Meridian by Megan Easley-Walsh

Author:Megan Easley-Walsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romantic amateur sleuth, historical suspense and international mystery, colonial africa historical fiction, amateur sleuth journalist, cultural heritage fiction, intelligent mystery novel, action-packed historical mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Suspense, Victorian, 19th Century Fiction, Female Reporter, Worldwide Adventure, Historical Adventure, Historical Mystery, Historical Thriller
Publisher: New Historical Fiction
Published: 2018-05-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Three

October 13, 1884, Diplomatic Hall of the State Department

The American delegate put forward his resolution,

“That the Conference proposes to the Governments here represented the adoption of the meridian passing through the transit instrument at the Observatory of Greenwich as the initial meridian for longitude.”

Now in their fourth day of the Conference, the delegates who had voted on the rules and procedures of the Conference and on determining that a meridian was indeed desirable, faced the vote that they had been waiting for. All was not yet decided. There were still the decisions to be made on how to establish a universal day and it was unclear if there should be 180 or 360 lines of longitude. Now though, the roll was called to vote on Mr. Rutherford's resolution.

“Austria?”

“Yes.”

And so it began. When all twenty-four present countries had been called, there were twenty-one ayes, only one no from San Domingo and two abstaining votes from Brazil and France. At the second meeting there had been an attempt to pass the Resolution for the Greenwich meridian to be used, but France had discouraged so early a vote. Today, France and Brazil had been urging that an entirely neutral meridian be used. Perhaps, it should be in the Pacific or Atlantic. Then no country would have a claim to it. It certainly shouldn't pass through the European or American continents.

These objections had been overturned with arguments about practicality. Using an already established observatory made sense. There was a need for the meridian to be able to access the world by telegraph, if any adjustments needed to be made. Then, there were the financial considerations. Sixty-five percent of ships accounting for seventy-two percent of tonnage already used the Greenwich meridian as their starting points. The second most used meridian, in Paris, trailed behind with only ten percent of the ships and eight percent of the tonnage. Plus, it was cheaper to print maps with Greenwich as the prime meridian.

And so, it was decided. Mr. Rutherford's resolution firmly drew a line through Greenwich that was to be observed by the world.

Down the hall, Amelia transcribed notes from the Conference into French. Earlier resolutions had decided that printed bills of what had transpired should be drawn up each day and that they should be available in French, as well. She was alone in the office and had been particularly jumpy today. She had managed, somehow, to avoid being seen by her assailants when she saw them on the steps. But, her nerves were ill at ease knowing the men might be just around the corner from her.

Eliot had returned late to the hotel last night, but Amelia was still glad to have her company. Staying with Eliot indefinitely was not a viable solution, though, and Amelia had wondered what would be the best course of action to take.

Eliot, often seeming older to Amelia than she was, had offered a solution.

“Do you know Charles Horton?”

“Not well, but I know who he is.”

“Good, well, he's an old friend of my father's and I'm sure I could ask if you could stay with his wife and him.

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