, 1874-12-27
ffBIG. BEN" "
Tho C1ock-ToWcr and Belfry OF tho
Palace OF Westminster.

The C1ock.ToWcr and Belfry OF the
Pa1ace OF Westminster.
FROM Leisure Hour.
As pass over the bridge from the Surrey eide,
the great Palace OF Westminster looks like =
prominent feature OF some dissolviDg view. Its
lamps sparkle over the bright cleaning waters,
its windows glow with soft yellow light. while
high above the din and hustle of the streets, the
face of the clock.beams down with q dull. warm
flush. Parliament is sitting, and the two great
rival lights are On their trial up in tho lantern.
Ono Of them is just now blazing out on the
other side, and the summit Of the tower. as seen
behind, il streaming out brilliant coruscasions
into the silent darkness Leaving the busy
streets, I make my way to the foot OF the CLOCK
tower, euter By little grated door, and CON-
monce cropping up q little narrow staircase. Ey-
erythipg ABOUT this clock is gigantic. Tho dials
are 22i1 feet across, and each OF them conse-
qnently presents to the world surface OF nearly
400 square feet. The figures on them are feet
long, and the minute space foot square. In
gong once round the face, therefore, each OF
the minute hands trave1ses distance OF GO feet,
aud in the course OF year passes over nearly
100 milcs Thus, since tho clock was Started,
must have travelled little less than 1,4O0 miles $
not bad illustration Of what mny be done by
sticking to business, even though the progress
may be all but imperceptible: During the same
time the bells within have given nearly ,000 900
strokes, or have countedthe popu!ace Of London,
selyesare coppor tubes attached to solid gun-metal
s.stalks" and, together with the ''counterposes"
-tno weights attached to the spintiles inside for
the purpose of ba!anc1ng-eact of them weighs
nea1lv two hundred weight. Notwitustaudiug
tha 1,ont1ero,,s weight and the enormous sweep
of thcso hands. their regularity is marvel
ans. Twice every day the clock
rer,orts its uroeress to the Royal Observatory at
t;reenwich by electricity. There it's ratio is
cI,acrpd hv tho caiyan,c motor clock. which is
everv morning rerulated bv actual observation
of the stars during the night. Anv error ip the
movements of, the great hands at Westminster
"a thns Iatectaff ami is teiegraphed hack. These
arrora a1a corai,,l,v terjatered and according to
tin Astronomer Hoyai. the clock does not yarY.a
sacond in a week. The winding. without the
strIino mart Of The mechanisn Occupies twenty
m,nntsc Cnca moro INTO the dark sta1rcase. aud
am rfesontT in tie belfry, with the cold stars
sbir;nerinr th1ou.h the opcn masonry. the inv
1am1y. twinrI1nr M from the world below. ami tho
rra, ri wn wa,iinr and r,1n1bIinr ronud the dark
a;isnt mo,,sters: tilat never eiyo mouth hut ali
London Knows il. That hugo blacx mass
IN tha cantra ia Tic Ban. d feet in djarn-.
tor ~ inches in thickness. and between fifteen
on,i a11teen to,,a in weipnt. The hammer that
strikes h,m han a caet-irnn bend weichinv nearIy
seven hundred Eeight. and arouud the su]Ien
c;,nt ore his l,oraIns thn chimes. ona of them
Sssa,oh;n" severtv. airl1 1,nndred weirIt another
th;r'r-t,.rec md a 1alf I,undrad wei.ht. a third
t,.antv-s;y iun,1rai wr1rht, and fonrth twontv-
.ae E,,,,',,rai ~e,ch+ oni oo1n5;nr n + n