Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-26
THIRTEEN HOURS FROM MANILA.
Difference of Time From washington
Based on Greenwich Meridian

In view of recent and expected happen
ings IN the Philippine Islands the following
statement. reprinted from The Star of May
= last, concerning the time difference be-
tween Washington and Manila will be of
interest at present:
Manila is both east and west of Wash
ington. Longitudnaily il is east. In actual
distance it is TO be considered as west.
The computation of relative time depends
solely upon which of these directions is to
be adopted Ii Washington We're permitted
to count geographical distances from the
basis of its own meridian of longitude Ma
Mia would reckon her time, as We see the
case, later than Washington. Therefore it
would be about II o'clock last night in
Manila when it was O'Clock this morning
here. But happily for the sanity Of the
dwellers on earth civilized man has de-
vised a plan for preventing each locality
from considering itself the center of the
world, and has provided that the nations
agree upon some fixed spot as the COM
mencemeut of all calculations. Greenwich,
England. is this point which is now recog-'
nized by most nations in computing time
dill erenCeS. The rapid development of the
world : WildernesSeS has made some such
device absolutely essential. Thus Wash
ington relinquishes her right to regard Ma
Mia as lying west and as taking her time
from the Washington basis and consents to
consider her as lying east and taking her
time from the Greenwich basis. On this
foundation il is 10 o clock tonight in Ma
Mia when it is . o'clock this morning here.
the difference being approximately thirteen
hours.
OF course there comes place on the
globe where the days do not adjust them
selves to the arbitrary schedule adopted
| by the moderns. Naturally this lies ex-
acty opposite Greenwich or longitude $50
west or east, according to the point of view.
It is the only meridian that can be called
both west and east. When that line is
reached travellers must reorganiZe their
calendars. Fortunately this line falls in
mid-pcean throughout its length, only
striking one of the Fiji islands ana perhaps
n few other small projections from the sur
face of the Pacific. Hence the annoyance
of the miSddjustmcnt is reduced to a mini
mum and confronts only the transoceanic
travellers who journey over this imaginary
boundary. Going west ii is necessary 10
drop day out of the week. the month and
the year. Going east 1t is just as necessary
to add day. Thus the west-bound tourist
finds himself minus d Sunday or a Thurs
| day. according as he encounters the line
Coming eastward he doubles the length of
the day on which the meridian is crossed
| ON reaching shore he picks UP the routine
| OF tiFllzatioh once more and proceeds with
out confusion.
\ curious fact is recorded roncarr;re, ~,
J time difference as it affects the PhiIinnine
/ Islands, now so pointedly the center of
! Wofid-"Ide interest. Those islands were
discovered by Spanish yoyagers sailing
| westward around Cape Horn. Borneo. a
snort distance to the west, was discovered
/ by the Portuguese going around Cane of
! Good Tope eastward. Consequently for
many Years these two regions so close in
actual distance and yet separa ted by almost
| the circumference of the globe as regards
time, had different schedules and the
| PhlilpP1ne Islanders held their Sunday on
! the day that was Monday to the inha hit
ants of BorneO. Recently this error was
| corrected. and these two contiguous conn
tries are now on the same time basis
We're II not for this correction the battle
OF Manila would have been fought last Sar
urday instead of Sunday. the islands tins
! lying longftudinally as well as geograph
ically west of Washington