BUFFALO CONVENTION. REPORT STANDARD TIME COMMITTEE ^MERiGAN Society of Civil Engineers. •S=^<=F. BUFFALO CONVENTION OF THE American Society of Civil Engineers. The Special Committee on Standard Time REPORT : The Committee beg leave to refer to the Report submitted at the Annual Meeting of the Society, held at New York, on the i6th January last, in which they set forth the various steps taken by the Society, in promoting the proper regulation of Time, and the adoption of Time Standards. The Committee referred with much satisfaction to the fact that the Railway authorities generally had determined to adopt one of the reforms advocated by the Society, and that on the i8th November last, trains commenced to run throughout the United States and Canada, by Hour Standards, and that the public, with singular unanimity, accepted the change, which they now universally recognize as a great public boon. In the documents widely circulated two years ago by the Committee under the authority of the Society, a series of questions bearing on the whole subject, were submitted to men in prominent positions in the Railway world, including Engineers, Traffic Managers and known Scientists in every State in the Union, and in every Province in Canada. To these questions the Committee invited replies, and among the large number of replies received, the Committee had an emphatic expression of opinion from many persons with respect to the division of the day into hours. Ninety-two (92) per cent, of those heard from, gave their unqualified sup|X)rt to the proposal, to abandon the old traditional division of the day into halves of twelve (12) hours each, and to adopt a single series of hours from midnight to midnight, numbered from one to twenty-four (i to 24.) A list of gentlemen who have carefully examined this branch of the subject and who in their replies referred to, have given opinions decidedly in favor of the proposed change, is appended to this Report. It is proposed to adapt clocks and watches now in use to the change, by having inscribed on the existing dials the new numbers of 8 the afternoon hours,— thirteen to twenty-four (13 to 24) inclusive, as in the Plate No. 1. folate No. 1. iH^Ti^^^i**' The only practical difficulty to be overcome is met by the simple expedient of placing on the face of the watch or clock a secondary dial showing the new afternoon hours in Arabic numerals within the present Roman figures. Plator 'C-O ,^^ No. 3. Plate No. 2 shows the secondary dial, it must be of thin material and it has been found that made simply of paper and secured to its position by any gum which will adhere to an enamelled surface, the object is attained without any further alteration of the watch or clock. The Committee is aware that these seem trifling matters to bring under the notice of the Conventiion, but questions of great moment not seldom hinge on small details. It is et'dent from what has been set forth, that every person in the commimity, may at the cost of a few cents in each case, adapt his watch to the 24 o'clock system. The Committee accordingly repeat their conviction that with the .4 V disappearance of the only practical difficulty at an insignificant cost, there is nothing to prevent the Railway authorities and the Community at large, adopting the change as soon as they become alive to its advantages. The Committee do not, on this occasion, consider it necessary again to refer to the public benefits to be derived from the new Notation of the day. The advantages have been fully established and have been frequently discussed at various meetings of this Society. That the American Society of Engineers, as a body, fully appreciate the importance of the change is evident from the fact that since the last Annual Meeting, the Society has practically adopted the 24 o'clock system in all arrangements of meetings, and in all matters in which the .hour of the day is referred to. The Committee cannot doubt that the influence of the Society in ■this reform, will ultimately lead to equally satisfactory results, as have been obtained by their efforts in the establishment of the Standard Hour system throughout the Continent. The Committee deem it proper to recall the action taken at the 'Washington Convention in May 1882. On that occasion the Society resolved to petition Congress to take steps to establish a Prime Meridian as a zero for reckoning Time, and for the computation of longitudes. Subsequently Congress passed a Joint Resolution authoriz- ing the President to call an International Conference to fix on and recommend for universal adoption such a zero, and in conformity with .the Act of Congress, the President has called an International Confe- rence to be held at Washington, on the ist October next. The Act of Congress has authorized the appointment of Three Delegates for the United States to the Conference, and it appears to the Committee appropriate that the Railway and the other interests of the Country of which to a certain extent the American Society of Civil Engineers is the exponent, should be there represented. Your Committee accordingly recommend that the President of the United States be respectfully memorialized by the Society to appoint one delegate to represent these important interests at the Washington Conference. For the Special Committee on Standard Time. SANDFORD FLEMING, Chairman. Buffalo, loth June, 1884. . The 24 o'clock System. List of Engineers, Railway Presidents, Traffic Managers, Scientists and other prominent persons, who, in their replies to questions issued in 1882 by the Standard Time Committee, gave their unqualified preference to a division of the day into a single series of hours numbered from one to twenty-four (i to 24). In addition to this list a number of gentlemen expressed them- selves in favor of the 24 o'clock system for Railway Time Tables, but were in doubt as to the possibility of bringing it into common use for all purposes. Only eight (8) per cent, of all heard from expressed themselves as unfavorable to the 24 o'clock system. The names with an asterisk (*) are members of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Name. W.J.McAlpine.M.I.C.E* M. Becker* Martin W. Harrington , . . H. T. Eddy, Ph. D Robert Fletcher, Ph. D.* P. H. Philbrick* E. A. Doane*. Henry B. Richardson* . . . H. Stanley Goodwin* .... Official Title. Robert Briggs* S. Spencer C. B. Comstock* W. A. Doane* Francis J. Lynch, M.I.C.E James H. Rowan, C. E . . R. M. Harrod, C. E.*... C. S. Master* James Hall, D. P. S. . W. A. Sweet* Wm. T. Jennings. . . . M. G. Howe* Robert H, Sayre Robert Moore, C. E*. J. Foster Crowell* . . . Past Pres. Am Soc. Civil Engineer Chief Eng'r P. C 6- St. L. R. W. Co Director Astron. Observatory Prof, of Mathematics, Astron. and Civil Eng., Univer. of Cincinnati. Prof, of Civil Engineering Prof C. E , State Univ. of Iowa. . . Chief Eng , Rome, W.and Og'gh. R. Chief State Engineer Asst Gen. Super. Lehigh Valley R. R. Co. 3rd V. P., B. dr" O. R. R Lieut-Colonel of Engineers Principal Asst. Eng., R W.6-0.R.R In charge Canad'n Pacific R'y office Ex-District Eng., C, P. Railway. . . Member Miss. River Commission . . Engineer in charge Western Division W.L. 6- G.R.R. Ex-Sheriff and Ex-M.P Prest Sanderson St. Co Rest. Engr. C.P.R Eng. and Sup., H. 6^ T.C.R.R Sup. and Eng., Lehigh Valley R.R. Assistant Engineer, P.R.R . Address. Bay Ridge, N. Y. Pittsburgh. Pa. Ann Arbor, Mich. Cincinnati, Ohio. Hanover, N. H. Iowa City, Iowa. Oswego, N. Y. New Orleans, La. Bethlehem, Penn. Philadelphia, Pa. Beltimore, Md. Detroit, Mich. . Oswego, N. Y. Ottawa, Canada. Winnipeg, Man. New Orleans. St. Louis, Mo. Peterboro', Ont. Syracuse, N. Y. Keewatin, Man. Houston, Texas. Bethlehem, Pa. St. Louis, Mo. Pittsburgh, Pa. Name. T.J. Potter W. B. Sinellie Julius W. Adams F. N. Gisborne iames H. Harlow* . . . . Ldward S. Philbrick*. . Kivas Tully T. H. Perry J. W. Putnam* Charles H. Swan* . . . . Sir Charles Tupper. . , . Jos. P. Davis* P. S. Archibald H. E. Stevens* B. S. Henning ....... J. Milton Titlow* C. A. Young Robert A. Shailer* L. B. Archibald E. P. Stearns* C. S. Davidson Edward Maguire E. G. Ferris Collingwood Schreiber. Henry Gannett James P. Howley W. H, Wood F. M. Towar ......... Julius J. Duraye Thomas S. Sedgwick*. Geo. M. Dawson T. C. Mendenhall L. J. LeConte* Edward C. Pickering , . H. F. Royce J. S. Sewall* Wm. B, Hazen G. Kennedy, M.A., L.L.D E. p. Ashe Wilson Crosby* , W. H. Pratt George S. Gatchell. H. S. Pritdiett C. J. Ives , Asa Horr, M.D.* , J. L. Gillespie , William P. Anderson . Official Titlk. 3rd Vice-Pres , etc., CB. &* O R.R Cons. Eng , Canadian Pacific R'y, . Past Pres., Am. Soc'y Civil Eng.. Super. Tel. Sig. Serv , Dom. Canada Eng Monongahela Navigation Co . . Vice-Pres. Canadian Institute Chief Eng., L. E dr- W. Rd N.0.6-M. R.R Mem. Am- M. Soc , Bur., A.S.C.E. Minister of Railways and Canals . . . Vice-Pres. Am. Tel Co Chief Eng. Intercolonial Railway.. U. S. Asst Engineer Pres. Ohio Lo. R. W. Co Principal Asst. Eng , C^ity Hall . . . Prof. Astron'y, Col. of Ne:w Jersey . - Asst. Supt. Edge Moore [ron Works Supt. Prince Edward Island R'y. . . Asst. Eng , Boston Imp. Sewei-age Sup. Hud Div.N.Y.,N.H. dT-H.R.R Captain of Engineers, U.S. A Engineers D. &- N.R.R Chief Eng. and Gen. Man. Canadian Government Railways. Geographer of (-ensuf, and of U. S. Geological Survey Asst. Provincial Geologist U. S. Asst. Engineer U. S. Asst. Engineer U. S. Asst. Engineer Land Agt., Atlantic <£r> Pac R'd Co. Asst Director Geological Survey . . Prof Physics, Ohio State University Res. Eng., Oakland Harbour Director Harvard Uoll. Observatory Division Superintendent Address. Chicago, 111. Montreal, Ca. Brooklyn, N. Y. Ottawa. Pittsburg, Ohio. 1 2 W. st, Boston, Mass. Toronto. Lafayette, Ind. New Orleans. Highlands, Boston. Ottawa, Ca. N. Y. City. Monckton, N. B, '< St. Paul, Minn. '• ' 115 Broadway, N. Y. Philadelphia, Pa. Princeton, N. J. Wilmington, Del. Charlottetown. Atlanta, Mass. Hartford, Conn. South Norwalk, Conn. Ottawa, Ca. Washington, D. C. St. Johns, Nfld. St. Paul, Minn. St. Paul, Minn. St. Paul. Minn. Albuquerque, N. M. Ottawa, Ca. Columbus, Ohio. Oakland, Cal. Cambridge, Mas*. Des Moines, Iowa.. St Paul, Minn, Brig, and Brevet Major-Gen , Chief Washington. Signal Officer, U.S. A Law Clerk, Crown Land Depar't . . Director Quebec Observatory V^ • Ej •••••• •••••• •••••• •••••••« Cor.-Sec. and Curator Acad. Nat. Science- Gen. Supt. B. N. Y. P. R. R Prof. Astron'y and Director Obser- vatory, Washington University . . Gen. Supt. B. C. R. 6- W. R'y . . . . Pres. Iowa Inst., Science and Art . . U. S. Asst. Engineer Eng. to Marine Dept , in charge construction Can. L^ht Houses Toronto. Quebec. Bangor, Me. Davenport, Iowa, Buffalo, N. Y. St Louis, Mo. Cedar Rapids, la* Dubuque, Iowa. St. Paul, Minn. Ottawa, Canada. Name. Rufus Ingalls W. E. Jacobs . , Winslow Upton H. A. Howe . . . D. R. Taylor J. R. Eastman . . . James R Barber. DeVolson Wood* Wm. F. Ellice Alex. Murray, C.M.G., ^ 'Vj'Kj •■••••••••••• Edwin A. Hill C. D.Ward* .... Lewis Bass Chas. A. Schott . David H Jerome W. T. Sampson . Wm. Brydone Jack ■ John B. Hamilton . H'y F McLeod, M.I , CE. Jacob M. Clark* H. P. Dwight William F. Bradbury .... M. Giddings J. W. Mallett D. Hudson Shedaker .... John Twigg E. P. Dunnington Francis H. Smith Clarence J. Blake Wm. M. Thornton , Albert Chapman Savage . M. C. Femald John H. Plake Ed Fontaine Fred Brooks* Chas. F. Dowd, A.M.... Official Title. Quarter- Master General and Brevet Major-General, U. S. A. Address. Army Signal Office Prof of Math, and Astron'y, Univ'y of Denver. District Supt., N. P. R R Prof Math U.NS., U S.N.Observ'y Railway Superintendent Prof Math, and Mechan., Stevens' Institute, Tech Chief Eng. Connotton Val R'y Co. Director Geolog Survey, Newfd . . Attorney, etc , Boston 6r' New York Air Line R'y. Windsor Hotel Director Dudley Observatory Asst. US. Coast and Godetic Surv. Governor of Michigan Commander US N., Asst. to Supt. Naval Observatory. Pres. University, New Brunswick . . Supervising Surg.-General, U. S. Marine Hospital Service. Resident Eng., Canadian Pacific R'y Gen. Man. Great N -West Tel- Co Hd. Master, Cambridge High School Prof. Chemistry, Univ'y of Virginia. Civil Engineer Town Clerk Prof Anal. Chem., Univ. of Virginia Prof. Natl. Phil'y, Univ'y of Virginia Fellow Am. Acad. Arts and Sciences Adj. Prof Eng., Univ. of Virginia. City Engineer Pres. State College Washington. Salt I^ke City. Washington. Colorado. Mandan, D T. Washington. Cobourg, Ont. Hoboken, N. J. Canton, O. St. Johns, Newfoun'd. New Haven, Conn. Jersey City. Albany, N. Y. Washington. Lansing, Mich. Washington. Frederickton, N. B. Washington. Drynock, B. Columbia New York. Toronto, Can. Cambridge, Mass. Bangor, Me. Albermarle Co. Va. Philadelphia. Picton, Ont. Professor, etc., etc A. E. Ferro Carril Central Mexican o Pres. Temple Grove Sem'y Boston. El Paso, Texas. Orono, Me. Boston, Mass. Jackson, Wis. San Luis Potosi, Mex. Saratoga Springs.