2 6o 



NA TURE 



ijan. 14, 1886 



10. Imper. Akademia Naiik St. Petersburg. 



11. Societe de Geographic Geneva. 



^ By this means attention was obtained for the subject in 

 Europe, and when I submit evidence of the fact, I think you 

 will agree with me, that no little of the success which has 

 attended the movement is owing to our late Governor- General. 

 We must all acknowledge how much we are indebted to him 

 for the great personal interest he has always shown on the 

 sutjject. We are certainly warranted in forming the opinion, 

 that the dissemination of these papers, under such distinguished 

 auspices, awakened attention to the arguments they contain, and 

 prepared the w.ny for the subsequent action taken at the Inter- 

 national Geographical Congress at Venice, at the Geodetic 

 Congress at Rome, and more recently at the Conference at 

 NVashington. 



.Mr. Wilhelm Forster, director of the Berlin Observatory, 

 eiiters into the subject at length in a paper "Zur Beurtheilung 

 Einiger Zeitfragen, insbesondere gegen die Einfiihrung einer 

 deutschen Normalzeit." [A Review of some con-iderations on 

 Time, especially against the introduction of German National 

 Uniform Time.] 



Mr. Forster proceeds to say : The British Government is now 

 transmitting, through its representatives, although at the same 

 time it declares itself neutral, a proposition which has been 

 published by a society of scientific men in Canada, which aims 

 at the establishment of a cosmopolitan normal datum (Prime 

 Meridian) and of Universal Time, and also the establishment of 

 24 mei-idians of an hour apart, Ijy which local time will be 

 absorbed. The first proposal Mr. For.-,ter describes as an 

 important sign of the times and evidently favours it. 



He strongly protests against the establishment of a National 

 German Time ; but for railway business, and for such matters of 

 coinmunication as require precision, also for the form of expres- 

 sion of all scientific relations to time, Mr. Forster points out 

 that a Universal Time common to the whole world is to be 

 recommended. 



Dr. G. von Boguslavski, in the V,.rhandlung(nder Geselhchaft 

 fiir Erdkunde {Tninsa:tions of the Geo^rafihical Society of 

 Berlin), commends the new scheme as it has been put forth in 

 the Canadian Institute papers, and foretells that it will be a 

 matter of fact in a short time. 



Col. Aden, Director of the Military School, Belgium, has 

 two papers in the Bull tin de la Societe Beige de Gt'os^rapkie. He 

 supports the proposal to establish Universal Time, and expresses 

 the opinion that longitude throughout the world should have a 

 common notation, dating from one universally adopted Prime 

 Meridian. 



Col. Wauverman, President of the Geographical Society of 

 Antwerp, in the Bulletin of that society, 1882, advocates the 

 change, and with ability meets the arguments raised against it, 

 showing them to be groundless and arising from a want of 

 thoroughly understanding the question. 



In Spain, the proposals have met wiih full support. All the 

 papers issued by the Canadian Institute have been translated and 

 published in a paper of 80 pages by the Kevista General de 

 Marina. The translator, Don Juan Pastorin, an officer of the 

 Spanish navy, is warm in his commendation of the scheme, and 

 takes a wise and comprehensive view of the whole question. 

 The Spanish Government secured the advantage of this gentle- 

 man's services as delegate to the Washington Conference. 



M. Otto Struve, the well-known Astronomer and Director of 

 the Imperial Observatory, Pultowa, reports on the papers trans- 

 mitted by Lord Lome to the laiperial Academy of Science, 

 St. Petersburg. He gives his adherence to the establishment of 

 Universal Time, based, as suggested, on a Prime Meridian 

 common to the whole globe, and strongly advocates counting the 

 hours in one series up to 24, 



In England, the Royal Society considered favourably both 

 the establishment of a Universal Time and the determination of 

 a common Prime Meridian. While the present Astronomer 

 Royal, Mr. Christie, takes a favourable view of the question, his 

 predecessor. Sir G. B. Aiiy, reported unfavourably. The report 

 cf the Astronomer Royal for Scotland, Prof. Piazzi-Smith, is 

 decidedly adverse. These documents have been transmitted to 

 the Institute. 



In Italy, the Italian Geographical Society has given its 

 countenance to a work by Mr. Fernando Bosari, who, in a 

 pamphlet of 68 pages, reviews the whole question at length, and 

 lays down three principles : i. The determination of a Zero- 

 mendian ; 2. I he establishment ol Cosmopolitan Time based 



upon it ; 3. The notation of the hours from i to 24 in a con- 

 tinuous series. 



The question of Universal Time and the selection of a Prime 

 Meridian is discussed with ability in a paper published by M. 

 Thury, professor at the University of Geneva. 



At the meeting of the Association for the Reform and Codifi- 

 cation of the Laws of Nations at Cologne, Prussia, in 1881, the 

 question of regulating time on the new system was conside-ed 

 and resolutions moved. 



In the same year (1881), the subject occupied the attention ol 

 the International Geographical Congress at Venice, at which a 

 delegate from the Canadian Institute attended. The general 

 question was warmly discussed, and resolutions adopted. The 

 appointment of an International Conference to meet at Wash- 

 ington, specially to consider the question, was then suggested by 

 the Canadian delegate, and warmly supported by gentlemen 

 representing the government and scientific societies of the 

 United States. The President of the Congress communicated 

 the resolutions to the Italian Government, and Prince Teano, on 

 behalf of the Italian Government, undertook to conduct the 

 official correspondence. Out of this appears to have sprung the 

 important discussion at the meeting of the International Geodetic 

 Association at Rome, in October, 1883, when the utility of 

 Universal Time was recognised, and a special International 

 Conference for the establishment of a zero-meridian for longitmle 

 and time recommended. 



Returning to this side of the Atlantic, the question of regulating 

 time for railway, telegraph, and civil purposes generally, was con- 

 sidered at the Convention of the American Society of Civil 

 Engineers, held at Montreal, June 15, 1881, and a committee of 

 men engaged in the management, and familiar with the economy 

 of railways, a]")pointed to examine the question. The committee 

 has reported from time to time. They recognised that a proposi- 

 tion to reform the general time system of the country was a 

 problem beset with difficulties, but it did not appear to them 

 insolvable. It was felt, however, that the question affected so 

 many interests that any change coald only be effected by general 

 concurrence. 



To attain the end proposed by this society, the papers bearing 

 on the question were printed, and a scheme modified on the 

 Proceedings of the Canadian Institute was drawn up, under the 

 title of " Cosmopolitan scheme for regulating time." 



I may briefly recall the features of the scheme. 



There should be one standard of absolute time, a Universal 

 Day, based on the mean solar passage, at one particular meridian, 

 the Prime or initial meridian for computing longitude. This 

 Prime Meridian, together with the Universal Day, to be ob- 

 served by all civilised nations. 



There should be 24 secondary or hour- meridians established, 

 IS degrees of longitude apart, beginning with the Prime Meridian 

 as zero. 



To distinguish the Universal Day from local days, it should 

 bear the title of " Cosmic Day." ^ 



Cosmic Time is intended to be used to promote e.tactness in 

 chronology, and to be employed in astronomy, navigation, 

 meteorology and in synchronous observations throughout the 

 world. To be employed in ocean telegraphy and generally in 

 all operations non-local in character. 



The several 24 meridians to be used as standards for local 

 time around the globe. Applying the system to North America, 

 the effect would be to reduce the standards to four or five, as 

 suggested by the Metrological Society, 



A circular, dated March 15, 1882, signed by Mr. John Bogart, 

 the Secretary of the American Society of Civil Engineers, was 

 forwarded to the leading men in railway direction, either as 

 general managers, superintendents, or engineers, and to men of 

 scientific attainments throughout the United States and Canada. 

 The paper thus circulated contained 1 1 questions, and categorical 

 replies were invited to them. 



Replies were received and reported on at a Convention of the 

 Society, held in Washington on May 15, 1882. The scheme 

 submitted was generally and cordially approved. 



An emphatic and unanimous opinion was expressed, th.at 

 there should be established as early as pos-i'ile a comprehensive 

 system of Standard Time for North America. 



1 [Note. — I may remark, that the designation " C ismic " was first sug- 

 gested, independently, by two Canadi.'in gentlemen widely separated, by Mr. 

 R. G. Haliburton, then in Algiers, and by Mr. Thomas Hector, of Ottawa. 

 The etymjfogy commends the vise of the word. It has been accepted by a 

 number of societies and by many in:tividuals as apiiropriate and applicabie.] 



