The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1886-08-19

|
ger OF one of tho bronze hands will
be almost as large as u mans arm
At tho four corners OF the clock
tower, just at the base of tho dome,
$50 feet below Pcnn's statue, there
will be four groups, in bronze, one
at either corper-an Indian and his
dog, a squaw aud her boy, SSed-
ish sottler and his boy and Swed-
ish woman peasant and lamb.
Each one of those groups will meas !
ure II feet in height. These four
groups will weigh 80 tons, aud it
will tnke three mouths to place hem
in position. The plaster cast of tho
squaw aud her boy is standing in Que
Of the big rooms over the Supreme
Court chambers.
The Building Commission have
only recently given the clock con-
sideration. The clock committee
has just been appointed, with Rich
ard peltz chairman. Tue clock will
be the largest in the world The
dial will bo % feet in diameter and
the centre of tho dial will be 36l
feet above the street. The dial will
be illuminated by electricity, and 1t
is calculated that the time can be
seen at night from auy point in the
city, and with n fold glass the posi-
ton of tho hands can be distinguishes
Cd at distance Of fifteen miles. The
minute hand of the clock will be IL
feet long aud the hour hand Will
measure 8 feet in length. 1t IL
feared that the hands will be 30
massive that the wind will blow
them around, and that the correct
time will not be Indicated in stormy
weather. Tho size of the Roman
figures on the dial will be two feet
eight inches in length. a steam
engine will be placed in the tower
% wiud the clock up every day.
The clockmakers who have been in
vited 10 give their views concerning
tue building Of tue clock all say that
nobody in this country is able to
build such an enormous timepleco.
1t will take whole year to place
the clock machinery in the tower
after the structure is completed.
The bell for the clock is to weigh
between 10000 aud $4,000 pounds
The State House bell weighs Is 600
pounds. The bell for the tall tower
Is to have moro than double the
penetrating power Of sound OF the
State House bell aud will be calcul-
ated to peal ont so loud that it can
be heard in u distant part OF the
city. There will be what is known
as Westminster chimes and they
will ring on the quarter, half, three
quarters aud hour. This bell vii!
be the next heaviest on this con-
, tiuent. The heaviest is in tue ca
thedral at Montreal aud weighs
2S $50 pounds. Big Ben IL
Westminster, weighs 10000. The
, big bell in Moscow, the heaviest in
the world, weighs $4,000 pounds
5 Tho walls of tho clock-tower will bt
t lined with enameled bricks, t.
throw out the sound of the bell, anc
{ huge sounding-board will be erect
| ed to carry the sound out over the
! city,
3 Two big elevators will carry yis
. tors from the ground floor OF the
g tower to the visitors observatory
!. There will be four large open spaces
8 eight feet wide leading ont on t.
b broad balconies at the bottom Of The
clock story. Workmen are bus.
;, setting the stones for the balconies
a The observatories will be 293 fee
/ above the street level. The obser
1 vation room leading out on to til,
| balconies will be 80 feet in diamete
o in octagonal from and the ceiling o
@ the room will be 80 feet high. Th'
k room will accommodate about ont
d Luudred persons comfortably an'
(. about fifty persons will be able t.
j. stand on the balconies at one time
d The openings eight feet wide lead
k ing on to tho balconies from Tia
q observation room will not bo inclos
t, ed They will be open to snow an
i rain. 1t is not intended that visi
k tors will mako the ascent in storm
K. weather aud it is not probable tho
4 small children will be allowed to 6
10 up on the observatory.
= There are several men working o
0, the tower who have been employe