New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-27
THE EBBA7I0 CLOCK OF OLD TRINITY.

The clock of Trinity Church has recently been
conducting itself like an il-reguated frisy Dis
senting timepiece than said orthodox High Church
clock Grayhaired brokers' bankers aad business men.
accustomed to look up to its face for the last thiryys
years and to regulate their actions by it, asouded
at first TO find difference between II and the surround
Ing timepieces. They inclined to doubt the ac-
curacy even OF the timeba of the itself rather
than to suspect Trinity Church clock But their
faith was shaken as the vacllations continued, until
they were regretuly compelled admit that the clock
could no Lnger be trusted. The Irregularities were
chsritaby accounted for by age on the ground that
the double duty OF telling the time and ringing the
chimes had weakened its understanding. Some had
oping Its face for several months and they aid not
wonder at it considering the many upstart clocks
even above it all sides from the tops OF tenstery
buildings and trying TO stare it out OF countenanee
smiled and whispered that the clock must have become
infected with the liberalism of the day. and had started
TEN Of its own, and after spasmodic attempts had
come to stsndstilL All these plausible theories are,
sperry; mild, faced elderly man; who has been the
:" It is not growing old" he said it's a very young
clock YETI it was only put there in 1860 isn't yet nifty
years and keep good time then Some OF those Europe
are nearer five hundred years old than two hundred.
now made in 1888. and there Is nothing matter
with it, that OF ST. Johns Church made In 1872
The one in St. Georges Church. stuyvesant- Is
the finest clock In the city. IL will aft good many
years yet; will THE TRIBUNE clock and all the tower
clocks in the city, IL well made The trouble with Trinity
clock Is that it not well made That kind OF work
new in this country, when it built, and the
work Is heavy crude and imperfect. The cogs on the
but they crate and clog with oil which freezes when the
weather Is cold Ibave cleaned them out well now and
the clock Will probably correctly unless there comes
another severe cold spell. The chimes make the ma
ehincry little complicated bat IL has four times
much power is necessary, and IL takes nearly two
hours to wind it up every eight Jays, while any OF the
clocks have mentioned be wound In half an hour
Some years ago the winding ropes broke and II had
not been for the bales OF cotton below the weights for
cushions, they would have gone through, 70 the floor
Since then wire cables have been substituted for the
large clock. Often storm D. sleet snow does IT,
year ago could not account for the variations Of
the large tower clock OF the White Star Line bu. after
watching IL closely for several days found that the
trouble caused by a dove thai would fly upon the
minute hand and ride there for ten fifteen minutes at
time Every time this done the clock lost two or
three minutes.
The Of Trinity Church have been talking for
time about clock, but have yet done moth
ing about it, The clock that shown at the Centen-
NAL Exhibition has been spoken Of IL will bear COM
parson with that in Westminster Abbey; in faet think
IL Is finer companion OF 1t is at Independence
good that made In the world but greater care
Is gwen to the cathedral clocks in Europe man at
tends 10 them engineer cares for his engine The
clock ~ st. Georges Church In this city very carefully
attended The works inclosed IN glass case ana
kept scrupulously clean They are worth seeing
That Is the i'm which Trinity Clock sftuaed as IL
Is in such important part OF the city, should be kept