The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-06
BLOOD MEDICINE
EFFEoTs OF HOT WEATHER.
Sudden Changes of Weather Said t.
Injure Watches.

From the Netg York World
''Mainsprings are very much like people, -
said Broadway matchmaker the other day.
"They are as susceptible to extreme de-
grees Of heat and cold as human beings.
When the Thermometer is lowering around
the freezing point or dancing away up in
the nineties the little handspring will give
up IN disgust and uncoil itself and de- lust
as mon succumb to freezing or sunstroke."
The jeweler said that on Monday, Aug.
/, he resolved seventy nine watches TO be
fitted with new mainsprings. This was on
the Monday following the deadly hot spell
OF the last week in July. Other jewelers.
were seen who reported greatly increased
business because OF broken mainsprings
This uncertain piece Of mechanism is sup
posed to be adjusted to meet the various de-
grees of temperature, but when the change
is very great aud comes with short notice
there is nothing that can prevent
them from swapping. They are
made Ia Switzerland Of the very
finest quality of steel, absolutely flaw
less. Very often the matchmaker can de-
tect bad spring before putting it in the
watch, either by its color or the softness Of
its spring. These have been too highly
tempered In the making and instead of
being sub jected to merely q red heat the
fire has been brought to white heat, thus
weakening the strength Of the metal The
finest watches that are handled by reliable
dealers are put through a cooking aud
freezing" process before they are sold, for
the purpose Of testing their reliability ia all
tempere ture. The watch is first placed in
little metal box, which is made sir-tight.
Then, a strong gas flame is turned on the
under surface of the box and is kept there
for two or three hours 80 that che watch Is
so hot at the end Of that time that it could
mr. hn aH Nufth hn hara hav,A
this it is Immediately taken and put into
another metallic box which is buried in ice.
There the costly watch is allowed to freeze
for an equal length Of time, when its tor
ture ceases and the examination is made
II during this excessive test the watch ap-
pears to have licked merrily on without de-
waiting a fractional part Of a second, it is
placed back in the case and marked guar
anteed for two years." The handspring is
the first piece Of mechanism that succumbs
TO the test. II it survives, nothing else need
be feared.
Mainsprings are, however, about the only
part of a watch that the jeweler cannot
successfully dia Snose. They can guarantee
any of the numberless little wheels or piyots
or balances that go TO make up the anatomy
of the watch, but the handspring has as
yet baffi9d the most skilled makers Of
watches OF all countries. 1t is not SO much
the severe extremes of the weather that
prove fatal to these springs as it is the
process of changing from hot to cold or vice
versa. Like the human frame, If the rib
bon-like little coil of steel can withstand the
effects OF this change it may be considered
proof against breaking when the change to
normal weather comes,
Many people who have been possessors of
new watches but short time come into the
dealer's with blood In their eyes, declaring
that they have paid an enormous price for
the time-piece and the handspring has
broken after only weeks use.
That is nothing )" remarked the jeweler
I'VE have them snap ia our case before the
watch has ever been shown for sale.n Others
imagine thaS they might have wound the
watch too tight, but this does not harm it. It
Is rather the jerky, hurried winding that will
eventually tell on the temper OF the metal.
Every good ssem-winder has a stop placed in
the stem. which prevents the winding toe
tight.
Damp weather hes an Ill effect on main
springs, and IN England they do not, as a
rule. last es long as in this country. A Sc
we're thunder and lightning storm also fire.
quently proves disastrous to the dura biiity
Of the spring. The dealer who took in
seventy-nine watches on Aug, | said that
last summer on day Immediately follow
ing a terrific electrical storm there were
twenty-one watches brought into his store
Within i've hours for new nRinspriups The
COST OF a new handspring is the small part
Of making such repair. 1t is the puLtlnp
them in, the labor expended, that costa Il
costs from $l2 to SIS to put a handspring
in the Jurgensen watch and little les in a
Patek Philippe, while in cheaper Ameri-
can make it may cost only so cents or 81.
a ma1 purchased $500 Jurgensan from
leading dealer several years ago, and
shortly after he left for tour around the
world. he was gone year and when he
returned lie went back to the dealer with
his watch and complained: Here's a
watch l paid you $500 for q year ago, and
while was travelling abroad it lost two
minutes. You guaranteed it and want
you to make it good" The watch was
placed IN the window with this card beside
1t:
''This watch lost only two minutes in
year in trip around the world. Price
$500" 1t sold within an hour
1t is said that one bar of iron costing IS
will produce $3.50 600 worth Of Rainsprings.
Some springs are made in this country by
the manufacturers of cheap watches.
These springs are several feet long and take
nearly two minutes to wind up.