The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-10-15
THE srnAsBURG CLOCK.
A nay spcnt In the Ancient Hty-C.C G.
y sex~ the Wonderful Clock.

tailed together that, without O colored maj
I'm hand IL H. difficult to know exactly
where a tourist is. On Tuesday we were
In Switzerland and on Wednesday In Ger
many. at Constance. On Thursday morn
ing we cat breakfast in Germany and lunch
AT the Falls Of the Rhine. in Switzerland
and here. on the evening OF the same day
we are eating dinner at the ancient town
Of Strasburg, In France. Thus we were
in three countries on the same day, will
less than eight hours travel. Tomorrow
FRIDAY we will partake OF breakfast III
France and cat our dinner in Germany
again. at Mayence. on the Rhine.
THE CITY OF sTRAsBURG.
Tbe city has still a German AR, though
II has belonged to France for more thail
$50 wears, and the ancient language and
customs are still partially prevalent. IL,
Notifications are immense, indicating thai
IL is, like Mayence, strategic point. IL l.
now one of the strongest fortresses and the
third largest arsenal I'm France. II Is Il
very plain, old-fashioned town, and has
nothing special to attract the tourist but
its Cathedral and It's famous astronomical
clock. 1t has population OF 10000,
about half Protestant. All tourists en-
route 10 Maycncc for trip down
the Rhine consider il the right thing
TO spend night at Strasburg, other
wise the ancient burg would he LOST
sirht Of. As cathedrals cannot he described
ONLY in a general way. suffice IL to say OF
this one that over six hundred years have
clapsed since its interior was completed,
and that all its portals and walls, like the
Cathedral of Milan, abound in statues and
bas-rclieis. Above the doors are repre-
scented the death. intcrmcnt, and resllrrec-
ton, and coronation Of the Virgin, and on
the central pillow the Saviour and King
Solomon.
The spirc of the Cathedral is the highest
in Europe, being five hundred and twenty
four feet above the pavement. ire view
can be had from it, and if it had been sup
piled with an elevator we should have taken
great pleasure in making the ascent.
THE MECHANICAL CLOCKS.
The whole world has heard Of the Stras-
burg clock, and we were naturally de-
sirous Of viewing it for ourselves. as we
have seen The Venice atI:OmatOn clock, ana
but a few days since witnessed the solemn
bears march in procession at Bcrnc, and
the early cock clap his wings and crow.
We had considered them both to be very
triflng affairs. scarcely worth crossing the
street 10 see, and more like chiIdren's toys
than indicating any great mechanical GO
MUS. The watches which they sell in tic-
neya. giving the day of the week and the
day of the month, with the rising and
setting Of the sun and moon, are really me-
chanical wonders worth seeing, but we
have considered the automatic clock Of no
special value, and Of little account Is curl
osities. Those at Bcrnc and Venice are no
more ingenious, though on a larger scale,
than the clocks exhibited at the Mechanics
Institute Fair 10y Mr.. II. {. Morrill,. OF
Baltimore. His old woman being woke up
bv the clock. snOOZIng of again three times,
and then jumping up in hurry TO make a
fire in the stove. are as ingenious a. those
Of Venice or Bcrnc, but We have yet to see
the StraSbIrg wonder.
THE STEASBI RG CLOCK.
We have Just returned from viewing the
famous clock at the StraSburg Cathedral.
which is undoubtedly greatly superior rs a
curiosity 10 the Bernc and Venice affairs,
and has the additional merit Of showing
the course Of stars and perpetual alma
nae. ON the left is piece Of mechanism
exhibiting Christian chronology; on the
right the geoccntric opposition and con-
junction OF the sun and moon whilst
above il is third dial determining
The intervening time, and still higher
j. shown the course Of the moon. The cX-
terror attracts spectators at all times. espe-
ciallv at noon, when the number Of strokes
gives more time TO view the movements OF
the figures OF the automatonS, when they all
take part in the performance On the first
gallery an angel Solcmnly strikes the four
quarters on a small bell held in his hand.
Higher up skeleton, representing Time,
strikes the hour Of twelve; figures
around il strike the quarters, and one,
understood to represent mans progress
through boyhood, youth, manhood, and
old aye. Childhood strikes the first,
Youth the second. Manhood the third, and
Old Age the fourth. Under the first gal
lery the SymbolicaI deity Of each day steps
out OF a niche: Apollo on Sunday, Diana
on Monday. and so OLA different figure
for each day III the week. In the highest
niche the twelve Apostles move around the
figure of the Saviour, bowling ~ they pass.
On the highest pinnacle Of the side tower
is pcrched cock which clapS lis wings,
stretches its neck, after the manner of tho
old rOostcrs, and gives three piercing and
quite natural crows. awakening the echoes
OF the rcmOtest hooks OF the Cathedral.
There was quite a large gathering Of
strangers to-day, mostly English and Amcri-
can. The clock is inside the Cathedral,
and we had good opportunity OF witness
ing and noticing the performance, which is
very perfect and natural. The clock is
about forty feet high, and twenty in
breadth. The highest pinnacle is the
ROSTERS perch, and with guide-book in
hand the significance Of each act can be-
understood. ii requiring about three min
utcs Ia finish up the performance. There
is something artistic and scientific about
clock, and ii has the merit,
also, Of being an astronomical wonder.
A STRASBURG DRIVE.
We secured Il very intelligent driver this
morning and took two-hOurS' airing
through StraSburg and its surroundings,
which was surprising as well as interest
ing. Whilst the old portions Of the city
bear the evidence Of IA past age, the new
portions and the suburbs have been mo-
dernizcd, and present very elegant ap-
pearancc. The new University buildings,
now approaching completion, are very
grand, and the institution i spread over
about twenty-five acres. The buildings
are all Of blush sandstone, the main
structure having "A front Of about 500 feet,
whilst there are also building very elegant
residences for the professors. We also
passed through IN elegant park with
fine horticultural garden Of rare plants,
and from there proceeded to the
Citadel and immense Notifications that
surround the city. They also have moats
around them, in which portion OF
the rapid stream Of the Rhine can be di-
rected at moments notice. As we were
coming out Of the gate three fine regiments
OF the Young men Of France passed in re-
view before us, with flags flying, each ac-