OcTODER 12, iss;;.] 



SCIENCE. 



495 



thereby. The great difficulty, however, of the 

 phin, lies in the selection of the places where 

 the changes of one honr are to be made ; and 

 as some of these, especially that between east- 

 ern and central time, must pass through coun- 

 try well settled, no matter how much freedom 

 is allowed in selecting the points of change, it 

 has seemed to many that the inconvenience 

 would be great. Kailwa}- interests require 

 that the changes be made at the tei-mini of 

 sections of the road, which are often large 

 cities. At tliese points there will be two times, 

 — one for eastern, one for western roads, ditler- 

 iiig by an hour. In dealing with this practical 

 dilficiilty, the railways have shown a desire to 

 conform as nearly as possible to the theoretical 

 system, but have adopted the principles that 

 " changes from one standard to another should 

 be made at well-known points of departure," 

 and that •' these ciianges should be made at 

 the termini of roads, where changes now occur, 

 except on the transcontinental lines and in a 

 few other unavoidable cases, where the}' can 

 be made at the ends of divisions." 



At the railway-time conventions held in St. 

 Louis and Xew-York City in April last, the 

 following resolutions were adopted : — 



1°. That all roads now using Boston, New 

 York, Philadelphia. Baltimore, Toronto, Ham- 

 ilton, or W.ashington time as standard, or 

 standards based upon meridians east of those 

 lX)ints, or adjacent thereto, shall be governed 

 by the seventy-fifth meridian or ' eastern time ' 

 (four minutes slower than New- York time). 



2°. That all roads now using Columbus. 

 Savannah. Atlanta, Cincinnati, Louisville. In- 

 dianapolis, Chicago, Jefferson City, St. Paul, 

 or Kansas City time, or standards based upon 

 meridians adjacent thereto, shall be run by 

 the ninetieth meridian time, to be called ' cen- 

 tral time ' (one hour slower than ' eastern time,' 

 and nine minutes slower than Chicago time). 



3°. That west of the above-named section 

 the roads shall be run bv the one hundred and 

 fifth and the one hundred and twentietli merid- 

 ian times respectively (two and three hours 

 slower than ' eastern time ' ) . 



4°. That all changes from one hour standard 

 to another shall be made at the termini of 

 roads or at the ends of divisions. 



Another resolution provided that the secre- 

 tary- should prepare a pamphlet containing an 

 explanation of the subject, with accompany- 

 ing maps, and endeavor to secure the acquies- 

 cence of all parties to the proposed plan, that 

 the next convention miglit take final action. 



The report of the secretary contains a fine 

 railway-map, with the standards proposed for 



each road designated by different colors. It 

 is the intention to use the eastern standard 

 from Maine and the eastern coast to Detroit, 

 Mich., and Bristol, Tenn. ; but all the Ohio and 

 (ieorgia railways will use the central stand- 

 ard, as well as those in Pennsylvania west 

 of Pittsburg. The western railways whose 

 termini are in Buffalo, Salamanca, and Char- 

 lotte, are allowed to use the central stiindard 

 as far east as those points. The important 

 places where the change of one hour from 

 eastern to central time occurs, are Detroit, 

 Buffalo. Pittsburg, Charlotte, and Augusta. 

 The change from central to mountain time is 

 made at Bismarck. North Platte, Wallace, 

 Coolidge, and others ; from mountain to Pacific 

 time, at Ogden, Yuma, and others. 



The secretary, ]Mr. Allen, has received assur- 

 ances from the great majority of roads, that 

 the system is approved. At the beginning of 

 this month, railways operating 70,000 miles 

 of road had responded favorably ; and replies 

 were coming in daily, none in the United 

 States having refused assent. Tlie roads cen- 

 tring in Boston gave assent, provided satis- 

 factor}' arrangements could be made with the 

 Cambridge observatory, upon which they de- 

 pend for their time-signals. Of this there 

 can be no doubt, as it may he assumed that 

 everj- observatory in the country will contribute 

 its part in the movement which inaugurates 

 such a needed reform. The eastern standard 

 differs from Boston time by sixteen minutes. 



It seems almost certain, then, that the con- 

 vention now in session will authorize the pro- 

 posed change, and appoint a time when the 

 plan shall be put into practical operation. 

 On that date the observatories will make the 

 change in their signals which the railways use, 

 and the s3-stem will at once be under trial. 

 The next question will be, whether the cities 

 will adopt the railway system for their use. 

 Of tliis there can be little doubt; and, in cases 

 where two standards differing by an hour 

 come together, it will be necessary to adopt 

 one of the two for the city standard. The 

 state of C'onnecticut, which several years ago 

 hastily adopted New- York time for the stand- 

 ard, will have the small change of four min- 

 utes to authorize. All these adjustments may 

 be left to the future. They will be made 

 or not, as the popular interests demand. Of 

 the wisdom of the action of the railwaj- man- 

 agers there can be no doubt. Without dis- 

 cussing the relative merits of the plan adopted, 

 and others which liave been suggested, it is 

 certain that the present confused arrangement 

 should be abolished. The new plan is simple 



