The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-02-09
THE NEW TIME SYSTEM
ONE THING THAT MAY COME WITH
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

A Plan That Would Simplify Matters
Greatly-Need Of Universal Day ana
prime Meridian-Some Early Methods
-Cocoanuts Clocks-Timing by Water |
The new century will bring about
many changes, but perhaps none Oh
such everyday Importance as the pro-
nosed new method Of timekeeplng.
One of the most practical results VIII
be that noon at Greenwich Will De IL
o'clock all over the world. At present
each day is spread over forty-elgnt
land in some instances hfty-nve)
hours in different places. With the
new system it will have 1t beginning
and end within twenty-four hours all
over the globe. The hours on our
watches and clocks, too, will run 1rom
one to twenty-four. 1t would seem ODD
for n while to order theatre carriages
at half-past twenty-five In place OF
! half-past ten.
The waggish reply "a quarter-past
thirteen" made by the policeman IN
the "Bab Ballads" will become the
correct way of indicating "a quarter
mast one" But, after all, this Will
only be an enlargement of what actu-
ollv begun as far back as 1886. when
the time for all Through" trains on
the Canadian Pacific Railroad was
first reckoned in hours running from
one to twenty-four.
WILL PREVENT COMPLICATIONS.
The fixing of universal prime mer'
,dian will do away with the ambiguity
which. as railways and telegraphs be-
come multiplied lead to such confusing
complications In social and CONNER
cial affairs, to errors In chronology
to litigation in connection with success
sion to property, insurance matters
contracts, etc. The present variations
of time are readily demonstrated D!
) selecting points in four regions abou
ninety degrees apart, for instance, ia
!, nan. Arabia, Newfoundland and Alas
ka. On Sunday at midnight In Japal
# is noon in Newfoundland, and o.
| two distinct days, viz, Sunday an
Monday. To explain this apparently
. contradictory statement note that Ara
4 bia being west of Japan, the tim
I there lat midnight in Japan would 0
D. m. Sunday, while in Alaska, bein
a east of japan, 1t would be a. m.
y Monday. At p. m. on Sunday IN Art
a bia It must be Sunday noon In New
a foundland, and at 6 a. m. on Monda
7 In Alaska 1t must be Monday moo
!. ninety degrees further east u. e.,
Newfoundland, also). Thus 1t Will
seen by tracing time both east ar
west from a given point to Its AM
nodes. the clock on the one hand b
m come twelve hours slower, and on Il
other hand twelve hours faster. An
y therefore, it follows, as already state
Fl that when it is midnight on Sunday
u Japan, at precisely that same nome
ec r. Is noon at Newfoundland on two q
~ tinct days, namely, Sunday and Nc
= day.
no pERPLEXING PROBLEMS.
It ia only another application OF Il
complicated method of time reckon
We which gave rise to the following In
Of dent: A telegraphic message. da'
q ..Simla, 1.55 a. m, Wednesday"
er received In London at 11.47 p. m.
ny Tuesday. The clerk very natura
lal exclaimed: "Why, this message v
re sent off tomorrow" The same p
he picking problem has been presen
~. by imagining car suspended IT
US. the sun, and in the car man VINO
ok ouires the day and time as a to
Dis, rolls eastward beneath him. The
cry swer, "12 o'clock noon, Monday"
ar, given. Presently another town col
as under the car. The man asks the SO
ap- question and receives the same re-
bit for. of course, it must always be nc
the town being Immediately pene
ner the sun. Now comes the quest
ind "When will the man in the car
ter receive the answer ~ o'clock m
s I tuesday," The solution Is fount
UGH the fact that in travelling across
rm. Pacific from west to east one DAY
nal to be repeated before reaching
hat American coast. If, for example,
ign. correction be made on Saturday.
,rt,' d. there will be two Saturdays In
I same week and two days of the M
ling dated July 4.
med It is this variation Of time.
ar which forms the pivotal point OF
now story. "Around the World In Ell
y Of DAYS." in which the traveller,
tan. wagered at his London club tina
# could go around the world and be
re- at the club In eighty days. 80 M
Is, I lost his bet. He had forgotten this
,ded ference of a day, and thought this
ard. had completed his journey twenty
had hours too late.
ljus- ORDER OUT OF CHAOS.
Does any one ask, "What Is
In. to straighten this out and bring .
on! order out of the existing chaosT'
m answer is by simply putting Int
oeeN Grafton the results of the delibera
nuie of the international meridian &C
'o.u ence, which met in Washington O
IT invitation Of President Arthur II
larry 'ooer. Co. ~. -r,r,o meridior
n. universal day. This matter
~ freely discussed at the time by
~. gators and astronomers. and the
u s was everywhere expressed tina
elope enan nes 49, roto a. docs not
n'. possible that the adoption of thu
!. and 49," n of the r
report &c, .ne So-