Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-02-09
The Largest Clock in the World.


London, England. usually called the
Westminster clock. the largest clock il
the world. says Mr.. w. A. Hendrie, il
the Matchmaker and .Ketalworker, was
contracted for in the year of our LORD
1917. and started running in 1859, ant
started striking in July of the same
year. although the construction wa:
nearly completed in 1854 by the first
Mr.. Dent. a big name among watch and
tlock makers at the present day. The
architect was Sir Edmund Beckett Den
nison. who. AS designer in horology
has ably proved himself on the TOT
perch.
The clock in its general design is o.
That kind known as the platform kind,
and lis plates measure Is feet over all;
the ends are built into the wall Will,
the bracing resembles the trusting o.
sur bridges. There are three trains o.
wheels: the time train in center; houl
strike train on the left; quarter train OF
the right. The main wheels are a
inches in diameter, while the cam litter,
for hammer tails are 3S inches diameter
There is only one cam litter on maiI
hour wheel. with 10 cams and 81 inch
faces of steel. In this connection the
nbove strength is necessary on account
Of the weight of the hammer TO be-
raised (i20 lbs.) to strike the great u.
ton bell. The quarter chime hammer,
are much lighter, being in proportion IL
the bells TO be struck by them. Their,
are four. and they weigh from , tons Is
cwt. down To ton l cwt. The diameter
Of hoop wheel is 30 inches, and the flie-
are in the usual proportion, but as the
flies are driven with one pair of mitei
wheels to throw them on end and reduce
friction. the flies proper resemble large
sized barn door. and the way they max,
the wind blow is awful. will now de-
scribe the time train.
The main wheel is % inches diameter
while the barrel is Is inches. with ca.
pacity for 2 feet of line. Great vince
has 1870 teeth; center l20; third 10
with pinions of II, l6 and Q. Tbis
brings me down 10 the escapement,
which is the far-famed one-the gravity.
This one is called the three-legged. and
is formed of two wheels with three teeth
each on same arbor, with space between,
and in this space comes the lifting pal.
lets. which are driven by the weight,
and as soon as the pendulum swings
against the partly lifted pallet it is re-
leased, thus allowing the pallet or arm
to propel the pendulum on its opposite
passage. where the same action takes
place and corresponding impulse is
given. This escapement takes away all
imperfec,ions of trains. rs the weight or
pallet arm alone gives impulse. This
clock beats two seconds: length of pen
dulum. 1904 feet from suspension to
line of oscillations; weight of ball 6Sj lbs
length of suspension spring. ) inches. )
inches wide. and one-siNtieth of an inch
thick: glass used in dials. 81 tons. and
with iron cost f5.334. Going part takes
20 minutes TO wind: depth Of well for
weights, Ia feet; clock frame 1 feet
inches wide; dials 22l feet diameter;
weight of minute hand. . cwt.; length.
II feet; the pendulum rod is compen-
sating. with an appliance for regulating.
The cost of this clock, in addition 10
dials and hands. rs above noted. was a
little under f3,400. making the clock
when finished cost the sum Of IS. 734.
The writer of this will never forget
the beautiful sounds of the bells which
the clock gives ont when striking. The
large bell Is heard ten miles of. and the
small ones four 10 five. This clock
is reported giving an error of only
9O7seconds per annum; but the appli-
ance for regulating by making il faster
or slower. as our. city, observatory does.
dcbars us from forming an idea what it
might be if left alone for one year
Scientific american. rnr