The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
auditors. Then .ome ono ala, e.ercises hi.

| | I II
auditors. Then some one else exercises hlt
explanatory power and during the day the top.
ic is pretty well, IL not very skilfully. threshed
out. OF course. the old stock Jokes about
the Line" are perennial and useful. Did you
feel a bump when we hit the Liner" and ali
the other appropriate witticisms do their
usual turn on the promenade deck and are
then restored to their pigeonholes. The
Line" Is worth a half dozen passing uhips to
relieve the monotony OF the long voyage. and
even the particularly dense individual becomes
convinced that somehow or other q day has
been lost or won.
Hero Is a mar Of the Date Line. It will be
observed. that the line by no means follows the
lSOth meridian all the way through the Pacific.
1t is purely a convention. and in fact Is drawn
through the ocean Just where 1t will best serve
the convenience OF navigators and the bust
ness interests OF the regions through which It
runs. The only reason why IL should coincide
with the 1S0th meridian in any part Of its
course is tina. most OF the sailors Of the world
long ago adopted the meridian OF Greenwich
as the initial meridian and in sailing east or
west 1t is most convenient for them to regard
the meridian that is exactly opposite Green
witch on the other side OF the world as The line
on which the necessary change In day and
date shall be made; and the Date Line sweryes
from the 1S0th meridian only when the bust.
ness or national interests OF lands lying not
ta- from the Line make 1t more convenient
for them to have it run to the east or west of
then The nature OF this convenience will
be explained later.
But why is it necessary to make any change
OF day and date? Let us consider this ques-
ton. dwelling only very briefly on facts that
everybody Is supposed to know.
The world revolves on its axis from vast to
east in twenty-four hours. which make a day.
To measure distance east or west. meridians
OF longitude have been drawn from the North
to the South Pole. and the east and west dis
lance around the earth is divided into $50 de-
grees OF longitude. In one revolution the
earth passes through $50 degrees in twenty
four hours. So in one hour 1t passes through
one-twehby-fourth OF 800 degrees. or Is de-
grees.
AT all places Chat lie On the sam meridian
midday comes at the same moment. In other
words. all places on the same meridian have
exactly the same time. Suppose 1t is just noon
IN New York city. We know that at that mo-
mens. way out in the Atlantic. 10 degrees Of
longitude east of New York. it is exactly an
hour later. or l p. NJ, for the sun rose at that
point Just an hour earlier than it did in New
York and we also know that ut that moment
Is degrees west OF this city. in the %neighbOr-
hood Of Lake Michigan. it is an hour earlier.
or II A.. n, ior the sun rose there an hour later
When you reach Chicago from New York you
time tim You have travelled Is degrees @"I west
and. having moved In a direction opposite that
Of the earlh,s Tota anfTaisyG you q haye, as far as you
earth's revolution and have lost an hour. II
you travel westward clear around the world.
nullifed one complete revolution Of the earth.
You have counted yo9r S gays I'm sequence
lost tWentyifo1r hours. II YOU steam no up ne the
harbcr on what, you call Tuesday. you will
find it is Wednesday in New York. and YOU must
hand, II you travel east. which is in the direction
OF the earth's rotation. you gain an hour for
every IS degrees you travel. and twenty:four
hours by the time you return to New York.
You are n day ahead OF the calendar and must
Su Sow ,h q G wSo dS t tse eSen OF YER tbs ,1 Date woT Iip ef "a To-
in the great ocean. where the sailor and trav-
make the change with the least embarrass-
mentor confusion to themselves or others.
every day to conform with his changed
position. why Is 1t necessary to have any
change Of day or any line to mark a changer
viBions OF time In a day. 1t has nothing to do
with changes OF days or months or years.
to avoid confusion. OF liking upon a line where
sailors or travellers going east or west shall
us give a rather striking Illustration. At any
place tina. is exactly 1870 degrees east or west
t Il N ais;e1 YSrs f IL sjS Ss b hsIt srOq 1Sat The hisO world rid
New York is twelve hours. Suppose two men.
one travelling east and the other west. might
Ssw 'York AZ sK: n; jan i would find SEe
destination . ?. NJ Dec. 81. At the
dps, : this sNpot, 1s0 degrees; Of; lo1gl;
time determinations differing In day. month
and year. both scientifically accurate as
initial meridian at New York.
The question which Of these dates to assign
lted Is not answered bv science, It is simply a
ardp rd Of convenience. and, JUDGED by that
II the, Asian, or Australian world. and
ne calendar date and time Of day, should
: 7. NJ; is the Asian Pr Australian date and
inc all along the 1SOth meridian from New
Let us see what a fine pickle our friends the
got into through their ignorance or
Indifference to the fact that the date must be
The spaniards travelled west from Spanish
Amsriea when they seized, and settled in the
american date along witt thsm and stuck to il.
h9ngh Tar and wide AROUND. IN Borneo, Java,
s ne /. didaiaa|t, fns e'i macH HSt dif TSs ias'H To
he Philippines for hundreds Of years. Spain
ISked the islands for nothing except taxes.
They had no trade with the ~nelghborinp
countries. Their only commerce was
spanish America; both had the same day
md everybody was satisfied. Early In this
.entury, however. Srain lost every inch Of ter
ltory she, possessed on the American main
or other customers. There we're the Portu-
'uese at MACAO. near Canton. the Dutch all
and China near at hand. The calen-
lind that OF every .other Hlaee Ia AaIa TINT