Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-30
ABOUT THE NEXT CENTURY
Many Curious and Interesting Events That
Will Occur Then.
Seven EcIipses in the Year 1885
No Transit of Venus.

fi"hi thc Shaiieetou VIEWS anu Sourler
There was a queer genius at the Hotel
Calhoun yesterday, and he had fad that
is stranger than those usually encountered
in faddists. His name was Riley V. Moore
and he hailed from Battle Creek, Mich.
Mr.. Moore's favorite occupation during his
odd moments is to collect all sorts of in
formation and advance statistics concern
ing the twentieth century. He has large
scrap book full of newspaper clippings
containing many interesting facts concern
ing the next one hundred years. Besides
the book of clippings he has a note book,
in which he has written great deal of
matter that was told him.
Mr. Moore allowed a reporter for the
News and Courier to look through his
scrap book and Gull the following bits of
information. which may prove interesting:
The twentieth century will commence on
January L, 1901. 1t will open on Tuesday
and close on Sunday. 1t will have the
greatest number of leap years possible
twenty-four. The year 1904 will be the
first one. then every fourth year after that
to and including the year 1000. February
will have three times five Sundays-in 1920
1913 and 1876.
In 1891, federal memorial day, Fourth of
July and Thanksgiving day will occur the
same day in the week Then. after thai
the same thing will happen at the follow
ing intervals: 8, II, IL. 6, II, II years and
so on or IN 1907, 1918 1929, 1893, and so on.
In the years 1912 1914 1869 and 1896 there
are four holidays that will fall on the same
day in the week-the three already men
toned and Washington's birthday anniver-
sary' as also the 18th of February.
Dates for Easter.
Thanksgiving day and Christmas will &C.
cur the same day in the week in 1906, and
then at successive intervals of IL, 6, IL, IL,
u, IL years, and so on; also in 1923, 1856 and
1881. March 4 will fall on Sunday in the
inaugural years 1917, 1916 and 1913. The
same yearly calendar that was used in 1895
can be used again in 1901
The following years, in order beginning
with 1901, the dates of Easter for the first
twenty-five years of the century: April I.
March 80 April -. 3, %, Is. March 81.
April 9. II. March 81. April 16, I, March y
April II, 4. %. s. March 81 April 20, 4,
March p. April 49, 1, 20, r. The earliest
possible date on which Easter can occur is
March .. The last time it occurred on this
date was in 1918. but it will not occur again
until after the twentieth century. The
latest Easter can occur Is April %, and it
Will thus occur but once in the coming CEN
tury-ln 19i3. The last time it occurred was
April, % 1886. Whenever Easter occurs
on March 81, or April 8. 10, II or "a, Christ
mas also occurs on Sunday.
Though one of the objects aimed at by
the church authorities who fixed upon the
method of determining the date of Easter
was to prevent its occurring on the same
date as the Jewish Passover. nevertheless
the two events will occur together four
times in the twentieth century-April II,
1903: April l, 1923; April II, 1927, and
April 10, 1881
The twentieth century will contain 3d.
go days, which lacks one day of being ex-
aCtly 5,21S weeks. The day of the week
that Will not occur as often as each of the
others is Monday. Fifteen out of the hun
dred years will begin on Wednesday and
the same number on Friday. Fourteen will
begin on each of the other days of the
week.
Several announcements are made of
changes to be inaugurated with the open
ing of the new century. The first of i'm
portance is that Russia will adopt the
Gregorian calendar. This will be done by
emitting thirteen days. the amount of the
error that will have accumulated after the
close of February. 1900. The Russian will
then write January l. 1901, instead of De-
cember 10. 1900.
An Important Announcement.
The other important announcement is that
it is not at all likely that the astronomical
day. which now begins at noon of the civil
day, will begin with the civil day at mid
night. The present method of having the
astronomical day to begin twelve hours
after the beginning of the civil day is apt
TO be confusing. On the other hand, to have
the former begin at midnight will be to
them somewhat inconyenient.
As to eclipses in the coming century.
there will be about $50 of them, the num-
Der of solar being to the number of lunar
in about the ratio of 4 to g.
nat IS the very rare occurrence in
calendar year will happen in 1875. the first
time since 1873, viz: Seven eclipses, the
largest possible number that can happen in
a year
There are eight total solar eclipses pre-
dicted to occur visible in the United states
in 1918. 1923. 1915. 1879, 1884 1894 There will
also occur twelve transits of Mercury A
transit of Venus. however. which is of
much more Importance, will not occur
within the next century. The earlies date
predicted is June s. 200i.
While 1t is claimed at least 900 comets
come within visible range of the earth
within century, there is reasonable Ger
tainty of the recurrence of but one extra
ordinary comet in the next century That
one is known as Hailey's. 1t was last seen
in 1888. 1t will be due again in 1910 or 1911
The exact time is not known owing to
slight modification in its orbit due to plane
tary influence. OF course. it is not mpos-
sible for some hitherto unobserVed comet
to appear in all its blazing glory at any
time. No astronomer knows.
OF famous meteorc showers there will
probably be three occurrences of the Leo
nids in 1892, 1855 and in 1868, as in the pres
ent century, one being due November 10 of
this year.