Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-06-08
ANCIENT TlMEpIEcEs. bowls wore used t,

ANCIENT TlMEpIECEs. bowls were used t,
measure time, from which water, drop by drop
was discharged through small aperture. Such
bowls were called water clocks. 1t WAS then
observed how much water from such bow! or
cask, from sunrise till the shortest shadow.
trickled down into another bowl placed beneath;
and this time, being the half OF the whole 90
lar day was divided into six hours.
Consequently they took sixth OF the water
which had tricklcd down, poured It into the
uppor bowl, and this discharged one hour had
expired. But afterward a more convenient
arrangement was made. They observed how
high the water ut each hour rose Ia the lower
bowl, marked these points, and counted theln'
thus finding out how many hours wero Til sun
rise.
With tho Chinese the water clock or clep
sydra is very DID, They used round vessel
filled with water, with hole 10 the t2iton''
which was placed upon another vessel. Nhcn
the water in tho upper vessel passed down int"
the lower vessel, it subsided by degrees an
uouucinr thereby the part OF time elapsed.
Tho Babylonians arc said to havo used such
Instruments; from lhom tho Greeks OF Asia
Minor got them, al the time OF Nlng Cyrus.
about tho year $50 before Christ. Tho Romans
did not gct tho water clock before Christ. Hub
;houph ll,e hours OF tho cicpsydras did nol
ysry 10 length, they still counted from ne
morning.
When the clock with us strikes seven the
ancents counted enc; whom the clock with ~
strikes tWolvo the anclonts cnuGtcd FIX, anu :"
forth, This method Of couGllng the hour "es
according to the New Testament, also nu-tom
arv in Palestine ct the time Ct Christ. Tie
| water clocks had the advantage that they cou!!
| ho uacd in tho night, and the Romans used
| them to divide their night watches, WAicl were
| relieved four times, both summer and Wlntci.
| COM rnaby to these four night watches we're
| counted, not only 10 Rome. but whcrcvera ~
man garrison vas stationed; consequently ais"
lin Pal stine, aftor il had become Roman
province.
INHERITED Tricks. 'Inhorilcd tricks /.
The suEi:ct of ca extremely interesting article
from thc nen Of &c Euglish writer, which give:
several cases whcro peculiar habits OF Whlc
narcnts were almost UNCONSCIOUS, have been
icvcloncd 10 their oh!ldrcn's ohildroD. Cos
| of tho cases reported is 80 follows: 2 gentle
mans wife noticed that when he lay fast asicei
IN his back in bod ho had the curious tTick q
raising his right arm slowly in front OF h!s race
nm to his forchead and then dropping it witt
Ia Jerk, 40 that the wIist tell heavily on III
bridge tf his nose. -. ,.o
THE trick did not occur every night, but Or
tcssionally, and was independent OF any ascc'
famed cause. Sometimes it was repeated 10
oets,ntly for 40 hour or moro ! nc gcnt''
mans nose was prominent and It's b!ltge oll'
became sore from the blows which it received
At ono time an awkward sore vas produce
that was long in healing, on account OF the re
currence. night altor night, OF tho blows WlIc
Grst caused it. His wife had TO remove tli
Imtton from the wrist Of his night gown, as
made seyerc scratches, aud some means wei
aitcmnted tftying his arm. Many years ait'
his death his son married lady who had neVt
heard of tho family incident. She, hoWeve
O observed precisely tho same pccullaIlty 10 nc
husband; but bis nose, from not being rarIcl
/ jsrIy prominent, has never as yet suffered 'rc'
the blows. H., l., :. ho
? ,ioon 90 fcr ryample. when he Is doing
> h;s arm chair; but the moment he II last asicC
!, ht0 n ;s ant - hcpip. 1t is, as with his tathc
n ;ntormittent: sometimes ccasng !or mar
";ohts and sometimes almost iuccssaut durl'
I, nart n eyery night. 1t is performed, Ms
|. uaa ~ With his father. with his right hand. v
IS his children, girl, has Inherited tho san
tr;ot She performs it likewise, with the rig
hsnd hand but in slightly modified form; Tor alt
b ra;,;no her arm she does net allow inc VT,
{. To % dron upon tho bridge Of the nosc' but
&. nalm of the half closed hand 'als ovcu H. !"
q, down tho nose, striking 1t rather rapidly
ID decided improvement on inc '"'u't
grandfather ldea'