Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-02-10
A Wonderful Clock.

ward Street Church, Boston, in letter written |
during his recent tour in Europe, gives the |
youth of his congregation the following account |
Of wonderful work of art. After introducing !
his letter, he says -
"There is no subject that can think Of |
which will be so likely to interest you as this |
great astronomical clock, which | saw the o.
thcr day in the cathedral at Strasburg This
cathedral. by the way, is one of the Oldest and
fines, in Europe. II is very large, and its tow
er or steep.e is the highest in the world. It is
twcnty-four feet higher than the great pyramid
Of Egypt--onc hundred and forty feet higher
than ST. Paul's in Iondon--and three or four
times higher than the Old South Church in
Boston, The astronomical clock stands in the
inside, in one corner of it, and is a most mpo-
sing and beautiful object. Five or six hun
drcd people visit it every day, at 12 o'clock
when it performs some extraordinary feats,
which shall mention presently-and several
millions in the course Of the year. There have
been two or three clocks in the same place, ur-
on the model of which it is formed /; but it is al
by a mechanic, whose name was SchUHgue. in
lSaS--to whom nocturnal .fetc or festival
was given, by his fellow citizens, on the occa-
sion of its completion. To give you some idea
OF the size of this clock, will compare it with
some other things with which you are familiar,
instead of saying that it is many feet high,
and so many feet wide, &c. Well, then you
remember the Post Office, in Washington
street. 1t is as high as that, and about as wide,
or nearly. Its top would reach to TIE very
summit of our meeting house and its front
would 90 about halt way across the front of the
Westinghouse. On the top Of IT is a figure of
the prophet Isaiah, about as large as life; on
| It's two sides two stairs TO 90 into
it. It's front is beautifully painted, and has
| places upon which the hours of the day, days
of the week, the revolution OF the stars, the
motion of the sun in the eciptic, the days of
! the month, the seasons Of the year. the phases
of the sun and moon, and great many other
things, are indicated. Here, also, in inches
prepared for them, are immovabe images OF the
| Saviour and his twelve apostles; Death, and
Time with his scythe the four ages of human
! life and several other forms, which | cannot
mention.
To give you little farther idea Of its magni-
;ude let me say that there means of going in
side Of it ; and that some ten or fifteen people,
perhaps more, might stand together in It's very
heart, and examine It's machinery Mr. Neale,
two other gentlemen, and myself, with the con-
dnctor, went into it and spent about an hour
there. We went first into a lower, then into a
higher, and then again into a still higher apart
ment Of it, and saw the various parts of the ma
chrncry, consisting, should think gilmore than
a thousand pieces, splendidly polished and de
pendent, for harmonious action, upon the short,
! thick. brass pendulum, which swings in the
centre
But must tell you what this clock does.
! It not only points out the hours and days, but
| the times and seasons, the revolutions of the
stars, the solar and lunar equations, the con-
! functions and eclipses of the heavenly bodies,
their post ons atany given time and the vari-
Gus changes through which they pass for thou
sands Of years. 1t points out apparent time,
! mean or real time, and ecclesiastical time. On
lis face YOU see the motion of the stars, of the
sun md planets, of the moon and her satellites,
/ Two litte cherubS, who sill the ono on one side.
;h2 other on the other, strike the quarters OF
/ ,nc hour--Death strikes the hour with mace,
while four fcnres pass aad rcpass before him,
ra"re,cntng the various stages of human life
! At ~ O'clock every dav, when Death strikes
u, the apostles, who are represented each with
! tho badges Of his martyrdom come on from
the clock, and pass before an image ofthe Sl-
viour, bowing as they pass, and receiving his
Jencdiction, which he gives with movement
ofthe hand. When the apostle Peter makes
his appearance, gided cock, which Is percled
on one side Of the clock flaps his wings, raises
his head, and crows so long and so loud, as to
make the whole cathedral ring again. This he
repeats three times, in memorial of the cock
that crowed three times before the fall Of Peter
course the cock makes no further motion till
the next day at II o'clock, when he repeats the
same loudand startling crow, tapping his wings,
aud raising his head
Now dare say, you will all eXclaim, "Whal
a wonderful cock-and what wonderful man
he must have been who made II !" Yes, my
young fricnds-but how much more wondcriul
ly the mechanism ofthe universe and the GOD