THE TIME COMPLICATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 90, 25 April 1898, Page 2

THE TIME COMPLICATION.

To the Editor of " The Evening Mail."

Sir—"Mofussilite " seems to have made a mistake m calculating the difference between the local time of Nelson and that of New York. He argues that as Washington is 118 degrees oast of us, it is thorefore aboub 7 i hours ahead. But he does not notice that in estimating the difference of longitude by the shortest route he crosses (he 180 th meridian. The rule is that when estimating difference of time bet ivoon two placeß, one of which is in the ,>.eastern and the other in tho western hemisphere, you must always estimate the difference, of longitude by measuring round to as to cross meridian 0* and not meridian 180" The question is rather an intricate one, and to explain it f ullly woud occupy too much of your valuable space. But the following hints may suffice for those who care to think the matter out for themselves. All English-speaking peoples, and within the last few years most of the Continental nations also, have adopted the convention that all places to the East of Greenwich as far as the 180 th meridian shall be ahead of Greenwich in point of time, while all places for the same distance to the West shall be behind. New Zealand is therefore ahead of Greenwich, while Greenwich in its turn is ahead of America. Altogether NewZealand is 242 degrees or 16 hours 8 mm. ahead of Washington, so that when the time at the latter was C a.m., the time in N.Z. would bo about 10 p.m. Wo may look afc the question in another way. As a corollary of the convention mentioned above, it follows that every succeeding day makes its debut upon this earth on the 180 th meridian at the moment when ifc is midnight on that line and therefore midday afc Greenwich. The new day then spreads round the world from E. to W. in tho traok of what may be termed the midnight line. Now Zealand is therefore tbo firsfc land of importance to bo reached by any new day while U. S. A. is one of the last. We therefore havo Monday morning while the Americans are enjoying Sunday afternoon and so forth. I am, etc. K.

To The Editor of "the Evening Mail. 1 ' Sir,— l cannot agree with "Mofuesilite's" view of relative times. I don't think we are behind America. There is no line between England and America to make us in front of one and behind the other. The j day begins on the 18th meridian (about the Cbathams) and we are ahead of all places between us and tbat meridian, moving in a westerly direction. On the voyage Homo round the Horn a day of the week Is repeated, whioh shows that we have got ahead of America, and must stop a day in order to arrive there on the same day with them. As to the commencement of the war, it began on Fridsy. The Spaniards were given till Saturday morning, but they signified their decision before that time. The cables were dated* April 22nd, and tbat was Friday all over ihe world.— Yours etc., SCRUTATOR. [•"Mofussilite's" own idea first agreed wiih that of "X," but tho appended table (official) seems to be generally accepted as correct So far as Now Zealand time is con* corned : — European and New Zealand Time. The following table shows the corresponding "Time" at the principal places in the world when ifc is noon at Welling, ton, and will be found useful in connection with the receipt and despatoh of European telegrams :—

NamoofPlnco, Corresponding Welling • IV clline" Timo at (on Time ton Tuna P'nco. v advance behind . Greenwich 1220 a.m. 11-40 Paris 12-30 „ 11-30 Marseilles 12-2-1 „ 1V36 Bremen 12-60 „ 11-4 '" St. Petersburg 2-22 „ 9-38 j" Antwerp 12-41 „ IH9 •"' Calais 12-28 „ 11-32 .". Florence 1-06 „ 10-54 Home 1-11 „ 10-49 Naples 1-18 „ 10-42 ],',' Brmdisi 1-33 „ 10-27 Constantinople 2-17 „ 9-43 Cairo 2-20 „ 9-34 ." Alexandria 221 „ 0-39 ," Suez 2-32 „ . 0-28 Algiers 12-33, „ 11-27 . ' Malta 1-99 „ 10-41 Bombay 5-12 „ 6-48 „'. Madras 5-42 „ 6-18 Calcutta 014 „ 5-46 ..',' Point do Gillie 5-42 „ C-18 Batavia 7-28 „ 4-32 Pekin 8-07 „ 3-53 .'." 1 Hong .Kong 7-68 „ 4-02 .. , Yokohama 9-39 „ 221 , 1 Hobart Town 10-11 „ 1-49 . ' j Perth 8-04 „ 3-56 ..." J filelbourne 1001 „ 1-69 ... ( Adolaido 9-35 '„ 2-25 Sydney 1026 „ 1-34 ... \ Brisbane 10-34 „ 1-26 ... , Valparaiso' 7-34 p.m. „, 7-34. } Callao . 720 „ ... 7-20 ( Lima • 7-09- „ ... 7-09 Panama 7'oi „ „,, 7.04, San Francisco 4*ll „ „, 4.J1 1 ftio Janeiro 8 % 28 „ .. 8-28 n Cayenne 8-62 „ .„ 8 . 62 Mexico 5-44 „ ... 5.44 {. few Orleans 6-20 „• ... e-20 fVashington 7*34 „ ..." 7-84 Philadelphia 720 „ ... 720 t JewYoA • T2S ;; ... 7-25 J 3oßton , 7-37 „ „, ■ 7.37 Mifax 807 „ ... s-07 Quebec 7-88 „ ,„• 7 -36 D Madeira 11-13 „ ... ma 0 , Lsoeusion 1123 „ ... ' 11-23 f] >t. Helena 11-58 „. ... aws