The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-10-14

- uluCI1 Iu0r6 pfOD8Ofe l08t t0ey were
introdueed into European monasteries
by the Crusaders.
Alfred the Great contrived candle
clock, which was formed of six can
dies, each divided by pins into twelve
inches; these being liQhted successive.
ty, burned four hours each 81. the rate
OF an inch for every twenty minutes.
Thus the six candles lasted twenty-four
hours. To prevent unequal combus-
ton, caused by currents Of air, the in.
genius king surrounds his candle-clock
with lanterns Of thinly. shaved horn,
by which means the lights We're made
to burn steadily and regularly. Read
efs Of romance win recall the scene in
"The Betrothed,n IN which as the
candles were consumed the brass pins
fell one by one into the basin beneath.
'&aBut all these .contriyances fell far
short of the desired object, and utmost
skill Of man was for ages directed to-
ward obtaining . more satisfactory
clock. -hn9mE dia9SiIuo8 adi 10 =
The regular motions observed in Na-
ture became 50 associated with Time,
that when othe frstl machines- were
made for measuring and recording it,
1t was natural to indicate by them the
changes Of the moop,. the ebb and fow
OF tides, and various astronomical rev.
0luti0ns. Thus some curiOusly COM
plicated clocks were produced. Among
the Inventions Of the eighteenth centu-
ny was the astfOnomicai clock Of Hahn
IOf Wurtemburg, which IL described as
measuring time in H. whole extent.
The principal hand indicates the most
important incidents in history, and the
leading events Of future ages, accord
ing to the Apocalypse; : the revolution
embracing a period -0f nearly eight
thousand years. Another hand marks
the century, completing It's circuit in .
hundred years. The motions, Of the
planets known at the time OF the in
ventor are represented; they and their
satellites perform their revolutions in
exactly the same time az they do in the
heavens. They have not only aeen-
tnl motion, but their course balso ec-
centric and elliptical, liks that Of the
celestial bodies, their emotion being
sometimes slower, sometimes accele-
rated, and even retrograde.'h:fiiu 9ea
We know not at what period bells
were added to clocks, and man dis
played his wisdom in giving them q
tongue. A gourmand menfioned by
PetrOnius placed q, ,trumpeter In bis
dining room near the clepeydra TO an.
nounce the hours And in an account
Of the ccstems of the Cistefrian monks
IN llO the striking Of q clock is referred
) sAs,the result of much skill and inye-'
nuity ,automata were attached to clocks
at quite an early period, and they were
frequently ornamented with rich jew
els and set with costly gems.s In 500
Aaroun al Baschid presented . clock to
Charlemagne, in which We're twelve
doors that opened successfully at each
hour, and continued open until noon,
when twelve knights on horseback is
sued forth, paraded around the dial, aud
within the doors which
closed after them. The Emperor Sala-
din gave Frederick the EecUud gclock
which marked not only the hours. but
also the course of the sun, moon and
planets. Some years ago the Emperor
Of China received tom the East India
Company clock IN the form Of char
lot, in which was seated q lady; upon
her finger was O bird set with diamonds
and rubies with It's wings expanded as
IL about TO take flight, and which fut-
tered for some time when . certain dia-
mond button was touched. The body
Of the bird which contained the ma
chinery by which it was moved, meas-
ured about the sixteentho part of an
inch. Over the lady's head were tw
under the larger of which
bell was placed at some distance from
tho clock, and apparently having no
with u, hut fbom which
was secretly conveyed
TO q hammer that regularly struck the
hour. At her feet was gold dog, be-
fore which; were tive birds, on spiral
springs, having their wings and fsath-
ers set with stones OF various colors.
They appeared to be flying with the
chariot, which by hidden motion was
made to run I'm any direction, boy
station at the back seemed to push Il
forward. Above the umbrellas were
flowers and oFnementsa of precious
stones terminating La q flying dragpn
yet In the same manner: tSe whole
was Of gold curiously wrought and
with rubios and pears. loq
In the Academy Of Sciences in st,
Petersburg there Is q watch about the
stze Of an egg Within ,is Represented
the Redemer's tomb with Q stone 1T
he entrance and the senHneis on duty.
While spectator Is adIniring this Gu
nous piece OF mechanism, the stone Is
,uddenly removed, the sentinels drop,
the angels appear the women enter the
and the same chant b heard
which is performed in the Greek church
In some timepieces the hour Is an
bounced by . bird in sweet musical |
ones; in others dogs bark and cooks |
row; in fact, almost every sound is
inflated by these wonderful automats. |
Dros, q mechanic of. Geneva, pro-
luced an instrument which excelled all |
,thers in ingenuity. s.On it were seated /
. negro, . shepherd, and . dog. When l
he clock struck tie shepherd played
TX tunes on his flute, and the dog ap-
,roaclled and fawued upon him. Tlns 1
wonderful machine WaS exhibited to
he king OfSpa;n, who was greatly de-
lighted with iknoD Tol soil3sl9 IRinsj
"The gentleness Of my doR,'' sail
)roz, Is his least merit II your Ma
esty touch one OF the eapples which you
e In the shepherds bssket, you will
dmire the animals fidelity, ~; The |
ing took an apple, and the dog flew |
{ his hand, baFkl1V 40 lOald thnt fhe '