The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-02-06
Miscellaneous.
TWO WONDERFUL CLOCKS.

One of the most curious clocks ever made
was completed not many years ago by Karl
Keller, German miner Of Pennsylvania. 1t
90 nearly resembles the Strasburg as to
seem almost an imitation but Keller de-
clares that he has never seen the great clock
Of Strasburg, aud that he never even heard
of it until his own work was nearly compile
ted. At any rate, some account Of Ketlers
clock will he of interest to American boys
aud girls, as the first piece of mechanism of
this sort our own continent has produced,
Keller was occupied three whole years in
the construction of this wonderful time
piece, during the last of the three working
at it day and night aud often so absorbed
in his undertaking AS to forget both food
aud sleep. He was 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
knifes.
The clock is eight feet high and four
UrOau, mas SlAtteu slue-, anu IL ssuiniOuuVru
by globe, over which is cross. There
are four dia!-pates, all carved in curious,
emblematic hghres of most unique design
One Of the dials shows the day of the month
aro,her, the day of the week; third, the
minutes and seconds and the fourth, the
hour of the day. Above the dial-plates, 8
gallery extends about half way around the
clock, and in the center of this gallery is {
carved wooden figure of the Savior, Will,
at each end is a small door opening into th,
body of the clock Over the right door i
an eagle, and over the left rooster. Twic,
day,-that is, at noon and midnight
there is sweet Ginning of bells, during
which small door at the right opens, ,twelv
wooden figures, personating the twelv
apostles, march in procession, with St,Pete
at their head, all alongItLe gallery, Eacl
in turn, as he passes the Lord, bows will
face toward him, and then, resuming hi
former position, walks slowly forward till b
reaches the door at the left, which they al
enter. When Peter salutes the Lord the coc
COWS; and when Judas, who is in the rea
with one hand shielding his face and tn
other grasping bag, reaches the cock,
crows twice. At the extreme corners of th
clock, placed on pedestals, are beautiful
carved statutes of Moses and Elias and !
the rear are two obelisks of the Egyptia
style, inscribed in hieroglyphics snd desigr
ed to symbolic the ancient period of hi,
Tory. The clock will run thirty-two hour
and by special attachment, the processio
of the apostles may be repeated wheneve
desired.
But the most astonishing thing l eve
heard of in the way of time piece is
clock described by q Hindoo rajah, as b,
longing to a native prince of Upper Indi
and jeslously guarded as the rarest treasul
of his luxurious palace.
In front of the clocks disk was a gon,
swung upon poles, and near it was pile
artificial human limbs. The pile was mao
up of the full number of parts for twel,
perfect bodies, but all lay heaped togeth
in seeming confusion.
Whenever the hands of the clock indie
ted the hour of one, out from the pile craw
ed just the number of parts needed to for
the frame of one man, part joining itse
t, part with quick, metallic click; an
when completed, the figure spraug up,seiz'
amallet, and walking up to the gong, ,stru,
one blow that sent the sound pealing throue
every room and corridor of that stately cast
This done, he returned to the pile and f,
to pieces again. When two O'Clock cam
two men arose and did likewise; and
through all hours of the day, the number
figures being the same as the number of t
hour, till midnight, the entire heap spra
up, and marching to the gong, struck, o
in all and then fell to pieces.