Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-10-20
THE STRASBURG CLOCK.
This celebrated clock is thus de-

/ This celebrated clock is thus de-
scribed:
For ingenuity and complication,
FALL ancient clocks must hide their
Hdials in the presence Of that Of
HStrasburg Cathedral. "Before this
o'clock stands globe on the ground,
Ilshowing the motions Of the heay.
ens, stars, and planets, The heav-
lens are carried about by the first
I'movcr in twenty,four hours, Sat
Iurn, by its proper motion, is car
ried about in thirty years; Jupiter,
lin twelve; Mars, in two; the Sun,
Mercury and Venus, in one year;
and the moon in one month. In
Ithe clock itself are two tables on
the right and left hand, showing
the eclipses Of the sun and moon
for the years 1873 to 1924. The
third table in the middle is divided
into two parts. In the first part,
the statues Of Apollo and Diana
show the course of the year and
day thereof, being carried about in
one year. The second part shows
the years Of our Lord, and the equi-
noctiql days, the hours Of each day,
and the minutes Of each hour, Eas-
ter Day, and all the other leasts and
the dominica letter; and the third
part has the geographical descript-
ion Of all Germany, and particular
ly of Strasburg, and the names Of
the inventor and workmen. In the
middle frame of the clock is an as
trolabe, showing the sign in which
each planet is each day; and there
are statues Of the seven planets up
on circular plate of iron; so that
every day, the planet that rules the
day comes forth, the rest being hid
within the frames till they come
out, of course on their day, as the
sun upon Sunday, and so for all
the week. There is a terrestrial
globe, which shows the quarter and
half-hour, and the minutes There
is a figure of human skull, and
statues of two boys, whereof one
turns the hourglass when the hour
hath struck, and the other puts
forth the rod in his hand, at each
stroke of the clock Moreover
there are statues OF Spring, Sum
mer, Autumn and Winter and many
observations of the moon. In the
upper part of the clock are four
old mems statues, which strike the
quarters of the hour. The statue
of Death comes out at each guar
ter to strike, but is driven back by
the otatue of Christi with spear
in his hand, for three quarters; ; but
in the fourth quarter, Death strikes
the hour with the bone in his hand,
and then the chimes sound, On
the top of the clock is the image Of
cock, which twice in day crows
aloud and claps its wings. Besides
this clock is deck6d with many
rlre pictures, and, being on the in
side Of the church, carries another
frame to the outside of the walla,
whereon the hours Of the sun; the
courses of the moon, the length of
the day, and such other things are
set out with much art" But, per
haps the most striking part of the
history of this famous Strasburg |
clock was, that it was made, or, at
all events, perfected by Il blind |
man. The artisan who contrived |
it lost his sight, and was suppressed
cd; but, since nobody else would .
carry out his ideas, and he refused
to communicate them, he was rein
stated in his work, and actually
carried out the affair, in all its in
tricate delicacy, to the end.