Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-02-02
sylomth's Column.
TWO WONDERFUL CLOCKS.


made was completed not many years
ago by Karl Keller, German miner
of Pennsylvania. 1t SO nearly resembles
the famous Strasburg clock as to seem
almost animitation but Keller declares
that he has never seen the great clock
of Strasburg. and that he never even
heard of it until his own work was
nearly completed. At any rate, some
account of ketler,s clock will be OF
interest to America boys and girls, as the
first peice of mechanism of this sort
our own continent has produced.
Keller was occupied three whole
years in the construction of his wonder
full time-piece, during the last of the
three working at it day and night. and
often SO absorbed in his undertaking
as to forget both food and sleep. He
was a man of very limited education.
without any of the advantages of travel
or wide observation, and the whole work
of this curious clock was performed
with no other tools than two common
jack-knives.
The clock is eight feet high and four
broad, has sixteen sides, and is sur
mounted by globe, over which is
cross. There are four dial-plates, all
carved in curious, emblematic figures
of the most unique design. One of the
dials shows the day of the month an
other, the day of the week; third,
the minutes and seconds and the fourth,
the hour of the day. Above the dial
plates, gallery extends about half
way around the clock, and in the
center of this gallery is carved wood
en- figure of the Savior. while at each
end is small door opening into the
clock. Over the right door is an eagle,
and over the left rooster. Twice a
day,-that is, at noon and midnight
there is sweet Ginning of bells, dur
ing which the small door at the right
opens, twelve wooden figures, person
atlDg the twelve apostles, march in
procession, with St. Peter at their head,
all along the gallery. Each in turn,
as he passes the Lord, bows with face
toward him, and then, resuming his
former position. walks slowly forward
till he reaches the door at the left,
which they all enter. When Peter
salutes the Lord. the cock crows; and
when Judas, who is in the rear, with
one hand shielding his face and the
other grasping bag, reaches the cock,
it crows twice. At the extreme corners
of the clock, placed on pedestals, arc
beautifully carved statues of Moses and
Elias, and in the rear are two obelisk'
of the Egyptian style, inscribed in hier
oglyphics, and designed to symbolic
the ancient period of history. TIT
clock will run thirty-two hours, and. b,
special attachment, the procession o
the apostles may be repeated wheneve
desired.
But the most astonishing thing l eve
heard of in the way of time-piece i
clock described by Hindoo rajah, a
belonging to native prince of Uppe
India, and jealousy guarded as the raj
;. est treasure of his luxurious palace.
In the front of the clocks disk wa
gong, swung upon poles, and near
was a pile of artificial human limb
+! The pile was made up of the full nun
!; Der of parts for twelve perfect bodies
st but all lay heaped together in seen
It ing confusion.
n Whenever the hands of the clock il
rs dictated the hour of one, out from the pi
IS crawled just the number of parts neec
n ed to form the frame of one man, pa
1T joining itself to part with quick meta
Id ic click; and, when completed, the Fl
D. ure sprapg up, seized mallet, al
e. walking up to the gong. struck one bio
that sent the sound pealing throue
TX every room and corridor of that state
he castle. This done, he returned to Il
20 pile and fell to pieces again. WIS
er two o'clock came, two men arose al
1g did likewise; and so through all &
ny hours of the day, the number of tigur
ot being the same as the number of t
hour, till at noon and midnight, t
10 entire heap sprang up, and marchil
to the gong, struck, one after anotht
each his blow, making twelve in al
and then fell to pieces.-.St. M;chol