Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-11-05
WONDERFUL CLOCK

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ter during bis recent tour 10 Europe, TO
the members Of the Sabbath School eORs
necied with his congregation, in which
he gave an interesting accOuat ofa won.
derful work OF art. After Introducing the
letter, he proceeds as follows.
There is no subject that | can think
Of which vii! be so likely to interest you
as the great astronomical clock, which
saw the other day in the CalhOdraI at
Strasburgh. tn s Cathedral, bV the way,
ls one Of ihe finest aud oIdes in Europe.
1t is very large and It's lower or steepie is
the highest in the world. II is twenty
four feet higher than the great pyramid
in Egypt, one hundred and forty feet
higher than 81. PIu's in I.ondsD, and
three or four times higher than the old
South Church in Boston. The sstrsnom.
ical clock stands in the INSIDE. in enc
corner OF il, and is most imposing and
beautiful odIfce. Five or SIX bgndrad
people visit it svsry Siy sl Twelve o.
clock, when it performs Soma exiraordi-
nary feals, which ! shall mention pros
entity, and several millions in the course
Of the year. There have been two or
three clocks in ihe same place upon the
model Of which the present one is form
ed; bul il IS aIlnssi new one, and Was
constructed by mechanic whose name
was Schwdgue. in 1888. to whom nscN
turngl fete or festival was given BY his
fellow citizens on the Occssiok Of it's
completion.
To give you some idea Of The size Of
this clock, will compare il with some
other things with which ynn are familiar,
itstead Of saying it is so many fesl high,
and so many feet wide, &c Well then,
you remember the size Of The Post OF.
fee in v Washington street. Il is as high
as that and about as vile. or at least
nearly so. Its top woIId reach TO the
very summit Of our meeting house ,and its
front would go about half across the frSnt
of the meeting house. On the top Of
it is the figure of the prophet I,aish, a.
bout as large as life-On its two sides are
couple Of stairs togo up into it. Its
front is beautifully painted, and has plac.
ed upon it the hours OF the day, the days
Of the week, the revolutions Of The stars,
the motions of the sun in the ecliplic,
the days Of the month, he seasons of
the year, the phases Of The sun and moon,
and great many other things. are indi.
Gated. Here, also, in ntches prepared
for them, are movable images of The sav.
ior and his apostles Death and Time,
with his scythe-the four ages OF human
life, and several other forms which can.
not mention.
ITO give you a lille further idea Of
lis magnitude, lei me say Ihsls are
means Of going inside Of it and that some
ten or fifteen people, perhaps more,
might stand together in its vsrv heart and
examine the machinery Mr. Nssle,
two other gentlemen and myself, with
the conductor, went into il and spent
about an hour there. We went first in.
10 lower, lhen into higher, and then
still higher apartment Of it, and saw ,ho
various paris of the machinery. consist.
ing should think, Of more than thou
saud pieces, splendldly polished, and all
dspeaden! fer tbs harmonious action upr
on the short, thick brass pendulum which
swings in the centre.
"But mist tell you what this clock
does. It not only points out the hours
aud the days, the times and the seasons,
but the revolutions ofthe stars, the solar
an ! lunar, equations, the coniunctions
and the eclipses Of the heavenly bodies,
their positions at any given time, and va.
rious changes through which they pass
for thousands OF years. 1t points ont the
apparent time, mean Or real time, and &c.
Iesiastcal time. On its face you see the
motion OF the stars, and the sun and
the planets, the moon and her satellites.
Two little cherubs, who sit one on one
side, the other on the other, s,iks The
quarters OF the hour-Death strikes tksii
hour with tho mace-whils four figures
pass and re pass before him, represent-
ing the various stages Of hum1n life. gag
"Al IL o'clsck every day, when Death
strikes twelve, The apostles, who are rep!
resented each with the badge 0fhismafy
tyrdOm, Gene out Of the clock and pass b
before the image of the Saviour, bowiRe,
as they pass, and receiving his bsnedic~
lion, which he gives with the mOyemanC
OF the hand. When the Apostle Pstsrsf
makes his appearance a gilded eockviI
which is perChed on one side Ofihs clock.
f1sPs bis wings and crows SO loud as 70, I
make the whole Cathedral ring sgain.--,,
this he repeats three times in memorial
ofths cock that crowed three times be-.
fore The fall Of Peter during The cFaci--.
6xiOn Of our Saviour. OF course The
cock makes no further noise or motion !,
till the next day at l2 o'clock, Whon he
repeats the same loud and startling CROW. /,
fiaping his wings and raising kis head.