PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 113 



the zenith of the clock face and the zero point of the hour numbers. 

 Turning the dial plate until the prime meridian hour of local mean 

 noon comes to the zenith, eliminates the first mentioned element of 

 dissymmetry, and is a partial adaptation of prime meridian time to 

 local convenience. The second element of dissymmetry is inherent 

 in the nature of numbers, and cannot be eliminated whilst they are 

 retained ; for symmetry demands that the zero point shall be either 

 everywhere or nowhere, neither of which conditions can be satisfied 

 by the symbols now in use. Rejecting them, therefore, and adopt- 

 ing a series of hour symbols having no absolute numerical, but only 

 an ordinal, significance, is another and final step in the adaptation 

 of prime meridian time (such only as to the hour-zero) to general 

 use. 



A consideration of what symbols to adopt will immediately sug- 

 gest, that an abandonment of the artificial, and a return to the 

 simplicity of nature, constitutes the real and complete solution of 

 the problem. That problem may now be stated : To avoid the dis- 

 cordance of local time on different meridians (a discordance which 

 cannot be removed) by the adoption of the same standard time 

 on all meridians, so that the hour and fraction of the hour shall be 

 the same at the same instant everywhere ; which standard time 

 shall be marred by no dissymmetry with respect to the globe, alien 

 in no land, essentially local everywhere, cosmopolitan and impartial 

 as the sun himself. 



The mere statement of the problem is almost sufficient. The 

 system of time must consist in simply telling where the sun is with 

 respect to our terrestrial meridians — the answer in every case must 

 be the same in all quarters of the globe. To limit the geographical 

 knowledge necessary, insure uniformity, and afford hour-zeros, 

 twenty-four equi-distant meridians should be agreed upon as such 

 hour zeros, and named from some country through which, or city 

 near which, they pass. Regard now the dial plate of the clock as 

 the earth, the north pole at center, and meridians, twenty-four of 

 which are actually drawn, radiating to the circumference. (Mr. 

 Henry Farquhar suggests that the dial plate be an actual plan- 

 isphere.) Bring the local meridian to the zenith and let the hour- 

 hand, revolving once each day, point to the mean sun. The 

 time read from such a chronometer will be the natural, or sun time, 

 proposed in this paper. Space here forbids details with respect 

 to the theory itself, or mention of the objections urged against its 

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