The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-31
PASSING OFTHE CENTURY
The Extraordinary Significance Of
New Year Ere, 1900.
solemn Observance to BE Made In
Washington of the Midnight Hone
Watch Meetings In the Protestant
and Masses in Catholic Churohese
Messages to European scnarchss

It IS this day. December 81, 1890. On
which the world and man bid farewell to
the Nineteenth Century. The ordinary
significance Of the day. that It is the last
! OF a year. is overwhelmed by the vaste=
| significance that it is the last Of a cen
tury- The day dawned, the sun rose and
the mists swept across the skies Nature
did not seem disturbed. To her a century
is such little tick OF time To man It Is
a measureless sea, and the days are as
little rippies. Several hours before the
Nineteenth Century shall have perished In
this hemisphere, the Twentieth viii lave
come IN the Far East The new century
to d#elleTs on the earth viii begin IN
! the islands and seas that lie along tie
1SJth degree Of west longitude The new
century viii dawn at Calcutta nine hours
and at London hye hours before il breaks
el Washington L will be three hours
old at Washington when it bursts upon
/ the people OF the Pacific Slope.
Unusual preparations are making IN the
chief cities OF the world to signaIize the
passing Of g century, thrcnged with
thoughts and deeds that are good and bad.
and to welcome the coming Of a century
which, according to the disposition OF
man, gives promise to the world Of won
-rous blessing or direfUI trouble
Ali agree, though, that the creative fac
nlty Of man which IN the century now dy-
ing has carried the world along from the
flint and steel to the friction match, the
zip 70 the are light, TIE scythe to the
reaper, the fail 10 the thresher, and the
stage coach TO the locomotive, viii not
halt at the crossing OF the centuries but
VIII move on to the creation OF new mar
yeis, perhaps at an accelerated pace.
Washington viii observe the great cen
7 r-1
understand such things There viii be
watch services ia practically every church
IN the District. II WIS not so long ago
that the term watch service was exeia-
slVeiy Methodist, but year by year other
Christian denominations have been adopt
tHg the form until tonight the sad ard Joy
GUS, solemn and festive midnight ceremony
viii be observed by not only the Method
ist but the Episcopal, Presbyterian. Bap-
| list, and other old and infiuential Chris
tan seets. In every Catholic Church in
The world midnight mass viii be SAID. This
Is N accordance with the wish Of Pope
Leo Kill
IN some Of the Protestant churches sun
rise meetings viii be held
President Mckinley with the members
; OF MS Cabinet and Of his official and de-
nestle households VIII watch the old cen
tury go and the new one come
At the British Embassy. Lord Pauaee-
iSs1S and the domestic household. will
mark this great sofer1ify of Time. On the
streke OF midnight. Lord Psuneesote viii
send eongratuIatory message u sEEeaH
~ IN Wash
a message to tne Es
A number, perhaps a majority. OF the
diplomats in the service OF the Govern
ments of Continental Europe, resident at
Washington. viii assemble at the German
Embassy for watch-service. Messages OF
coagrstuiatioa viii fash forth on the
stroke of twelve to many of the sover-
eigRs OF the Old World.
The Representatives Of Mexico and the
Central and South American Governments
viii transmit to President Mckinley 8
joint eongratuiatoFy note as testimonial
for the assistane rendered by the United
States TO the countries Of the south dur
ing the Nineteenth Century.
The midnight hour in Washington VIII
be noisy with the clangoF and jingle ef
bells, the braying and rasping of horns,
and the crash and splutter OF decorating
gunpowder Fireworks viii also play
through the night