Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-20

curiosity Of MEDIEVAL times; although
the clo-k, adapted by the aged math-
ematician, Schwilgue, to the present
state of science, has now been going
for four years. My friend at last
appeared, and we had barely time to
push our way through the crowd,
and to ascend the small, winding
staircase which leads into the four
stories Of the clock, and the small
balcony in which were suspended
like swallows, against the nlathe-
niatisAl mouument looking down
perpentlicularly upon a dense mass
Of heads, whose eyes were all fixed
upon one point.
On one of the lower galleries, an
angel, guarded BY lions which FORM
erly reared, and holding n sccpter
and balls in its hands, strikes the
quarters, and another turns round
the hour-glass. In an upper space,
the four ayes Of life then step for
ward: The child strikes the first
quarter, with its thyrus, upon bell,
the youth strikes the half hour with
his arrow, the armed warrior the
third quarter with his sword, and
the old man the fourth with his
crutch; then Death appears, and
strikes the hour with his bone; and,
rs the sound of the last stroke dies
away, the figure Of Christ comes for.
ward in yet higher story, AID
raises its right arm rs il for fiess-
ing; the twelve apostles, one aF.er the
other, pass before him, and, in pass
ing, incline themselves n.fore the
Savior, who, in conclue,, on, gives his
blessing to the spectators. Their
eyes in the meap while turn to the
cock, who prord:y sits high on n
small tour; he flaps his wings,
stretches out mis- head and his tail
ruftles his r.eck, and thrice his shrill
Growing ,ounds loud and clear.
Among the old paintings which
alorn the face Of the clock, one Of
the most conspicuous is the portrait
Of Cepernicus, according to whose
system the planetarium, which is
over the gallery of the lions, is
erected At the moment when
Calico was condemned, tho scientific
men of Strasbonrg protested against
the Judgment, and erected a monu-
ment to the Polish astronomer in
this astral clock, which, like n trophy
of truth, is placed in the sanctuary.
After the exhibition was concluded,
We stepped into the interior OF the
astronomical works, which are wound
up once in eight days, and in which
endless combinations Of wheels were
revolving in perfect silence. a
solemn and mysterious sensation
seizes upon one here, as If one were
i'm the worship Of the spirits of the
hours. The conception is certainly
lofty one, that Of showing forth the
whole structure of the heavens.
Behold that small wheel, the only
purpose Of which is to make 3 take
the place of when the second
thousand years Of the Christian era
shall have elapsed. On last New
Years night the whole was illumin-
ated-the interior also; and all the
aislcs of the church were crowded
with spectators. The interest which
was excited was intense, when, with
the 12tll streke Of the clock, n 70l
sprang into the place OF the SO after
the IS. The ,nan who explained it
all tn us, q mere laborGr, exclaimed
with much warmth, "One would
almost suppose that the machine
could think. It makes one think Of
the blood which circuiates through
the veins of the human body."-(Or.
London Telegraph.