Part 1 (1/2)

International Conference Held at Was.h.i.+ngton for the Purpose of Fixing a Prime Meridian and a Universal Day. October, 1884.

by Various.

I.

SESSION OF OCTOBER 1, 1884.

The Delegates to the International Meridian Conference, who a.s.sembled in Was.h.i.+ngton upon invitation addressed by the Government of the United States to all nations holding diplomatic relations with it, ”for the purpose of fixing upon a meridian proper to be employed as a common zero of longitude and standard of time-reckoning throughout the globe,” held their first conference to-day, October 1, 1884, in the Diplomatic Hall of the Department of State.

The following delegates were present:

On behalf of Austria-Hungary--

Baron IGNATZ VON SCHaeFFER, _Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary_.

On behalf of Brazil--

Dr. LUIZ CRULS, _Director of the Imperial Observatory of Rio Janeiro_.

On behalf of Colombia--

Commodore S. R. FRANKLIN, _U. S. Navy_, _Superintendent U. S. Naval Observatory_.

On behalf of Costa Rica--

Mr. JUAN FRANCISCO ECHEVERRIA, _Civil Engineer_.

On behalf of France--

Mr. A. LEFAIVRE, _Minister Plenipotentiary and Consul-General_.

Mr. JANSSEN, _of the Inst.i.tute_, _Director of the Physical Observatory of Paris_.

On behalf of Germany--

Baron H. VON ALVENSLEBEN, _Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary_.

On behalf of Great Britain--

Captain Sir F. J. O. EVANS, _Royal Navy_.

Prof. J. C. ADAMS, _Director of the Cambridge Observatory_.

Lieut.-General STRACHEY, _Member of the Council of India_.

Mr. SANDFORD FLEMING, _Representing the Dominion of Canada_.

On behalf of Guatemala--

M. MILES ROCK, _President of the Boundary Commission_.

On behalf of Hawaii--