The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-03-07
NEW TIME SYSTEM URGED.
The New Century May See n Big
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 IL
o'clock all over the world. At present
each day is spread over As (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 Chica go 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
as far back as 1856, when the time for
all through trains on the Canadian Pa
cific railroad was first reckoned in
hours running from to 2.
The fixing of a 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 60 around the world and be
back at the club in so days so nearly
lost his bet. He had forgotten this DIFF
ference of a day and thought that he
had completed his journey "a hours too
late.
Does anyone ask: "What is going to
straighten this out and bring about
order out of existing chaos?" The an
swer 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.
1884. expressly to establish prime
meridian and a 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
at 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.
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 wears
ago was in common use in kitchens to
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
perforation, the escapement; while the
sinking of the shell or bowl is the in
deX of the completion of a definite
period.
A curious use of the ciepsydra in
Greece was for limiting the length of
speeches in the courts. In important
cases an additional amount Of time wa G
allowed and each side was permitted
so gallons of water, necessitating the
use of unusually large amphorae.
When a speaker was interrupted to
save the time being charged against
him he would order the official to stop
the water" This practice might be re-
vived with profit.
The system of time keeping in Rome
divided the day and night into four
watches, which were determined
roughly by observing the courses of
the sun and stars. Noon was an
nounced publicly by an official, who
from the senate watched for the ap-
pearance of the sun at a certain point.
Among the Montagnais Indians a
crude form of sun dial is used in hunt
ing to let the squaws, who follow their
lords and masters, know whether they
may take it easy or hurry up. for they
might fare badly if they Jagged behind
when their husbands were ready for
supper. And so the men when hunting
erect in the snow a stick at some we'll
known place and draw the exact line
OF the sticks shadow in the snow be-
fore going on.
One Day for Bathing in Mexico.
ONLY one country in tho ,yor1d hoe