The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1901-01-09
BIRTH or THE NEW CENTURY.
January I, 1901, Dawned First on the
Friendly Island.

The first second of Jan. 1. 1901. will
occur In the midst Of the Pacific ocean
along line conforming in general to
the meridian of 1870 degrees east and
west longitude from Greenwich. There
is no land of consequence to salute the
new century; no human eye save per-
haps that of some sailor will be there
to welcome its entrance.
The Friendly islanders will be the
first people to live in the new century.
The date line, as it may be called. lies
IN the Pacific just to the east OF their
group. It will be Tuesday to them. but
all the rest of the world will be living
in Monday and enjoying some phase or
the closing hours Of the nineteenth GEN.
tury. At Melbourne the people will be
Just going to bed, for 1t will be about
10 o'clock there. At Manila the CLOCKS
will point to two hours earlier In the
evening. while at Calcutta the resi-
dents will be enjoying their afternoon
dinner, and in London the house or
commons clock will be striking the
noon hour. Boston and New York will
be eating breakfast, while residents of
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul will
be hardly conscious of the dawn. San
Franciscoites will be sleeping the sleep
of a Sunday nights rest. and half the
great Pacific will be wrapped in the
darkness preceding dawn.
The actual date line varies from the
theoretical one in a number of cases.
Starting at the north pole, it follows
the meridian of $50 degrees to near 20
degrees north latitude, where it cures
to the east 10 degrees, so as to pass
through Boring strait, and includes all
of Siberia in the Russian day. Then
1t takes a reverse curve to 40 degrees
east longitude to include the Aleutian
islands in our American day. AT about
5 degrees south latitude, after crossing
the equator, 1t curves once more to the
east 10 degrees. so as to give the
Friendly islanders the Australian day.
1t then regains the meridian Of 1856 de-
grees just south of the Chatham is
lands and follows this line to the south
pole.
The meridian of $50 degrees east and
west of Greenwich traverses the Pa
cific ocean from north to south. On
the extreme north 1t runs across Wran
gel Land, in the Arctic ocean; for 10
miles it stretches across the continent
of Asia. passing from Cape North
to Cape Thinga, eastern Siberia. From
Asia the meridian crosses Bering sea
to the Aleutian islands. then for over
1900 miles to the south there is moth
ing but open sea. At about Is degrees
| north latitude will be found Midway
islands, and then for distance Of
nearly 80 degrees there is open ocean
uninterrupted by any land. Eight de-
grees south Of the equator the line runs
through the Ellice islands; 10 degrees
farther south lies the Fiji group. For
500 miles Of ocean the line passes south
without sight of land until the Kerme-
dec islands are crossed, then no land
until the southern continent is touched
at Victoria Land. 50 degrees south OF
the equator.
This is the strict theoretical position
of the date line along which the day
begins. 1t would be the actual line
save for exceptions which man has
made. These have crept in in answer
to the demands of business or the man.
ner of colonization.
The Russians, who possessed Alaska.
brought eastward the day Of st. Pc
| tersburg and maintained it on this con.
tinent until Alaska became part OF
| the United States. We then set the
date line to the west 10 degrees past
the meridian of $50 degrees so as to in
clude in our day our outermost island,
| Attu, which, being in east longitude
ITO degrees, is the latest place on earth
to retain any certain day.-Charles E.
| George in st. Paul Pioneer Press.