The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-08-19
,unNnERFuI. CLOCK.


Tho Rev. DIR. Turnbull, pastor Of the Harvard |
stree, Church, Boston, wrote letter during his re-
cen, tour TO Europe to the members of the Sabbath
School connected with his congregation, in which he
gnye an interesting account of wonderful work of
art Amer introducing the letter he proceeds as fol-
lows
There is no iect that can think of which will
be so likely to interest you the great astronomical
clock, which the other day in the Cathedral at
STRAIT sburg. The Cathedral, by the way, Is Of
the finest and oldest in Europe. 1t is very large and
it's tower or seeplo is the highest in the world. 1t is
twenty -four feet higher than the great pyramid in
Egypt, one hundred and forty feet higher than St.
Paul's in London and three four times higher than
the old South Church Boston
The astronomical clock stands in the inside, in the
corner of land is a most imposing and beautiful ed
flee. Five or six hundred people visit ii every day
at twelve o'clock when it performs eAtrnordIna-
ry feats, which shall mention presently, and several
millions in the Of the year. There have been
two or three clocks in the same place, upon the mod
ell Of which the present is formed; but it almost
new ore and was constructed by Mechanic whose
name was Schwigue, in 1898 to whom a nocturnal
festival was given by his Gelow-citizens tho
sioh OF its completion,
To give you some idea Of the size of this clock,
will compare il with some other things with which
you are familiar, instead of saying it was many
feet wide, SC. We'll, then, you remember the size
of the post office in Washington street. 1t is as high
as that, and about wide, or nearly so. lis top
would reach to the very summit Of our meeting
house, and its front would go about half across the
front Of the meeting house. On the top Of 1t is the
figure OF the Prophet Isaiah, about as large as life on
its two sides couple Of stairs TO go up into it,
its front is beautifully pancd,a and has places upon
which the hours Of the day, the days Of the week,
the revolution oc the stars, the motion Of the in
the ecliptc, the days of the month, the months the
Of the year, the phases OF the and moon,
and a great many things indicated. Here, also,
in inches prepared for them, arc moving images OF
the Savior and his twelve apostles, Death and Time
with his scy the, the four images o. human life, and
several other forms which cannot mention.
To give you little farther idea of its magnitude,
let say that there Of going inside Of it;
and that ten or fifteen people, perhaps more,
might stand in its very heat and examine the ma
ehinery Mr. Neal, two other gentlemen and myself,
with the conductor, went into il and spent about
hour there. Wo went first into a lower, aud then
still higher apartment Of it and saw, hinl, more
than thousand pieces splendidy PolishGd, and all
dependant for the harmonious action upon the short,
thick brass pendulum which swings in the centre.
But | must tell yon what this clock does II not
only points out the hours and the s,the tunes and
the Geasons, but the revolutions of the stars the solar
and lunar equations, the conjuncons and the ecip-
SEES of the heavenly bodies their positions al any
time and various changes tiro' which they pass for
thousands of yenrs. 1t points apparent time,
mean or real time, and ecc esastca time. On It's
face you the motion of the stars of the and
planets, Of the moon and her satellites Two Hule
cherubs who sit one on side, the other on the 9TH
err strike the quarters 'orthe hour-Deuh strikes the
hour with a mace,-whle four figures pass and re-
pass before him, representing tho various stages of
human life
At IL o'clock every day, whe Death strikes
twelve, tho apostles, who represented each with
the badge Of his maryrdom, com out from the clock
and pass before tho image Of the Savior, bowling at
the pass, and receiving his benedic,'on which he
gives with movement Of the hand When the gpos-
tie Peter makes his appearance glded cock, which
is perched side ofthe clock, flaps his wings
raises his head, and crows loud and long as to
make the whole Cathedral ring again. This he re-
peats three times in memorial Of the cool, that crow
ed three times before the fall of Peter, during the
erucifction OF our Savior or course the cock
makes farther noise or motion till the next day at
II o'clock when he repeats the loud and
startling crow, Tapping his wings and raising his
head
nJon, IF tha No TT