The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-12-25
S7ANDk2D TIME.
How the Change from Solar Time
Was Effected in Baltimore
Twenty Years Age.

Previous to November IS, 1883, there
had been as many different kinds of
time in the United States as there were
cities, towns and villages, and it was nee
essary for a traveller in those days to be
moving his watch backward and for
ward as he progressed over the country.
Railroads, in their attempt to use some
special time throughout their systems,
reached or left town ahead or behind
the scheduled time, according to the To-
cal standards.
The new system finally adopted was a
simple one, and has proved most success
full, says the Baltimore News Previous
ly each town or city based it's local time
upon mean sun time, but the new system
abolished this, and, dividing the country
into certain districts, parallel of longi-
tude being the boundaries, adopted as
standard time for all the territory with
in the prescribed boundaries the mean
/ sun time for the central degree of longi-
| tude.
After this system had been worked out
and approved by the United States gov
eminent officials, it was decided to put
| it into operation on November 10, which
was Sunday, and on the same day the
railroads of the country put into effect
new winter schedules. Plans for inaug-
uration of the new system of time caused
| much excitement everywhere, as it
| meant that all watches and clocks would
have to be changed, and that many peo-
pie were going to lose several minutes
out of their lives, while many more were
going to gain several minutes.
In Baltimore the proposed change
| caused much interest, as local time here
was six minutes and % seconds faster
than the seventy-ffth meridian time,
! and all clocks and watches had to be set
back that much. Lieut. Commander
Thomas Perry, United States navy, who
had figured out Baltimore time, found
that the Washington monument here
was situated at longitude 76 degrees Sc
minutes and SO seconds west of Green
witch, England. where the calculation of
the worlds longitude begins, and that
sun time here was five hours six minutes
and % seconds behind Greenwich time.
With the corrections under the present
system, Baltimore time is exactly five
hours slower than Greenwich time.
1t was arranged for the convenience
of Baltimoreans that the new Official
time should be struck off at noon by
big Sam" the bell in the city hall tower,
and should also be sent out over the fire
alarm telegraph and struck off by the
bells on the engine houses throughout
the city. AS usual, the city hall clock
was out of order and big Sam refused
to work, so Mr.. A. Lehman, to whom had
been delegated the job, used sledge
hammer to make "Big Sam" toll the new
time. He depended upon his watch, and
started to work five seconds too soon.
Chief Charles J. McAleese received the
accurate time by telegraph from Wash
ington, and sent out over the fire alarm
telegraph, and the bells all over the city
notified the people that it was time to
jump their watches and clocks six min
utes and % seconds ahead. The new
time was generally in use in homes on
4
in business houses the next day. Rail-
roads adopted it at noon.
For few days the use of the new
time created some confusion, few peo-
pue refusing to adopt it, but finally it
came into general use, and in the years
since Baltimoreans have entirely forgot
ten the day that was six minutes and
% seconds short of "a hours. In Wash
ingtOn, however, because of the attorney
generals ruling that only congress could
change the time, it was several weeks be-
fore the new time became standard
One of the great disadvantages under
the old system was the difference in time
between nearby cities Philadelphia
time, for instance, was five minutes fast
er than Baltimore time, and New York
time was nearly 1912 minutes faster.