The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-04

the centre Of the second division (the clock
being tower of three stories) Is an image OF
the Virgin, holding her son Jesus In her
arms two angels are seen placing Gro vns
and garlands on her head; and during
the performance Of the BELLS several angels
appear making his obeisance before the image
OF Mary and the Saviour. Within the centre
Of the third division is a metal bell hanging on
gilt plate Of copper, on which is represented
the judgment day. Round this metal plate
move four silver figures, set in motion by
mechanism, representing four states Of social
life. These images point ont the quarters Of
the hour by striking the bell; the first quarter
is represented by youth, the second by a
grave citizen, the third by a Roman soldier, and
the fourth by priest. In the fourth division
is likewise metal bell, on the sides of which
are chambers; on the left side is the repre-
sentation of Death, proclaiming the hours
OF day and night by striking the bell;
above 1t is seen Latin inscription from
Romans, chapter VII, verse %. AT the
right side is the image of the Saviour step
ping forward, with the globe in his hand, and
above it the cross. This figure proceeds, every
two minutes, in a slow manner, and then, for
a moment, hides itself from view; above it is a
Latin verse from the prophet Hosea, chapter
xiii. These two figures are of massive silver.
Behind the bell is inscribed the name of the
artist, and the date 1889" Many ancient
ClOOkb upon ln6 COnLueub B8ulDlL process
sions of saints and various other religious
automata; but the most singular of all, per-
haps, is one in the cathedral of St.John, at
Lyon. son the top of it stands a cock, that
every three hours claps his wings and crows
thrice. In a gallery underneath a door
opens on one side, and out comes the Virgin
Mary; and from a door on the other side
the angel Gabriel, who meets and salutes her.
At the same time door opens in the alcove
ma ri mt Of vphi oh ha Of q
/ senting the Holy Ghost, descends upon the
Virgins head. After this, these figures
retire, and from a door in the middle comes
forth the figure OF a reverend father, lifting
up his hand and giving his benediotion to the
spectators. The days of the week are repre-
| sented by seven figures, each Of which takes
its place in niche on the morning Of the day
that it represents, and continues there until
midnight. The greatest curiosity is an oval
plate marked with the minutes of an hour,
which are exactly pointed out by a hand
reaching the circumference, that insensibly
dilates and contracts itself during the revolu-
ton. This curious machine, although not so
perfect now in all its movements as when it
was originally constructed, has suffered but
little injury during long course of years,
owing to the care and skill of those
who were appointed to look after
it. 1t appears from an inscription on the
clock itself that it was repaired and improved
by one Morrison in 1861 but it was contrived
long before that time by Nicholas Lipp,
native Of Basle; who finished it in 1898, when
he was about thirty years of age. The oval
minute motion was invented by NJ. Server,
and is of later date. There is a tradition that
the ingenious artist, Lipp, had his eyes put
out by order of the magistrates of Lyon, that
he might not be able to make another clock
like this; but so far from this being true, the
justices of Lyon engaged him to take care Of
his own machine, at a handsome salary.
Ingenious, however, as are the quasi
religious automata above mentioned, how
| inferior are they in human interest when
compared with the timepieoe possessed
by Mrs. Forester at Great Brickhill,
Bucks, 4" the identical clock which was at
Whitehall at the time of the execution of
| Charles l, and by which the fatal moment was
regulated" At that period (the seventeenth
century,, there was great taste for striking
clocks. "Several of them, made by Thomas
| TOmpion, who invented many useful things in
clockwork, not only struck the quarters on
| eight bells, but also the hour after each
| quarter At II o'clock forty four blows were
struck, and one hundred and thirteen between
IL and o'clock. Failures in the striking
mechanism of these clocks were attended with
much annoyance to the owners Of them for
| they would go on striking without cessation
| until the weight or spring had gone down, and
they were frequently contrived to go for q
month. A clock made by Tompion on this
| construction caused much annoyance to the
| Duchess OF Gloucester soon after her marriage.
| This machine was fixed in an apartment sd-
| joining her bedchamber the failure took place
at o'clock in the morning, and, as the case
could not be opened, the clock continued to
| strike until 8o'clOck-a tintinnabulum which,
we think, must have scared away the hover
| ing Hymen. Chambers Journal.
(IO be cOntinaed.)