The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-07-25
WHERE CENTURY
WILL BEGIN.
The Curious chronological Boundary
That Mark the Point Where
the Day Changes.

The ques ion of where the century be-
gins is not such difficult one to answer,
when one takes into consideration the
fact that there Is a date line way out
in the Pacific that marks the point
where the day changes. For instance,
when the naval aud merchant vessels
are crossing the Pacific ocean they
change the date in their logs al the 180th
meridian OF longitude and it Is this bonn
dairy that has come to be known as tho
date line
This lS0th meridian is one OF the most
interesting OF facts for the student. for it
Is one OF the most important lines of de-
narration in existence. 1t being scarcely
necessary to point out that, to the east
ward going traveller, this line marks the
point from which the local time Is ever
later and later, while To the westward
going traveller the time is ever earlier and
earlier than the time of the initial me.
ridian.
The result is that when the traveller.
in the first case, reaches the lS0th me-
ridian. his time is twelve hours later
than that Of the first meridian, mud when
the traveller. In the second case. reaches
the same meridian his time Is twelve
hours earlier.
ASIAIlG TIME.
Ii we suppose that these two travellers
meet exactly ON the lS0th meridian their
times differ by day that Of the one com
Ing from the Asiatic side being a day
later than that OF the one approaching
from the American side. For instance.
when it is Thursday ON the American
side it is Friday on the Asiatic side and,
to set things right, from n chronological
point of view. il Is necessary for the
traveller crossing the line from the
American side to skip Friday altogether,
passing Immediately from Thursday to
Saturday, whereas the traveller crossing
from the Asintic side is compelled to
have two days in succession.
While II Is customary to refer to the
1sOth meridian as the date line the ac
tual fact is that the real date line does
not follow this meridian with any degree
OF eNaetness. To tell the truth the date
line is extremely crooked, not to say
uncertain in its course, and il Is this fact
that has bothered the makers of sehoo
books and other standard works of refer
ence not n little.
During the past few years the charts
OF this boundary have shown not little
diversity of opinion on the part of their
makers and, not long ago. the United
States photographic Once. over which
Rear Admiral Royal B Bradford pre-
sides, decided 10 settle the matter once
aud for all, An expedition was at once
sent out with instructions to make the
researches as thorough as possible. and
the result of this investigation may be
seen In the official chart recently issued
by tho office.
While the photographic ONCE stamps
the chart with Its official mark. the man
who is responsible for the line IL Pro
fessor George Davidson, president OF the
Geographical Society of the Pacific.
NO GENERAL LAW.
Professor Davidson soon discovered
the navigntors had been wrong In the
slpposition that the date line followed
closely the lS0th meridian. In fact. AS
the line has not been determined by any
International agreement, each island or
group of islands had its own usage a
usage that had in instances been changed
several times, either by the local govern
ment. II distant sovereign. or by the
steamship companies on which the
islanders relied for communication with
the outside world.
In determining upon a date line Pro.
fessor Davidson came down between 81
10 the westward of the lS0th meridian
in the North Pacific In order to clear the
uttermost Aleuthian Islands and asso
ciate them with the American continent
Just north of the tropic OF cancer there
is II large group of reefs and small Isl
ands, long known as the Morrel group
which are also associated with the
American time. From this point tn,
boundary follows straight line To the
south until it approaches the Ellice Isl
ands on the other side of the equator.
The line then slants away 10 the south
eastward so as TO connect the Tonga
or Friendly group with the Asiatic sys.
TEN, and attaching Samoa 10 the Ameri-
can. Among the other places that are
thus associated with Hawaii and the
American system are the Tanning and
Christmas Islands and the Phoenix and
Union groups.
Such. then, is the date line OF the Hy-
geographic Ofiice. and as this il the line
that will undoubtedly be followed by
mariners the world over il is quite safe
TO hazard the opinion that II will not be
long before il comes to be regarded as the
international date line.