The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-05-29


Having glanced at the early history of
time measuring, previous to the Intro
duction of clock work, or more properly
wheel-work, we will pass at once to
brief description Of two of the most Gu
rious Of the clock spheres of the an
clients. The 1rst of these is that men.
toned by Eusebius, which belonged to
the Sapor, one of the Persian Kings
According to Carbon, ,an illustrious math-
OF the middle of the sixteenth
century, it appears to have been large
and peculiarly constructed sphere, and
that Sapor could set in the middle OF it
and see its stars rise and set, and that it
was made Of glass. But he does not
state whether this curious machine was
moved by wheel work or not, bnt as he
states that the stars in it appeared to rise
and set, we may infer that it was.
The second, the most celebrated Of the
clock-spheres of the ancients, is that Of
Archimedes, unquestionablya one Of the
greatest geniuses of the age in which
he lived, and who, as his works now ex
tant amply testify, was deeply versed in
all the mechanism then known, and
which his transcendent genius greatly
improved. Both friend and foe hear
testimony to his great mechanical skill,
as more especially exemplifed in glori-
Gus but unfortunate defense of Syracuse
against the Roman legions under Maj
cellas. .,...s.,-.s.-.
With respect to this clock-sphere, 1t is
not little remarkable that it Is not men
toned by him in any OF his works, and
we are therefore compelled to resort to
contemporary historians; and, what is
more to be regretted. these authors do
not give any clear account of his cele.
brated clock sphere, being in many in.
stances nothing more than mere passing
remarks; from which we gather that Ar
chimedes, constructed a sphere which
combined in it the motion Of the sun,
the moon, and the planets. Though
these brief and imperfect illusions are
sufficient to let us know that such ma
chine had been made BY Archimedes, yet
they convey no satisfactory information
with regard to the nature OF its construc,
ton and the purpose to which, it was ap
piled; 'u
By far the most accurate description
10 that given by Claudian: III ccl.-5
"when Jsvs espisd in glass his heavens
made, 4ersi-is qeas
he smiled. and to the other gods thus said:'
I. 'Tis strange that human art so far proceeds
To ape in brittle orbs my greatest deeds,
The h.avsnly motiens, natures constant
course. rs
Lo, here old Archimedes TO art transfers
The Inclosea spirit, here each star doth drive,
And to the living work some motions give.
The sun IN couaterisit his year doth run,
And Cynthia to her monthly circle turn;
Since now bold man worlds Of his own de,
scried,
He Joys, and the stars by human art osn
guide, >ya aiiE
Why should we so admire proud sOlomon's
cheats, la. 7olnI91 r5ffJ Yaa
When one poor hand natures chief work
rspeass' rags 6,as HlHe1
And here again, although We have
quoted at much length, We have derived
but little information respecting the me.
.chanism OF the sphere; however, We
have learned that in it the sun, moon and
stars had each OF them their proper mo.
tions and positions given to them; and
this motion, curiously enough, is assign
ed by ClaudIsn as the work Of some kind
spirit, for he says:sia sr oj ggf Fsjaia.
"Inclusus pa,Iis famalator spiritas as
iris" What this inclosed spirit really
was, will not take US much time to dis
cover, for from the great mechanical ce
lebrity of Archimedes we may assume il
to have been neither more nor less than
a well contrived combination OF wheels,
weights, springs, pulleys, or some such
kind Of clockwork, which being artfully
concealed from the public view,would be
readily accounted the agency of some
spirit or divine power; but we must not
suppose the poet to have been entirely
ignorant of the action, for he states in
effect that the Archimides stars "are
governed by human art.H sa 10 asfs
French historians describe a clock
sent to Charlemagne in the year So7, by
The famous eastern Caliph,. Haroun al
Raschid, which excited considerable at.
tention at the French court. .SgGa slf.
IN the dial were twelve small doors
forming the divisions for the hours each
door opened at the hour marked by the
index, and let out small brass balls, which
falling on bell struck the hour--a great
novelty at that time. The doors contin
|ued open until the hour Of twelve, when
twelve mounted knights came out and
|paraded round the dial-plate, and after
wards went in at the open doors, which
they closed after them. This clock Ger
tainly must have been furnished with
some kind Of wheel works, although the
motive power is said to have been wa
ter. ya,ss.s...,,s 81. -5,4 -.
The earliest complete clock moved by
weights Of which there is any certain
record; was constructed early in the thir.
teenth century. 1t was the work OF q
Saracen mechanic, who received $4,000
for his ingenuity. This clock, which is