The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-02-17
A MINERS INGENUITY.
BUILDING A WONDERFUL CLOCK WITH
POOR TOOLS IN THE DEPTH OF
A COAL MINE.


COAL MINE.
A letter from Scranton, Pa, says: A
mechanical marvel, the product OF nine
years patient toll on the part or an un-
lettered miner, who made 1t IN his spare
bours in the Hallenback Coll1ery at
Wilkesbarre. 2,0U0 feet below the sur
face of the earth, has just been COM
pleted in the shape of clock, by James
McGlynn. 1t is built on the plan of the
astronomical clock;' recently exhibited
in this country, but is much more COM
plicated in most of its parts, and derives
an added interest from the manner of
its construction. Nine years ago Nc
Glynn. having had much spare time on
his hands, thought he could turn it to
agreeable account by devOting himself
to wood carving. He had no tools, and
20 the construction of these he first de-
voted his attention, He built an engine
to propel a lathe. and from such scraps
of old materials as he found lying round
loose about the colliery, put his lathe to-
gether, and commenced fashioning bits
of wood into whatever shape his fancy
suggested. Then he conceived the idea
OF making clock upon an elaborate
scale, and went to work with the deVo-
tion of an enthusiast, until at the end
of nearly a decade he has produced a
piece of mechanism that is certainly
wonderful to contemplate, considering
the conditions under which it was made.
The clock stands about nine feet high.
and is incased in an elaborately carved
case of black walnut, consisting of 406
pieces of perfect finish. Each of these
pieces was turned in the mine by the
enthusiastic miner with a tool that
would make a cabinet-maker smile, be-
ing nothing less than broken saw-file.
But the workmanship sis perfect, and
I the symmetry of the several parts would
do credit to the best wood carver in the
country. "How did make my measur-
ments ?'' said McGlynn. in reply to the
inquiry of the Times correspondent,
with a string. Oh, I never run short
of materials. If one thing doesn't do 1
! take another. I have built miniature
engine in the Hallenback Mine, owned
by Mr.. Parrish, weighing only fifteen
and One-half ounces, and they say it is
perfect. 1 used a quarteT-dOlar for
circular crank It really seems in
credible that with such tools as he ex-
hibits, and in such dreaTy surroundings
as the depths of the mine afford, any
thing like the clock could be construct
ed, but there are plenty of witnesses
among McGlynn's fellow-wOrkmen to
cOrrObOrate his story, and there is the
the clock itself At first he experienced
some difficulty in the matter of holding
his lamp. 1t did not show as good light
anywhere as when carried in his hat the
way miners usually carry their lamps in
the mine, but the fame burned the
front of his hat away and made it rath-
er uncomfortable. Then he made tin
helmet, with a place to hold the lamp
securely, and after that he had no tTOu-
bic with his light. In addition to the
400 turned pieces in black walnut which
comprises the framework of the clock,
it has 63 moving figures, actuated by
machinery, so deftly arranged as to
produce interesting historical and bibli-
cal scenes. 1t is the intention of the
miner-meChanic to make the number of
figures n hundred as soon as his means
which are rather limited, shall afford
such an additional outlay.
The front of the clock shows three
balconies, rising above a massive and
elegantly carved pedestral, and upon
these the moving figures appear. The
lower balcony shows procession of con-
tinental soldiers, headed by a mounted
general and marching past, while the
Old liberty bell proclaims it's welcome
notes of freedom. 4 sentinel salutes
the COntiuentals as they pass, and just
at that moment a door is opened from
an upper balcony and reveals MOllie
Pitcher with her cannon, which she
fires with startling and realistic effect,
To shO " we'll the maker Of the clock has
considered the details of his handiwork
he has placed a small fan in the clock.
to be actuateG after the firing Of Molly's
cannon, for the purpose of clearing out
.he pOwd5T-SmOke. Simultaneous with
this the portraits of the twenty Presi-
dents of the United States pass in panO-
Tamic view on a balcony Just above the
patriotic tablcau, Of which Mollie Pit
cher is the central figure, and Thomas
Jefferson holds mp he declaration of in
dependenc. The apostolic procession Is
similar to those hitherto seen in such
clocks. The Twelve Apostles file past,
Satan appears, and the cock crows in
warning to Peter. y figure of justice
raises her scales as the form of Christ
appears, and during the scene a large
representation of death tells off the min
, utes upon a bell. When one sees the
clock, the tools with which it was made
and hears the miners story of how he
bought the wood cit by bit as he could
afford from his spare change, he is sem
D.. SiblY impressed with human possibilities.
( Sometimes" " says McGlynn, Il could
not buy more than twenty-five cents
worth of wood at q time, but I was new
CT lule. Ii6 was working at the COCK
five long years in chamber Of the mine
before anybody knew his secret. Then
he was taken sick, and during his raw
ing, talked continually of his plans.
The doctor finally ascertained from him
what it was that worried him, and made
4 him promise not to work at it for year;
but as soon as ne was able to go to the
mine he was at his clock once more, and
! tOlled patiently along until he had 1t in
shape TO show his friends. The figures
/ used in the Biblical and historical illus
tratiOns were cast by him in moulds of
his own design, and there is very little
in the entire clock that did not come
from his hands. Now that it is finish
ed he scarcely knows what to do with it.
lie has been offered 81, 600 for it, but he
hesitates to sell, as if he would have to
DRIFT back TO his old place in the Halen-