National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-08-16

trrom the New York Journal Of Commerce. Az
Q1ist "a

trrom the New York Journal Of Commerce. An.
gust IA
Weeks have passed since the hand. were
removed from the dials Of Trinity, and since
the busy frequenters Of Wall street looked In
vain on the face Of the steeple 10 read the
closing hour Of the business day. For o
month the hours have silently passed without
bell to toll too late" or 4 merry chime to
ring out ''well done" For the first time In
twenty. Ave years, the old time-piecc has
rested, and the tongues Of the bells have
been still Before this week has passed,
however, the 'mother church" will resume
Its semi annual office, and ring safety or dis
aster along the street that fronts Its portal.
It's service now is to warn the busy workers
after wealth that they too must rest
Since James Rodgers, the builder Of the
clock, put Its wheels In motion, II has never
stopped for any heightened time before. In
1646 the clock was put into position, and con-
nected with the chimes. Rogers then had his
Ulfce ut 4l0} Broadway, and still continues IN
the business ut 100 Fulton street. He has built
since the great clock at the Vanderbilt, or
Grand Central depot, and several other great
clocks, but the one In Trinity Is his MASTER
piece, and, with one exceptlon-not the Stras.
burg figure clock--is the largest dial-working
clock In the world. The dials arc ten feet In
diameter, each hour being cut In relief from
q single block Of stone. The hour hands are
four feet In length, and the minute hands
about Ave feet four inches. The clock 10 forty
feet above the dials, and the movements OF
the hands work through long tin tubes en-
cased In oak. There are In the clock tower
three large cylinders carrying steel and brass
cog-vheels, the largest wheels being two feet
six inches In diameter, and the smallest being
seven inches.
In all there are twepty-seven wheels, not
counting the friction rollers. The pendulum
rod 10 made OF wood, tweDty-one feet In
length, and having at the lower extremity
about five feet SWING. In this there Is trade
secret. Wood shrinks sideways, while iror,
steel, brass and the other metals shrink In
directions. Therefore wood, well seasoned
and waved, Is used for tower clock pendu-
lums. Three weights are used, hung at the
ends Of heavy, seasoned ropes. The large;
Is on the hour hand, and weighs one hundred
and twenty-five pounds. Bales of cotton arc
on the lower floor Of the clock tower, so thai
II the ropes break the weights shall not fa'
into the body Of the church. By q simple
trip leverage three bells In the chime are con
nected with the clock and thus ring out tht
quarter hours, repeating on the last two quar-
tiers. Another lever tolls the hours. II
clock Is wound up once week, taking tw {
hours each time TO raise the heavy weigh
from the cotton bale to the top Of the works
To economize labor patent winch is used Il
perform this work. Inc CLOCK was placed y
Far above the dial because the bells are hum
Just behind the clock hands, and the church
men feared that II the bells were tolled b!
hand they might turn over and throw the
ringers In contact with the clock gear.
Under the bells Is THO station of the mystic
rious man who rings the changes on the bells
A rough wooden seat faces o frame wor
from which project nine long wooden handles
They are leavers fastened TO thin lines con
Meeting with the tongues Of the bells. BE
side the octave Is the "baby" bell. struc
with any other bell the tone Of the "baby
raises the sound one octave. Mr.. Ayllfe, III
master Of the bells, will be ut his static
when the hands are put on the face Of tn
clock some DAY this week, and again III
decp-toned benlsons of Trinity will swell III
air Of Wall street, mingling with the clink {
gold, the hurrying footsteps Of belated anal
ciers, and the whrl Of the carriage-whee
taking merchant princes home.