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It is i!omiiiuni>:atod to tlie Knyai Souety, with the Tiill Icnowlodgii and coiicurrem^i uf thu aiitlioritirs of tliu BmilliKoniitn Institution, who desire to r)Mrat« m tliu mnvomunt of tinio relurm by ditiusinjj linowletlgo on this imjKti'tant question in all voiinlries wlwrc ttieir puttlioatioiu circulate. ■M |C"i^- CIO) 44 SANDFORD FLEMING ON TIME request of Congress authoritatively took proceedings to bring the subject prominently to the attention of the world. After prolonged diplomatic correspondence with the Govern- ments of foreign powers, he invited delegates from all nations to a scientific conference at Washington in which the subject should be fully considered. The Conference met in the autumn of 1884. Twenty-five nationalities were repre- sented. The proceedings extended over the mouth of October, and they resulted in the almost unanimous adoption of seven resolutions bearing upon time-reckoning. As no records can be in accord unless a common starting point he agreed upon from which computations are to be made, the first resolutions had reference to the determination of an '"'tial meridian. The meridian passing through Greenwit^h was selected. In the fourth and fifth resolutions the Conference laid down the following important principles : — IV. " That the Conference proposes the adoption of a Universal Day for all purposes for which it may be found convenient and which shall not interfere with the use of local or other standard time where desirable." V. " That the Universal Day is to be a mean solar day : is to begin for all the world at the moment of mean midnight of the initial meridian, coinciding with the civil day and date of that meridian, and is to be counted from zero to twenty-four hours." The opening of the National Congress at Washington shortly followed the Inter- national Conference. The President regarded the importancM', of the proceedings to be such as to call for special mention of them in his annual message. General Arthur thus expressed himself on the subject : " The Conference concluded its labours on the first of November, having with substantial unanimity agreed upon the meridian of Greenwich as the starting point whence longitude is to be computed through one hundred and eighty degrees eastward and westward, and upon the adoption, for all purposes for which it may be found convenient, of a Universal Day, which shall begin at midnight on the initial meridian and whose hours shall be counted from zero up tj twenty-four." There was no exaggerated importance in these allusions, for the conclusions of the Conference are productive of most important results. They make provision for terminat- ing all ambiguity in hours and dates and for establishing throughout the world, f^ee from national susceptibility and caprice, perfect uniformity in reckoning time. Some years may elapse before the new notation becomes the one recognized mode of reckoning ; but when it shall have been generally accepted in the practice of daily life, it is cal- culated to sweep away the difficulties now experienced and it will add greatly to the general convenience of civilized man. One of the first practical efforts to direct public attention to the rapidly growing ne- cessity for a comprehensive reform in time-reckoning can be found in a paper published in the Transactions of the Canadian Institute, Toronto, for the session of 1878-79. ' This paper adduces in support of its argument many pertinent facts, and {joints out that the gigantic systems of railways and telegraphs which in modern timis have been established in both continents have developed social and commercial conditions which never previously existed. These conditions have so affected the relations of time and distance as to establish the ffti't that our inherited system of notation is defective ; that it is inconvenient to t ' Time-Bavkoniug and the Miection of » Prime Meridiui to be oommon to all Nation*. By Sandford Fkuiing. ypais^ ^ RK(;KONrNG FOR TlIK TWENTIETH CENTURY. 40 inon of business ; that it produces confuNion and roquently results in loss of life, and leads to othor dilfi(nlltit^H ; that under the cinumstances which have followed the substi- tution of Ktoain for animals as a motive ix>wer, the ancient usages as retained in oar uota* tion of hours and dates are jj^enerftlly inappropriate. Moreover, the use of the telegraph in our daily lives, practically subjects the whole surface of the globe to the observation of civilized communities in each individual locality. It leaves no interval of time betweou widely separated places proi>ortionato to their distances apart. It practically brings into close contact the opposite sides of the earth where daylight and darkness prevail at the same period. By this agency, noon, midnight, sunrise, sunset, and the whole range of intermediate gradations of the day, are al! observed and recognized at the same moment. Thus in matters out of the domain of local importance, confusion is developed and all count of time is thrown into multiplied disorder. Again, under the usages now observed, a day is assumed to begin twelve hours before, and end twelve hours after, the sun passes the meridian of any place. As the globe is constantly revolving ou its axis, a fresh meridian is every moment coming under the sun ; as a consequence a day is always beginning somewhere and always ending some- where. Each meridian around tht* circumferen<"e of the sphen' has its own day, and therefore it results that there are, during every diurnal revolution of the earth, an infinite number of locuX days all beginning within a space of twenty-four hours and each con- tinuing twenty-four hours. These days overlap each other, but they are as perfectly dis- tinct as they are infinite in number. While a day is nominally 24 hours in length, as a matter of fact 4H hours elapse between the first beginning and the last ending of every week day. Taking the whole globe into our view, Sunday actually commences in the middle of Saturday and lasts until the middle of Monday. Again Saturdays runs into the middle of Sunday, while Monday begins 24 hours before Sunday comes to an end and con- tinues 24 hours after Tuesday commences. Similarly for all the days of the week, as time is now reckoned. Except those on the same merieriod when an event takes place. The telegraph may give the exact local time of an occurn>uce, but the time so given must be in disagreement with local time ou every other meridian around the globe. An event occurring on any one day may on the instant be announced in a locality where the time is that of the previous day. and in another locality where the time is that of the following day. About the period when the month or year passes into another month t-r year, an occurrence may actually take place, according to our present system of reckoning, in two different mouths or in two ditlerent years ; indeed, there can be no certainty whatever with regard to time, unless the precise geogiaphical I>osition be specified as an essential lactan connection with the event described. Tinder these circumstances it must be conceded that our present system of notation is most defe<;tive ; certainly it is unscientific, and jwssesses every element of confusion ; it pro- duces a degnni of ambiguity which, as railways and telegraphs became greatly mul- tiplied, will leud to complications in social and commercial affairs, to errors in chro- nology, to litigation in connection with succession to property, insurance, contracts, and other matters ; and in view of individual and general relationships it will undoubtedly act as a clog to the business of life and prove an increasing hindrance to human intercourse. ^i^i 46 8ANDP0RD FLEMING ON TIME The problem to b* mastered is to put an end to this confusion. In order to do so, it is import&ut that we should endeavour to form correct ideas of time and its attributes. According to the ordinary usages which we follow, the time of any particular locality depends upon its position on the earth's surface, in other words, upon its longitude. The principle followed is that there is a separate time on every meridian around the circum- ference of the globe. Let us carry this theory to it* logical conclusion. Take by way of examplb a hundred or a thousand meridians, each with a distinct and separate time. It will be conceded that what is true of one point on a meridian must be true of every point. A meridian line runs due north and south on the earth s surface, from pole to pole ; hence it follows that, at the point where every meridian must converge, we have the time of every meridian. That is to say, at the earth's pole, a point common to every mer^ian, there are a hundred or a thousand ditterent notations of time, oat^h distinct and separate. The extreme absurdity of this hypothesis establishes beyond question that the premises are false ; and it is in no way surprising that (;onfusiou and dilEculty result from a system such as we possess, based on principles so erroneous. We may here ask the question : "Why should time vary with every mile of longi- tude ? " The answer comes : — It is not possible to conceive more than a single imity of time in the whole universe. Time which is " an infinite continuity in infinite space" resembles a mighty river whose unvarying stream passes before us. Such a river is un- changeable yet continually changing: volumes of water always advancing are replaced by new volumes in perpetual succession, and yet the river continues one and the same ever llowing unity. The passing stream of time is much the same, and the problem pre- sented to us is to keep a proper record of its flow. It is perfectly obvious that the prin- ciples which should govern should bo suca as to secure complete accord in the detail of its admeasurement independently of locality. All peoples are concerned in the attainment of harmonious results, and therefore it is important that they should acquiesce in the employment of the same unit of computation and in counting the measurements from one common zero. , Wc have not to look in vain for a convenient unit and the most perfei^t instrument for measuring the passage of time. The rotation of the earth on its axis is marked by complete uniformity of movement, and nothing is more certain than the recurrence of this diurnal phenomenon. Accordingly the earth itself supplies all our wants as a time- keeper : in it we have at our command a perpetual standard for the use and guidance of the entire family of man. Before, however, we can attain this end it is essential that mankind should come to an agreement on the following points : — 1. With respect to a zero from which the revolutions are to be counted. 2. The acceptance of a common subdivisiou and a common notation by which parts of revolutions will be known by all and receive universal recognition. The importance of a definite understanding on these points is self-evident, for if each individual or group of individuals adheres to the practice of observing time from different zeros and each maintains separate reckonings of it, the outcome must be general confusion such as we now exijerience. If in imagination we place ourselves at one extremity of the earth's axis, we shall find ourselves in a peculiarly favourable position, free from all local influences, for observing 4 ■i i t o RECKONING FOR THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. 47 o the revolutions of the globe. At no other point in the northern hemisphere are the con- ditions the same. A spectator staudini? at the north pole would have neither east nor west ; in whatever direction he might cast hia eyes he would look towards the south ; he would no longer see the daily return of sunrise and sunset ; the sun when visible would mo\'e, or seem to move, in a horizontal liiie, and its path would encircle the earth parallel to and not far distant from the horizon. Under such circumstances it would not be possible to note the diurnal revolutions of the earth by the rising or setting of the sun, or by the sun's greatest altitude at mid-day, or by his southern position in the heavens. As the passage of time can only be marked by events, what course could be followed ? Obviously it would be necessary to take special means to observe the earth's diurnal rotation, and the method most readily to suggest itself would be to select a conspicuous object near tlie horizon and according to this object observe the sun's passage over it. The object so selected would become the zero of time, and tlio interval between two succes- sive solar passages would be the period occupied by a revolution of the earth. If from zero the horizon be divided into a series of arcs of 15" each, the whole circle around will consist of twenty-four divisions. If each of the division points be numbered from zero in the direction contrary to the motion of the earth or towards the right, and in imagina- tion the numbers be pla<;ed in a conspicuous manner against the sky, the spectator will have within his range of vision a great dial-plate on which as it revolves the vertical sun will continually point to the passing hours. With the twenty-four division points so numbered around the circle of the horizon, it is obvious that every hour in the day, and equally the smaller divisions of time, will invariably be manifested by the solar passage. As the imaginary point of observation, the north pole, is common to every meridian, the hovirs and minutes indicated by the great polar chronometer will be equally common to every locality on the surface of the globe. Whatever the longitude, the solar passage will be the index of time. Two successive passages at zero will complete an interval of twenty-four hours, but it will not be a day in the ordinary sense, as an ordinary day is a local phenomenon in no two longitudes identical. ' To distinguish this new interval of time (common to the whole world from the infinite number of local days at present recog- nized, it has been suggested to term it the " Cosmic Day," or some distinctive appel- lation by which it may be known. ;> Necessarily the zero point must be arbitrarily selected according to convenience, and any zero whatever, other things being equal, would serve the purpose which we have in view. We have only to assume the zero so selected to coincide with the Antiprime Meridian determined by the Washington Conference, and the Cosmic Day will be identical with the Universal Day established under the same authority. A Universal or Cosmic Day may therefore be defined as the interval of time between two succeeding Solar pas- eages at the Antiprime Meridian common to all nations. In his recent discourse on the subject at the Koyal Institution, London, the Astronomer Royal for Great Britain, Mr. Christie, expressed a preference for the term " World Time " to designate this new measure of duraiiou. It has been termed " Cosmic T-me " by various societies and individuals ; but the name is of secondary importance if it be understood that ' The Nautii'Rl Ahnanir doflnes nn ordinary Soliir d»y to be the interval o( time l)etw«en the departure of any mnidian from tlio Sim and ila tuoceediiig rcturo to it. attrA?.*-**-^ tr,'jhf.f^-\^.^t^y. • naw J^ i 48 SANDFORD FLEMING ON TDE TIME ^^ the new measure of time is equally related to every loi-ality. By its very nature, " Cosmic Time," or by whatever name it may be known, must coincide with some one of the multi- plicity of existing times. The decision of the Washington Conference caused it to corres- pond with Greenwich Civil Time. Greenwich time is the local time of Greenwich. Cosmic Time is a new and an ejitirely different conception, it is the time of the world common to every nation. " Cosmic " and " Greenwich " time are identical fortuitously, but the expres- sions imply two totally different ideas, and a proper deference to national sensitiveness suggests the good taste and expediency of distinguishing the two ideas by diti'ereut terms. Some distinctive name is undoubtely called for, until the period arrives when the unifica- tion of time will be complete. In the not far distant future it may become equally as unnecessary to speak of " Solar," " Lunar," " Astronomical," " Civil," " Nautical," " Local," Cosmic," or " World" Time, as at present it is unnecessary to attach these or other dis- tinctive appelations to "Space." The simple expression "Time" may then become sufficient for all purposes. wmnvDK Eiut and Weal fromOreonwieh. 180' 166 ■■ 150' 135° 120° 106° 90" 75° 60° 45° 30* 15° 0° 16° 30° 45° ;k)° 76* 90' 105' 120° 135° 150° KiS" 180° Antiprime Meridian. East East East East East East East East East East East '!><» Prime Muridian. West West West. .. West West West West West West West West Antiprime Meridian. LONdlTUDE We«t frum Time Zeru. WNorruDE Br Iluur Mcridiana. Zero of Cosmic Time and of I.ongitnde. 15° 30° 45° 60* 75* 05' 105° 120° 135° 100° 166° 180° 196° 210° 226* 240° 258' 270° 286° 3(.0* 316* 880* 345' 300' and 0'. Hour Meridian No. 1 " 2 " 3 " 4 " 5 " " 7 " 8 " 9 " 10 " 11 " 12 " 13 " 14 " li, " HJ " 17 " 18 " 10 " 20 " 21 " 22 23 . . . Zero and No. 24 C03.MC TIMF At Mean Solar Pa«wv«. Change of the Day. 1 o'clock. 2 « 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 " 10 11 12 13 14 Ti 10 17 " 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 " and change. The relation between time and longitude is important. If longitude be reckoned by hour meridians as in the second and tliird columns of tlie table, that is to say numbered continually westward from the Antiprit::'^ Meridian, which is the true time zero, the in- a T" *' t 1 Trans. R.8.C., 1886 The Sto as the Index of Time and Longitude. See. III. Plate I. To illusii-atc Mr. Sandfoitl Fioming'g paper entitled "TimoReckoning for the Twentieth CJentury." I»^ ■ ■ %■■ ^Tl^ww^ ri r < W" i *"" -^' REOKONQTG FOR THE TWENTIETH OINTITRT. 49 habitants of every individual locality in whatever longitude will dai)j have an oppor- tunity of regulating time by the great natural standard of roeaeureraent. The longitude of the locality ])oing known, at mean solar passage the time will, invariably and precisely, agree with the longitude. Conversely, the time being known, the longitude of the place will be in strict agreement with time at the moment of mean solar passage. A reference to the plate will make it clear that the solar passage will be the invari- able index of Cosmic Time. Fig. 1 shows the relative position of sun and earth at the initial instant of the Cosmic Day, that is, at the moment of mean solar pabjage on the Autipripie Meridian adopted by the Washington Conference. Fig. 2. Gives the position when the earth has made a sixth of a revolution and four hours have elapsed. The solar passage at this stage is on the four-hour meridian. Fig. 8. When the earth has made a third of a revolution and occupied a period of eight hours, the solar passage occurs on the eight-hour meridian. Fig. 4. When the earth has made half a revolution and twelve hours have elapsed, the solar passage is at this stage on twelve-hour or Prime Meridian. Similarly for every other meridian, and thus the precise relation between Cosmic Time and longitude is definitely established. it may bo Said that Cosmic or Universal Time is accepted in science, but its adoption in ordinary life can only be gradually and perhaps with difii;mlty effected. It is not to be looked for that a change so marked, involving a rcA'olution of thought in some of our social customs, can be speedily introduced, however desirable it may be in the public interest. There is a class of men who habitually express their contempt for what they designate as " new-fangled notions " and who refuse to go out of sight of old land- marks. The usages which we desire to supersede are certainly old, for they took their origin when our civilization was young. In those days it was a dogma that the earth had a flat surface, but as the belief that the earth is a plane is no longer invested with the I authority of a truth, we may venture to call in question the theory that each locality on I its surface possesses an independent stream of time and is called upon to defend and J maintain it. The humaa race is no longer confined within a narrow area. It has over- | spread the surface of the 'arth ; in the old and new worlds it has grown, in some portions of their extent it is etill growing, from an infantile condition to a state of manhood. Are we not yet able to look beyond one individual horizon, and enlarge our range of vision so as to include'a system which will satisfy the requirements, not of a locality, but of the whole globe ? We are living in an age of intellectual and social progress, when men are less fettered than our fathers were by the restraints of custom. On the continent of North America extraordinary progress has already been made by an essentially practical people towards the adoption of a complete reform in time-reckoning. What is known as the Standard Hour system, in itself in complete harmony with the principles of Cosmic Time, has been in common use for nearly three years, and it is generally recogniaed as an incalculable benefit to the whole community. Throughout the United States and Canada, we have outgrown the notion of isolating each locality by compelling it to observe a separate time notation. The Continent is divided into zones, each zone having the same time throughout its extent, based on a meridian which is a multiple of fifteen degrees from the Prime Meridian. Consequently Sec. III., 1886. 7. ^^i*»^.:.r-ii--««aitaisBJ ■ ■ - - ■:--■■:' -ry. . i-^^^-'iifi^'ftgif'- '^"'^f T g 80 SANDFORD FTiKMING ON TIME the time of each zone yaries oxaotly one hoar from that of the adjoiiiing zones. ThuK all the variations of time which Ibrmerljr were limited only by the immbor of towns and cities and localitiee which obsei" ed their own local time, are redui ed to the live zones. Only at points where the zones come in contact is there any exception to the common satisfac- tion which has resulted from the change. These are the only localities where we find the old time difficulties, now so happily removed from every other section of the Continent. At such localities the difficulties must continue to be felt until Cosmic Time comes into general use, for it is the one remedy which can satisfy every requirement. The Standard Hour system is an effective preliminary means for the introduction of universal time, and it is not confined to North America. In Sweden as well as Great Britain the principle is in common use. The Standard time of Sweden is based on the meridian fifteen degrees east of the prime meridian, consequently an hour in advance of the Prime Meridian time. The time r "T-reat Britain is that oZ ihe prime meridian itself. The scheme of hour meridians can only bo regarded as a provisional arrangement. It greatly lessens the difficulties experienced, but it does not wholly remove them. It is, however, an important practical step towards the general unification of time as it brings the minutes and seconds into complete agreement with the world's time wherever the system is adopted. The Astronomer Royal of Great Britain calls particular attention to the breadth of view evidenced by the managers of the American railways who were so largely instrumental in having this important step taken. " By adopting a national meridian as the basis of their time-system, they might have rendered impracticable the idea of a universal time to be used by Europe as well as America. But they rose above national jealoiisios and decided to have their time-reckoning based on the meridian which was likely to suit the convenience of the greatest number, thus doing their utmost to promote uniformity of time throiighout the world by setting an example of the sacrifice of human susceptibilities to general expediency." There is one feature of time-refor m alluded to by President Arthur in his message to Congress which promises before long to be accepted by the community. I refer to the proposal to count the hours from zero to twenty-four. The recent report of the special committee on Standard Time of the American Society of Civil Engineers (January, 1886) thus alludes to this branch of the subject : — " This feature has the authority of the International Conference for its introduction. In intelligent circles in Europe, particularly in England and in Russia, also at the an- tipodes in Australia, the proposal is reported to have been greeted with enthusiasm. The Astronomer Royal of England, Mr. Christie, has established at Greenwich Observatory a division of the great dial into 9i hou'-s. In Ijondon and in other cities, public clocks have been also changed to accustom the English public to this division of the day. Some newspapers in all their annoucoments adopt the change, and scientific societies give notice of their meetings in the same manner as this Society, according to the 24-hour system. , ,, ■ : ' , ... ■'' , ' '-^ , . ' " On this Continent there has been no uncertain sound. In the last anniial report of the Committee it was stated that 171 managers of railways in the United States and Canada had declared their readiness to abandon the division of the day into half-days, known as ante and post meridian, and to accept the numeration of the hours in one series, from midnight to midnight, — these managers having under their control some 60,000 miles of railway. IlECKONING FOU rUD TWENTIETH CHNTUllY. " Diaring tho past y«ar the seed sown has been rTuctifyiug and many who hold back havo been won over and have given their adhesion to tho movement. Among the many important railways ready to cooperate, some appear to see no necensity for further delay, and desire to secure at once the advantages vrhich will result from the change. At this date it is public^ly sinnoiinced that the Canadian Pacific Railway Company have deter- mined to adopt the 24-hour system, and are actually preparing to make the change at an early day.' Such proceedings can be accepted as indicating a proper appreciation of the reform which the American Society of Civil Engineers hats advocatet',, and equally show? the discernment of those who direct the management of the youngest of the trans- continental railways. This practical commencement will, without a doubt, be speedily followed by other railway companies, and before long we may look for the 24- hour system coming into general use." ' There is undoubtedly a growing feeling in many quarters in favour of the twenty- four hour system. It is reported to be used with great advantage on the whole of the cables and other lines of the Eastern Telegraph Company, and its connections extending from England through Europe and the Mediterranean to Egypt, and from Egypt to South Africa, India, China and Japan, Australia and New Zealand. It is a pertinent question to a.sk, what influence these various changes will have in preparing the public mind for another, and it may be said a final change, the adoptioa of one uniform time in every longitude? For it must be evident to the thoughtful ob- server that the movement for reforming our time-system will not have attained its object until this end be accomplished. Those persons who have been in the habit of finishing their daily- work at 6 p.m. under the twenty-four hour system will end it at 18. Those who retired to rest at 10 or 11 p.m. win seek their beds at 22 or 23. The idea that solar noon and 12 o'clock are one ' At midsiinimer 1880, the Canadian Puciflc Railway was opened from the Atsed to adapt (•locks and watches now iu use to the change, by having in8crib»d on the existiiigdials the new numbers of the afternoon hours, — thirteen to twenty-four (l;i to 24) inclusive, as in the I'late. Tho oidy practical ditliculty to l>e overcome is mot by the simple exiK'diont of placing on the face of the waUh or clo<-k a supplementary dial slio\>ing the new afternoon hours in Arabic numerals within the nrewMit Wo- man tigures. The supplementary dial, nnist l>e of thin material, and it has Inien fomid that by Ixdng made simply nf paixr and secured to its jK)8iti(in by any gum which will aiihere to an enamelled sur- face, tho object is attained with- out any f\irther alteration of tho watch or clock. The Committee i9 aware that these seem trifiing mat- tora to bring under the notice of the Convention, but questions of gre it moment not seldom hinge on small details. It is evident from what has Ixten set forth, that every person in tho (^immunity, may at tlie cost of a few trents in each case, adapt his watch to the 24 hour system. The Committee accord- ingly re|)eat their conviction that with the disappearance of the only practical dilflculty at an insignifi- cant cost, there is nothing to pre- vent the Railway authorities and the Community at largo adopting the change as wnm as they become alive to ita advantages." — Report at tho Buffalo Convention of the American Society of Civil Engi- necn. :t '] ! 1 > i ! 1 a..;ai'si;] 1 62 SAITDFOKD FLEMING ON TIME and inseparable has already been set aside throughout the United States and Canada ; only on five meridians, the 60th, 75th, 90th, 105th and 120th, is it held to be 12 o'cIocjl- at the mean solar passage. In all other longitudes throughout North America the identity between solar noon and 12 o'clock has practically been swept away. These modifications in time-reckoning must tend to remove the idea that there is some necessary connection between the numbers of the hours and the position of the sun in each local firmament. The force of habit has heretofore associated noon with 12 o'clock, but in due time it will become obvious to every one that the hour of the sun's passage at any one locality may with as much propriety be distinguished by any one of the twenty- four numbers as by the now generally received number 12. So soon as this new idea comes generally to be accepted, so soon as it is understood that the numbers of the hours are arbitrary and conA'entional, it will not be difficult to take the final step in time-reform and entirely supersede the pre8< nt system by a notation which will give to mankind throughout the world simultaneous dates and hours and minutes. The final step may appear to involve serious changes in much which concerns every individual, but it is not to be supposed that it will in any way interfere with the periods for labour, sleep, meals, or any ordinary usage. The one change will be in the numbers of the hours. In social affairs the regulating influence of daylight and darkness will always, as now, be paramount. The terms "n(X)n" and "midnight" Avill continue to preserve their present meaning, although the numbers of the hours at which these periods occur will vary in each case according to longitude. Each separate meridian will have its own midnight hour distinguished from the midnight hours of other meridians by a distinc- tive number. So also with the noon hour, which as already stated will invariably agree with the longitude of the place. It is the midnight hour in each locality which will con- stitute the initial time-point to regulate the legal hours for opening and closing banks, registry and other public offices. The midnight hour may be arbitrarily chosen and be established by statute as cnrcumstances may demand. It will' be held to be the local zero to govern the hours of business, working hours, the hours for attendance at church, at school, and at places of amusement, and generally to regulate all the social afiairs of life. While the seven week days will practically remain unchanged in every longitvide, the simple expedient of numbering the hours so that everywhere they will correspond with Cosmic Time will result in securing the general uniformity to be desired. Thus it will be obvious that in all matters relating to time, whether local or non-local, the same hoars, minutes and seconds will universally be observed at the same instant. In cases when business men separated by long distances make contracts by telegraph, the engage- ments will be free from all ambiguity as to time. Both parties will be bound absolutely by the same notation. The Cosmic Day is a new measure of time, entirely non-local. It will be held to be the date of the world, and the change of date will occur at the same instant in all longitudes. On the prime meridian the change of date will be at midnight ; to the east it will occur after midnight ; and to the west of the prime meridian it will come before midnight. It will be one hour before or after midnight for every fifteen degrees of west or ea«t longi- tude. Fortunately, in nearly all the important countries on the surface of the globe, the change of date will occur out of ordinary business hours. It will thus be seen that while the contemplated reform will interfere as little as pos- A\ ' ^ t I -.K. l ff > « ^n iii t BECKONING FOB THE TWP^NTIBTll CENTURY. B8 sible with exisling cuHtoms, it will result in giving to the human fiunily around the globe ooncurrent dat 'h, and in making every division of time uniform the world over. In the aidopt'on of the new system, temporary iuconvenience may arise, but it will be triiling in extent and not of long duration ; and any momentary disadvantage should not be allowed to weigh against the beneiits to be secured to mankind for all future ages. On the night of November 18th, 1883, a noiseless revolution was efi'eeted throughout the United iStates and Canada. The hands of the flocks of some fifty millions of people were for the most part moved forward or backward in order to indicate the time of one of the five hour zones. The time now observed from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific varies with Cosmic Time according to situation from four to eight whole hours. In North America therefore, the portion of the problem yet to be adjusted is easy of solution. As the minutes and seconds are already everywhere in agreement, the transition to universal uniformity of reckoning can be eliected simply and with ease. It will only be necossary to move forward the dial hands of th:: locks an even number of h ".rs, varying from four to eight as each case may require, to bring the Continent into complete accord with the time of the world. When eventually it may become necessary to bring the time throughout all parts of North America to the world's standard, the transition may be effected by adjusting the clocks as follows : — I L— CuicKS IN TRB Hour Zombb op thb Wkt MKRimAMs. Mkrihian Wbbt. 60° I ,.,. 75' [■■'■i'r'. 90° ;'",/;■. 106° . ;\. 120- r will have to bo moved forward HoDm. 4 6 6 7 8 Similarly wherever the scheme of hour meridians be adopted, the common reckoning may with equal ease be 8