The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-05


crossing the Pacific ocean. they change
the date In their logs at the 1s0th meridian
of longitude and it is this boundary that
has come to be known as the date line.
This iSoth meridian is one of the most
interesting of facts for the student, for it
Is o ( the most important lines of de-
mark, \ in existence, it being scarcely
uecessar., to point out that, to the east
tard-going traveller, this line marks the
point from Which the local time is ever
later and later, while 10 the westward
going traveller the time Is ever earlier
than the time of the initial meridian.
The. result is that when the traveller IN
the first case reaches the 1S0th meridian.
his time is twelve hours later than that of
the first meridian, and when the traveller,
in the second case, reaches the same me
r!dian his time is twelve hours earlier.
If we suppose that these two travellers
meet exactly on the 1Soth meridian their
times differ by day, that of the one
coming from the AsIatic side being day
later than that of the one approaching
from the American side. For instance,
when It is Thursday on the American side
il is Friday on the Asiatic side, and. to set
things right, from a chronological point
OF view. it is necessary for the traveller
crossing the line from the American side
to skip Friday altogether passing imne-
dsately from THURSDAY to Saturday. where
as the traveller crossing from the Asiatic
side is compelled to have two days in sue
cession.
While ii is customary to refer to the 1S0th
meridian as the date line, the actual fact
is that the real date line does not follow
this meridian with any degree of exact
ness. To tell the truth, the date line is
extremely crooked, not to say uncertain
in its course, and it is this fact that has
+l,a ,oly Of cchnO1 hooks and
other standard works of reference not
little.
During :ha past few years the charts Of
this boundary have shown not Il little
diversity Of oCin On on the part Of their
makers and, not long ago, the TINTED
States photographic Oriice, orsr wi2ich
Rear-Adn,.ral Royal q. Bradford pre-
SIDES. decided to settle The matter once and
fer all An expedition was at once 5s7t
out with Instructions TO make the re-
searches as thorough as possible. and the
result Of this investigation may he seen IN
The official chart recently issued 0J the
office.
While the photographic Office stamps
the Chart with It's Official marx, the man
who is responsible for the line is Profess
scr George Davidson, president % The Geo
graphical Sccia:y OF the Pacific
While, occupying the chair Of geography
Davidson was Intercepted about the in
ternar:Jnal ja.e line. and the difficulty
that ne found in answering the Question
determined him to make all Investigation
Of his own He tad been at work scarce
~ more than six months when the Ny5ro-
graphic Cnjce commissioned him to prepare
its official chart.
Professor Davidson soon discovered the
navfgators had been wrong in the sup
rnTl clos .lN
the 1sOth meridian. In fact, as the line
has not been determined by any interna-
ti1na! agreement. each Island or group Of
islands had lis own usaee-a usage tfat
had in instances been changed severa!
tines. either by the local government.
distant SOVEREIGN, or by the steamship COM
parlies on which the islanders relied Tor
communication with the outside world.
II might be said. each community had
been a law unto itself. and as there had
been no official agreement among the isl
ands the term international date line
could not appropriately be used
In determining upon a date line Professor
Davidson came down between Siberia and
Alaska. and ttlen swung out to the west
ward of the 1SOth meridian in the North
Pacific in order to clear the uttermosf
Aleuthian Islands and associate them with
| the American continent
! just nDGlil Oh tlIt ~ W Z ~ S''iiS-' N''>-7
| e a large group of reefs and small islands,
! long known as the Morrell group, whici!
| are also associated with the American
time From this point the boundary
follows a straight line to the south until
1t approaches the EIlice Islands on the
other side Of the equator.
The line then slants away to the SOUTH
eastward, 50 as to connect the Tonga or
Friendly group with the Asiatc system,
ana attaching Samoa to the American.
Among the other places that are thus as
ISOLATED with Hawaii and the American
system are the flaming and Christmas
Islands and the Phoenix and Union groups.
Such. then. is the date line of the Hydro
graphic Office. and as this is the line that
win undoubtedly be followed by mariners
the world over 1t is quite safe to hazard
the opinion that it will not be long before
it comes to he regarded as the internation-
al date line.
For the first time in history govern
ment of standing has placed it's Official
stamp upon this boundary, and it is scarce
IL probable that another government Wlll
find any reason to change ii. Anyone.
therefore, who desires TO answer the cues
ton '.Where does the century begin, can
solve the problem without difficulty by
reference to this photographic Office char''
for the line that marks the changing POM
of the day marks also the beginning ana
the ending Of the century.