
the sun was doing until he reappeared on
the eastern limit of the known world
bringing with him Tuesday morning 1t is
evident. therefore, that while the sun was
in the unknown abyss between west and
east. ne dropped the attribute of making
The time at all places directly under his
rays Monday room and took to himself
the attribute of making 1t Tuesday noon.
AS the confines of the world were pushed
further eastward and westward. respect
lively, the unknown abyss where this
change Of attribute had to be made got
narrower and narrower, until. when the
glooe was circumnavigated. the place of
change became simply a line. This line
exists and is the place where the days
begin. As the sun crosses this remarkab BILE
spot the time jumps twentyfour hours
GnWard-from noon on one day to noon
the next day. The situation of the line
has been located quite fortuitously-nameIy
by the circumstance whether any given
place was first reached 10y civilized man
journeying flon the east or from the west.
The discoverer brought with him the al
Eanac from whence he came. and If he
came from the west the time in the new
country would be later. and If he came
from the east it would be earlier than the
time i'll the country that he came from.
America was reached by civilized man
voyasing westward, and China by man
travelling eastward. and the result is that
the line which marks where the days begin
lies between these two, in the Pacific
ocean, and instead of being straight line.
zig-zags about. dividing islands which hap
pened to be discovered from the east from
those which happened to be discovered
from the west. There must still be many
islands in that ocean where Ii is not yet
decided to which side Of the line they be-
long. and where if one were put down one
would not know whether it were today
tomorrow. or yesterday. There must also
be many islands there which, never having
been permanently occupied by civilized
people. change their day from time to time.
so that a ship calling there coming from
China might arrive on Tuesday, while an
other ship callirg at the same time from
America would arrive on Monday. There
must also be people living so near this line
that by going few miles they can leave
today and get into tomorrow, or by going
back can find yesterday. How convenient
for troublesome appointments.
Many other curious considerations occur
to one but | have said enough, / think to
show-what every one does not, perhaps
reaiize-that there is a place in the world
where the days begin.