Show Zero Mile M le ile Post Is at Greenwich I Center for Figuring Longitude Longitude Longitude Longi Longi- tude Since 1884 I Washington GreenwIch Washington Greenwich observatory observatory I tory England most widely known of ot the worlds world's stations for observIng observing observIng ing the stars and marking out time Js to have a large new telescope that will put It more nearly on a apar apar apar par with Its less famous but more efficient competitors according to news dispatches from London Greenwich Is an unpretentious borough patch of ot London says a bulletin from the National r Geographic Geographic GeographIc Geo Geo- graphic society but It has world Importance In spite of Itself On practically every ery map and globe that Is published the longitude lines conspire to bring In Into to prominence prominence prom prom- this community on on the south southbank southbank southbank bank of the Thames two and a ahalt half halt miles below London bridge Nearly every country In the world and practically ever every ship that sails the seas sens describes its position as so many degrees east or west of Greenwich Greenwich Green Green- for though the center of the dome of Greenwich observatory runs the worlds world's generally accepted zero meridian Her Nautical Flavor Fronting the deep waters of ot the lower Thames Greenwich has hns always always always al al- al- al ways had a nautical flavor As early as 1011 an nn Invading Danish fleet made Its base at as the place was then called Through the centuries It has become more and more associated with British naval affairs The The towns town's outstanding building Is the great Naval hospital designed by Sir Christopher Wren and mr considered one of the the finest creations of that famous architect I It Is Ls no longer used as a hospital but serves ser now as the Royal Naval college where Britain's BrItan's naval officers are trained Greenwich was once even en more famous than Westminster and Winsor Winsor Winsor Win- Win sor are today as the home of ot BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish royalty On parts of the sites of ot the Naval college and school was situated Placentia the favorite palace pal ace of British kings during the latter latter latter lat lat- lat lat- ter part of ot the e Fifteenth century the Sixteenth and half halt of the Sev Sev- The Greenwich observatory was established I In 1073 under Charles CharlesH II H and placed In the old palace grounds now Greenwich park Greenwich observatory now combines combines combines com com- bines some of ot the functions ns of the American Naval observatory bureau of standards and weather bureau It Is responsible for the correction of British time Each day at one o'clock p. p in m. the time ball falls falIs from froma troma a staff on the observatory and electric electric electric elec elec- signals are arc sent out by telegraph telegraph tele tele- graph and and wireless Zero Post Since 1884 Greenwich has been the worlds world's official marking point for the zero meridian of ot longitude only since 1884 as a result of the Washington meridian conference Since longitude longitude longitude longi longi- tude was Invented numerous zero meridians have been In use usually for relatively small areas In the days of Ptolemy the tho geographer in inthe inthe inthe the Second Second century A. A D D. longitude was reckoned from enough for that Island of ot the eastern gastern pastern past east ern Mediterranean had been the commercial and maritime center of ot the world for centuries Paris and other ther capital cities marked the zero meridian for their own countries for tor fora tora a long time but slowly the use of Greenwich spread and has bas now become become be be- become come practically world wide American longitude was expressed expressed expressed ex ex- ex- ex pressed In terms of degrees east or ornest west nest of Washington until after the theIn In laying Ing of ot the transatlantic cables Until electrical signals could be besent besent besent sent from Greenwich to the tile New world it was Impossible to tie the longitude of ot European points and American points together with abSolute absolute ab solute accuracy While Washington Washing WashIng- ton served as the American zero meridian many of the western state boundaries were established It Is for this reason that the boundary lines between Colorado rind and Utah and between Wyoming Idaho and Oregon will be seen on a map of ot the United States to fall fail by a small distance to coincide with the merid merld- merIdIan meridian ian lan lines west of Greenwich |