Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-12-23

A Description of TimePieco That u
Really Unique nmd Interesting.


Really Unique nmd Interesting.
The first tower clock actuated by
electricity in the United States is IN
successful operation in the court house
In Los Angeles, Cad. This pioneer
timepiece. that is commonly termed
"tlie big clock might be called in DO
tanical parlancc composite, for it is
In reality four clocks. as each dial in the
tower is supplied with its own separate
apparatus operated by wires from the
main battery. There are also sixteen
smaller clocks located in various parts
Of tie building. and these twenty
clocks beat time together without tick
ing. but with instantaneous precision.
The regulator which does the time
keeping is large eight day clock that
differs from an ordinary regulator only
in being provided with two insulated
wires and when its second hand com
pIetes its round it comes in contact
with a platinum point, which instanta
neous touch makes InOmentary cleo
trio circuit by means of the wires, the
fash communicating with all the other
clocks, and each obeys the telegra piic
mandate by pointing a new minute.
The source of the electricity for all
this automatic whispering is found in
batteries that are located in one Of the
tower rooms, where two separate install
lations, each containing 211 cells are
In cabinet together. Only one of the
two sets is, however, required at time
the other is simply for use in case of
an emergency, and it is but the work of
an instant to connect the whole appa-
ratus with the unused battery by sim
ply turning the handle of a compound
switch. The clocks need not lose a
minute in the change, for the switch
ing can be accomplished between the
electric flashes. Among the interesting
parts of the ingenious mechanism is a
relay through which all the electric
currents pass.
This relay has at one end an arIna-
ture and magnet similar to but larger
than those seen in a common teie-
graphic sounder. The lever of the mag
net works shaft that causes eighteen
brass fingers to vibrate. When the
fingers fall they complete the electric
current in eighteen wires that run to
the twenty dials-connection being as
simultaneously broken when the fingers
are raised. Ocular proof of the pres
sence of electricity is given in green
sparks on the tips of the brass points
when the connection is broken.
Many persons climb the extra flights
of stairs above the battery room and
only pause in the section of the tower
where the four great dials are placed.
The gigantic hands of rolled steel each
weigh forty pounds and are to be seen
dimly through the translucent glass OF
the dials that are about sixteen feet in
diameter The shaft that carries the
hands pierces the center of the disk
where it is connected with large arm
ature with an attachment of brass cog
wheels.
Each flash over the wires leading
from the battery room whirls through
the big spool of wire in the arinature,
magnetizes the soft iron core and shield,
swings a ratchet lever, gives turn to
the brass cog wheels, and thus causes
the minute hand outside to swing along
nearly ten inches. We go down to the
outside world, 200 feet below, and
when we turn to look up once more at
the minute hand we understand that
its seeming short steps each announce
that down in the heart of the great
building the tiny, trembling second
hand of the regulator has just COM
pleted another delicate cycle and
marked the flight of another minute. -
Cor. Springfield Republican.