86 UNIVERSAL OR COSMIC TIME. 



upon himself to direct special attention to a Meridian twelve hoiirs 

 distant from Greenwich, which .passes thi-ough firm land only in the 

 high latitudes of the north in the uninhabited neighbourhood of 

 Tschuktschenland, near Behring Straits, and for the remaining part 

 of the distance runs through the Pacific Ocean and the two Arctic 

 seas of ice. The establishment of this Meridian, which may be de- 

 scribed as the nether Greenwich Meridian, would in any circum- 

 stance lead to fewer practical inconveniences than those incident to 

 any other Meridian excepting that of Greenwich itself. 



These vioAvs not only found much accord in this country, but were 

 also favouiably received abroad. A more earnest movement, there- 

 fore, for the "Unification of Longitude notation took place for the first 

 time, as it became associated with the desire after uniformity in the 

 notation of time in international relations ; while it became intim- 

 ately connected with our Cartographical requirements, and even pene- 

 trated into yjractical life. It was principally the rapid development 

 of the means of communication through railways and telegraphs 

 which called this desire into life; especially in America where the in- 

 creased communication and the great extent of country, making the 

 cjuestiou of time one of special importance, demanded some settle- 

 ment of the matter. 



Before we enter upon the proceedings of the Washington Confer- 

 ence it will, perhaps, be of advantage at this place to signify in a few 

 words the objects to be attained by the txnification of Time notation 

 which make that step desirable. All sciences are in common inter- 

 ested in the result. Navigation, the Administration of Telegraphs 

 and Railways. Ordinary every-day life, which in its locality is regu- 

 lated by the sun, would not immediately be affected by it. 



In the first place, let us look at the signification of the Unification 

 of Time with regard to science. Thus it is perfectly plain that besides 

 astronomy those sciences are especially interested which have isolation 

 to the phenomena of the globe, namely Physics, Meteorology, and 

 ]\Iagnetism. For the last named it is of importance that so fai- as 

 possible, identity in the detei-mination of Time should be established, 

 according to which certain observations which have been or are to 

 be made will be referred. It may for example be remembered that 

 for some time past the local time of Gottingen has been used as the 

 Normal Time for simultaneous magnetic observations, because from 

 thence the first impulse to such observations was given througii 

 Gauss. Similar arrangements, it is true, may be made in each case 

 in the future when there is a question of certain definite observations 

 being set forth to the same absolute Time ; but it would in like mat- 

 tei-s much shorten such operations if once for all a Normal Time were 

 established, and it was not necessary on each particular occasion to 

 make special arrangements on the point. It may appear paradoxical 

 to say that of all sciences, astronomy, in despite of its vocation closely 



