The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-12-14
A Mechanical Marvel.

| - Uofmeh, Oh Cincinnatl, mas ON exhl
bition in the window Of jeweler Of tina
clty, complicated piece Of mechanism
which hs calls :" die Lebenshur . o'clock d
life.) 1t will be- seen from the following
description, that it lis truly mechanics
marvel
We see, in q glass case, a three story,
steepled- shaped clock, four feet wide Al
the hrst story, and nine feet high. The
movement il placed in the centre of the
hrst story, ON four delicate columns, with
IN which swings the untiring pendulum,
which Is IN the signiiicent form Of bee
hive. Behind the pendulum there is q
picture representing mature manhood "a
countryman behind his plough The four
corners are carved, and represent the four
periods Of infancy, youth, manhood,
and age. The spaces to the right and left
of the clock are ornAnented with two oil
paintings, representing the spring time Of
hfe Children playing in n garden), and
the autumn or end vi life (grave-diggcrs
Ia the cemetery.
The second story consists of two tower
like pieces, on the doors Of which there
are two pictures that represent boyhood
and early manhood In the one = boy is
Just pushing his little bark away from the
shore. He stands upright i'll the boat,
and points to the distance; he lis about to
begin life II 10 paddle his own canoe
Ia the other a young man, Who has al
ready made sonle progress ia the journey
Of life, enters room Ia which there is All
hour-glass, that reminds HIM Of the feet
snf H. A 4
guardian angels.
A majestic tower crowns, AS third story,
the Ingenious structure. A cock, as a
symbol "a Natchfulness. stands on the top,
directly over the portal, which opens the
tower In front. Un this portal there is d
painting which represents the perishable-
nsss of earthly things. The entire struc-
ture Is, In appearance, very like all old
Gothic castle
Now, let us see if we can describe the
mechanical action of the clock. When it
marks the first quarter, the door Of the
left piece Of the second story opens, and
We see child issue from the back ground,
Come forward to little bell, give it one
blow, and then disappear. AT the second
quarter youth appears, and strikes the
bell twice, and then disappears f; at the
third there comes man in his prime
At the fourth We have tOttering Old man.
leaning on n stall, who strikes the hell
four times. Each time the door closes of
itself. When the hours are full, the door
Ut the right piece Of the second story /
opens, and Death rs a skeleton scythe in |
hand, appears, and marks the hour by |
striking a bell. But it is at the twelfth 1
hour that We have the grand spectacle ia |
the representation Of the Day of Judg- |
nent Then, whsn Death has struck |
three blows On the little bell, the cock ON |
The top of the tower suddenly flaps his |
wings and crows in shrill tone and, /
after Death has marked the twelfth hour
With his hammer, he crows again twice. |
immediately three angels, who stand as
guardians In = central position, ralsu their
l.ru'''l%ts Is. with their right hands lin the /.
Iasy n>h swords) and blow a blast
Do"Su ese1 OF the s-.ur quarters of the 1
!. INC I~s> hast tile door of the |
lower OPENS anu the res"-- .cted children
Of the earth appear, while the n,-l,o,,;r,, |
angel SINKS out Of sight s
The multitude stand for a moment full 4
of awe and wonder, when, suddenly,
Christ, Ia all his majesty, descends, sur
by angels. Un his left there is
An angel, who holds the scales ON his
right another carries the book Of life,
which opens To show the Alpha aud Omega
the beginning and the end Christ
waves his hand, and instantly the good
among the resurrected are separated from
the wlcked-the former going to the right,
the latter to the left The archangel
Michael salutes the good, while on the
other hand, stands the devil, radiant with
hendlnh delight-he can hardly wait for
the hnal sentence Of those who fall tU him.
but, Ia obedience t. the command Of the
central figure, he withdraws The figure
Ut Christ raises his hand again, with
mlen, and the accursed sink
down tO the realms Of his satanic majesty.
Then Christ blesses the chosen few, who
draw near to him Finally, we hear
cheerful chime Of bells, during which
Christ rises, surrounded by his angels,
until he disappears and the portal closes.
We look with Anazemert ON this exhibi-
ton of the mechanics in ;enuity a com
plete drama is here represented, without
the aid of = human hand And what
eAcltes our admiration sull more is the
perfection Uf all the movements they
are steady, calm, and nOiseless, with the
exception Of the threatening gestures Of
the figure Christ and the movement Of
Lslcifer, whs darts across the scene with
iightaing FsPsdity. OF course, the pecu-
liar action Ut these two hgares ia intes-
tionsi oa the part Of the artist, and adds
greatly to the effect.