The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-19
THETiME OF DAY.
Wonderful Clocks and Watches at the
Worlds Fair


piece in the great clock tower in the
manufacturers and liberal arts building.
The tower is $50 feet high, but the
clock is only 20 feet above the floor. 1t
has four dials, each having a diameter
of seven feet, and contains chime OF
bells weighing IA, 900 pounds. This clock
belongs to the exhibit Of the Self-Wilnd-
ing Clock company of New York, is run
by electricity, and the little engine that
governs it will run for whole year
without attention for the small cost OF
25 cents. 1t is connected with and regu-
lates all the clocks on the Worlds Far
grounds On the floor beneath stands
a model rs feet high of the Washington
monument in the capital city, completely
covered with Columbu souvenir coins.
In the Central railroad station, which
is inside the grounds, there are "A clocks
around the walls high above the head
of the people, giving the time of day in
each of the following cities: CONSTANT
nople, Jerusalem, Mecca, Vienna 8 a,s 81.
Cairo, Madrid London, Reykiavik,
Stockholm, Paris, New York, Bombay,
Hong Kong, Chicago, Sydney, Santiago,
Honolulu, Yokohama, Buenos Ayres,
San Francisco.
The Waterbury Watch company exhibits
an undue clock in its department in
the manufacturers building. 1t at
and watch it wonderingly. So elaborate
and intricate is the work on it that
twelve years were occupied IN It's con-
struction at the Waterbury clock works
in Waterbury, Conn. The clock is named
the century clock and is valued at $780,
900. The case is of black walnut and
is six feet square at the base and is 20
feet high. In the lower front of the
clock is represented room in the watch
factory, tiny figures of men and women
being shown seated and standing at
tables and machines engaged in the
process of making watches The machln-
ery and figures are connected with Jne
mechanism of the clock, the wheels ny
ing around and the operators moving
about in a very lifelike manner. Numer-
GUS electric lights are suspended from
the ceiling, which, when lighted at nlght
add realism to the scene.
On either side of the clock are four
rooms, one above the other, glass en-
closed and in each a group OF LllllputIan
figures typical of some leading event
in the march of American Industries.
In one section is seen the negroes pick
ing cotton in the field, and close by is
the cotton gin hand at work. In another
section is seen Elias Howe, bald old
man. at work on his sewing machine
invention, and two girls sitting at tne
completed machine are making SWISS
rufding as if their lives depended on u
One section shows three men in dark
coal mine drilling and breaking the great
Iumps of coal. One girl is beating out
the flax, another is seated at spinning
wheel spinning the fax into thread,
while a third figure stands at the weav-
ing machine making cloth. A saw mill
is represented in one room in another
the making of Swiss watches by hand,
the men folks sitting at the table busy
with their tools, the women preparing
the midday meal.
The progress of electricity is shown in
two ways, one scene representing teie-
graphic operating station, where the lit
tie figures sit receiving and despatchlng
messages, a man standing at one side
being an electric lighting station with
the inventor, Daft, sitting at his desk
to the left
The panels around the clock are also
interesting, picturing in high relief fig
ures of carved cherry, such events in
history as the signing OF the Decoration
at APPROXIMATION, and surmounting the
top is rich carving of the famous
liberty bell.
The Exposition Clock.
A handsomer piece of work than this,
though not SO intricate and consequent
ly not so costly,is the exposition clock"
by the Manufacturing :Goldsmiths' and
Silversmiths' Company, London, Eng
land. This clock is octagonal in shape
and is made of American walnut with
elegantly chased and gilded ornaments,
the cotton plant and flower being the
motif On the eight panels are pictured
the various sports, such as base ball,
trolling, cycling, yachting and swim
ming At the top of each panel is por-
trait of some one of our great men, Wash
ington, Lincoln, Grant, jackson, Frank
lin, Harrison and Cleveland, also por-
trait of Queen Victoria -
There are four dials to the clock, giving
the time of day as it is in England,
America, France and Spain. here is
circle of IL figures around the clock, rep
resenting athletics and games, such as
cricket, foot ball, wrestling, rowing,
shooting, pool, tennis, horse racing, run
ming and lacrosse. Between the dials
are figures representing art, science,
industry engineering. surrounding
each dial is an American eagle fiapplng
his wings, and on top is statuette OF
the goddess of liberty. Every hour the
English and Americans anthems
are played, while the time is
struck on a chime of eight bells,
the Westminster chimes on four
gongs and the hour on one gong. With
every quarter hour the circle of figures
revolves in procession. The English
manufacturers pride themselves on this
clock. 1t is certainly very handsome,
the chimes being one great feature of
its beauty.
Queer Watches.
Mention may be made in this connec-
ton of some of the exquisite watches in
the Swiss pavilion in the manufacturers
and liberal arts building. There are
some very old watches that are valuable
from an historical point of view. There
is a watch made in the 18th century,
quite clumsy thing, with crystal
face showing the day of the week, the
month and the phase of the moon. An
other very old watch is made entirely Of
wood and ivory, representing months of
labor on the part of a life convict. who
was pardoned on the completion OF this
wonderful piece of work.
There is queer old timepiece dating
from the year 1914, the date being carved