Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-02-27
NV 4lLE SYSTEM URGED.
The New Century May See q Dir
Change Introduced in the
Calendar.


Change Introduced in the
Calendar.
The new century will bring about
many changes, but perhaps none of
such everyday Importance as the pro-
posed new method of time-keeping.
One of the most practical results will
be that noon at Greenwich will be II
o'clock all over the world. At present
each day is spread over 4s (and in some
instances 55) hours in different places.
With the new system it will have its
beginning and end within "a hours all
over the globe. The hours on our
watches and clocks. too, will run from
/ to "a, says the Chicago Chronicle.
The waggish reply, "a quarter past
49, made by the policeman in the Dab
Ballads" will become the correct way
of indicating "A quarter past one"
But, after all, this will only be an en-
largement of what was actually begun
Is far back as 1856, when the time for
all through trains on the Canadian Pa
citic railroad was first reckoned in
hours running from to 2.
The fixing of universal prime
meridian will do away with the am
biguity which, as railways and tele.
graphs become multiplied. lead to such
confusing complications in social and
commercial affairs, to errors in
chronology, to litigation in connection
with succession to property, insurance
| matters, contracts, etc. The present
variations of time are readily demon
strated by selecting points in four re-
gions about 80 degrees apart-for in
| stance, Japan. Arabia, Newfoundland
and Alaska. On Sunday at midnight
in Japan it is noon in Newfoundland.
Variation Of time forms the pivotal
point of the play around the World in
Eighty Days." in which the traveller
Who wagered at his London club that
he could go around the world and be
back at the club in so days so nearly
lost his bet. He had forgotten this Diff
ference of day and thought that he
had completed his journey 81 hours too
late.
Does anyone ask: "What is going to
straighten this out and bring about
order out of existing chaos?' The an
'wer is by simply putting into opera
ton the results of the deliberations of
the international meridian conference,
which met Washington at the invita-
ton of President Arthur in October,
1854. expressly to establish prime
meridian and universal day.
The following resolution was adopt
ed by congress:
This universal day is to be mean
solar day; is to begin for all the world
sc the moment of mean midnight of
the initial meridian, coinciding with
the beginning of the civil day and date
of that meridian, and is to be counted
from zero up to "a hours.
1.-The conference expresses the hope
that as soon as practicable the as
Economical and nautical days will be
arranged everywhere to begin at mean
midnight.
The conference expresses the hope
that the technical studies designed to
regulate and extend the application OF
the decimal system to the division OF
angular space and of time shall be re-
sumed, so as to admit the extension of
this application to all cases in which it
presents real advantages"
Coming down to our own day, what
else is the sand glass. which a few years
ago was in common use in kitchens tc
show the cook when the eggs were
boiled? And is not the modern clock
based on the same principles? In the
clepsydra the water is the motor: the
'>erforation, the escapement; while the
sinking of the shell or bowl is the in.
deN of the completion of a definite
period.
A curious use of the clepsydra il
Greece was for limiting the length Of
speeches in the courts. In importan
cases an additional amounted time wa:
allowed and each side was permitted
50 gallons of water, necessitating the
use Of unusually large amphorae
When a speaker was interrupted te
save the time being charged against
him he would order the official to ''sto1
the water" This practice might be re
vived with profit.
| AhC SlCAi Va Rome
divided the day and night into fou,
watches, which were determined
roughly by observing the courses O.
the sun and stars. Noon was an
nounced publicly by an official, VIII,
from the senate watched for the ap
pearance Of the sun at certain point
Among the Montagnais Indians {
crude form of sun dial is used in hunt
ing to let the squaws, who follow Their
lords and masters, know whether the,
may take it easy or hurry up, for the,
might fare badly if they Jagged behine
when their husbands were ready TO-
supper. And so the men when huntins
erect>in the snow a stick at some we'll
known place and draw the exact lin.
OF the sticks shadow in the snow be
fore going on.
Arithmetic 5000 Years Ago.
, Probably the oldest book for hom,
: lessons in arithmetic was recently un
+ % ~ ~