The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-17
STANDARD TIME.
valuable and Authoritative Contrlbu-
tIOn to Its History.

To THE EDITOR OF TIT SuN-Str: ]
note the request in you interesting edi-
tofial article relative to Standard Time,
that some old timer of the railroads
will tell just how important a con-
tributor to the final solution of the
question Of Standard Time was Charles
+. Dowd OF Saratoga Springs, who Is
mentioned in ancient annals as having
first suggested its principles" Though
not an old timer "of the railroads !
happen to be in possession of the In
formation you desire. as | knew Charles
f. Dowd intimately and had knowledge
OF many Of the steps by which his sys-
i":h was finally adopted By the railroads
of this country.
DIR. Dowd worked out the general
features of this system and presented
It's outlines to a convention of the man
ayers OF trunk lines held in the city OF
New York in October. 1869 and a COM
mittee OF that convention expressed In
terest In the subject and a desire to sec
tho outlines worked out in detail In
such q manner as to be available for
use by railroads. He then worked out
such a system. illustrating It by a map
In hour sections. The system was
based upon the longitude of tho ma
tional observatory in Washington and
was worked out so AS to show the local
time differences for more than eight
thousand places.
The Trunk Lint Convention OF 1870, on
account Of other pressing business. could
give no attention b. the subject but in
December of that year DR.. Dowd pre-
scented the subject to the New England
Railway Association at n meeting held
in Boston. This body also appointed n
committee to investigate the subject and
report and In February of the follow
ing year the committee reported favor
ably and was instructed TO embody
It's report In a circular and e 1t to
all railway superintendent for their
consideration. The result OF this circu-
lar was 10 bring out many suggestions
which resulted in further study by the
author of the general subject II Il
modification Of some of the details.
In April, 1879, the author met the
Western and Southern associations NJ
Atlanta, Ga, where n committee was
appointed to confer with the New Eng
land committee. The Atlanta commit
tee suggested changing the base from
Washington to New York city for
greater convenience but DIR. Dowd. un-
willing to found the system on n local
meridian. suggested the adoption OF
Greenwich longitude and nat the sew
enty-ffth meridian, or the fifth hour
meridian west of Greenwich, should be
adopted az the base. The committee
after some hesitation accepted this sug-
gestlon as satisfactory.
The system. thus revised n com
plctcd. was presented to a convention OF
trunk lines meeting in New York soon
after the Atlanta convention. stood the
test Of criticism and original study and
investigation for eleven years Of prog
rcss In public intelligence and enlight-
eminent on this subject and WAS finally
adopted without further modification.
The Orcidi Rdi'trdy Guids for May.
1872. shortly before Mr.. William r.
Allen took the editorial chair of that
publication, published a c~ommendatory
notice OF the system and a commend
atory resolution WAS passed by the
Western and southern conventions in
1878. The Atlanta and Boston COM
mlttees. however. failed to bring about
the general adoption OF the system and
thought II would have 20 he done by
separate adoption in particular places.
Acting on this suggestion, DIR. Dowd
obtained an agreement on the part Of
three Of the most important railroads
centring in Chicago 10 adopt the time
OF the nineticth meridian whenever a
majority OF the railroads of that y!cin-
ity SHOULD enter into the agreement. but
nothing further anne of Il,
General Meyer of the United States
Signal Service Bureau expressed a will
ingress To aid in its adoption profess
sors OF Yale College and OF the West
Point Military Academy Endorsed the
system in respect TO its scientific char
acter. and over forty officials OF leading
railroads Endorsed the system In respect
to its practical character.
pr. Dowd continued the work of
bringing the system to public attention
by publication and discussion with ind!-
Viduals Interested in the proposition, and
IN 1879 offered the indexes for time
tables and places which he had pre-
pared in great detail to Mr.. Allen. who
was then editor OF the OTcidi Railirnv
Guid. hut in a letter dated December
.. 1879. Mr.. Alien declined the Offer on
the ground of expense, at the tame time
writing Dr. Dowd Il frankly acknowl-
edge the utility OF the idea"
In 1879 Professor Cleveland Able. as
chairman OF the committee 81 the Amer!-
can Neurological Society on standard
Time. presented to his society a very
important report on the subject Of pr.
powd's system, and in 1881 another re-
port and a circular were drawn up and
sent out 20 all who might be interested
and. among others. TO the General Rail-
way Time Convection. This body ap-
pointed It's secretary. Mr.. william l..
Allen. a special committee 10 take the
whole matter in hand Through the
favorable opinion and efforts Of Mn
Allen the system was essentially adopted
by the railroads in the spring OF 1883.
and II went INTO effect on November ls
OF that ear.
Under these circumstance the pa
tern!ty uf standard Time can hardly
he ascribed 10 Mr.. Allen. though full
credit should be given Ia him for his
husinesslike sagacity In recognizing its
merits ana for his efforts which con-
trIliuted to is adoption 10y the rail
roads OF the United States. The system
was presented to Mr.. Allen in "a COM
pletc form. II was born in the brain Of
Charles +. powd and brought TO matur-
ity 10y his patience and industry Mr..
Allen. recognizing its value. was iustru-
mental In securing its general adoption
throughout the United States.
To-day II would ne almost II not quite
impossible to operate the vast and COM
p~lica,cd railroad system of the United
States without its aid There are vet
''n,dsters' who remember the bathing
problems presented Ivy tiTc tables based
ON many diverse local time standards in
use In different parts ~ the country and
both DR., Dowd and Mr.. Allen performed
a great service 10 the country, the one
in dcvising the standard Time system
and the other in securing its practical
use. There is glory enough for both In
bringing about the establishment OF such
a system. for pr Dowd as its father.
and for Mr.. Allen MS the sagacious gem
eral who adopted the new system IN his
campaign for the PROV otion OF the trans
portatiun facilities OF the country.
rHAuIps & rsrpp