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Show for ench 15 degrees (or 1,000 miles) traveled westward, or 24 hours In all during the 300-degree circuit of the globe. Going east 24 hours are gained. As they javb to be accounted for somewhere some-where to keep the world's time from chaos, the 180th meridian was chosen as the spot. It Is hulf way around the earth from Greenwich, the longitude of which is O. and Is an appropriate place to lose or gain a day because there Is very little business going on In mId-Paelfle. The meridian passes through the FIJI islands and about 10 miles east of New Zealand. Odd things happen In connection with the -meridian da;. Recently Seattle reporter run afoul of it and wired a story all over the continent to the effect that the Admiral Oriental Liner "President Oram nau oronen the trans-Paclflc record of 8 days, 18 hours and 81 minutes from Yokohama-' to Race Rock quarantine station, Vlc-': torla, B. C. made by the Canndlan Pacific Liner "Empress of Russia" In 1M4. The time claimed for the Presl-' dent Grant was 8 days. 10 hours and, 44 mlnutej, but the reporter forgot to count the meridian day. cast-bound, as, 48 hours, consequently that ship's' actual steaming time was 0 days, 10 hours and 44 minutes. As the Empress-of Empress-of Russia counted the meridian day as, two days, she still holds the record. . . ., 4t Seattle Scribe Forgot to Count Meridian Day Seattle, Wash. The meridian day when crossing the Pacific ocean Is one long to be remembered by 4he traveler. Steaming westward he loses an entire day from his calendar., 8teamlng eastward east-ward there Is one day on the calendar 48 hours long. This odd occurrence In mid-Pacific Is at the IROth meridian of longitude, commonly culled "the International In-ternational date line." All ships crossing cross-ing It lose a day going westward and gain a day east-bound. Sidereal time, tiRed by astronomers. Is exact for Its punwse. but Is not suited to every-day business on earth. Consequently, man Invented mean solar time by which an hour Is lost |