The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-02-09
i A WONDERFUL TlMEPlECE,
MARvEI.s OF THE CLOCK IL.
sTRAssBURa CATHEDRAL.
Wound UP to Run From 1S4O Until
8099 - Crowds Daily Walt Its
NOOndav Hour

MONDAY Hour.
TIOR the third time the munic-
H ipality of Strassburg decided,
in 1885, that q new astro-
nomical clock should be placed
in the framework of the old one. A
Strassburg matchmaker named Schwil-
que was entrusted with the undertak.
ing, and within four years he finished
the unique mechanism which stattds
to-day the wonder and amusement of
natives and visitors. Not only does
this clock keep the time from day to
day, but it runs FROM year to year
without the intervention of any clock
maker. Besides this, it's face con-
tains disk indicating all the variable
holidays of tho yeSr, Easte", and so
on. 1t regulates itself in the leap
years. 1t gives the phases of the
moon, the cclipses, the equinoxes, and
the revolutions of all the planets of
the solar system. The fineness of the
structure can be understood when it
is known that of the seven golden
balls, of different size, representing
the planets, the nearest to the sun,
Mercury, takes eighty-oight days to
make the circuit of it's orbit, while
Saturn only can complete its course in
1747 days, or nearly three years, says
the Philadelphia Telegraph.
The entire mechanism, it's maker
calculated, would run until the year
9999, if the brass and other metal of
which it is built do not wear out in the
meantime. This wonderful contriv
ance is unfortunately in a dark place,
where those who constantly wish to
view it we'll are scarcely able to do 80.
It's site is wing, which can be en-
tered through the Cathedral proper or
a portal. which directly leads thither
from outdoors The time of greatest
interest is Mt noou each day, though
there ere little performances al every
quarter hour. At noon is ;ho time
the cock crows, and that is what every
one wants to hear. The interest never
seems to wane. For an hour before IL
o'clock, day after day, crowd gath.
erS in this corner, waiting for the ex-
hibition. This early arrival is partly
in order +" cot a cool ;:!:s:Id, n,.1 "art-
ly because tho clock keeps solar time,
which now is half hour behind ordi-
nary Strassbu"S time. Here are tour
ists, soldiers, nuns, bridal couples,
peasant women with baskets, boys
with bundles, who have run in from
the street to get another look at the
thing. Now, il is only half hour
until the performance will the room
hold Gny more?
The beadles, like the street-car con-
ductors, are sure there is plenty of
room cup 'front.'" or rather, in this
case, behind. They wave the wands
OF their majesty, and back the people
surge. Still more are coming. The
natives, who never seem to tire of the
sight, and WHO know better about the
vIriance in the times, are now drop
pins in-mothers with babies, business
men from around the corner, and
everybody else. There is not space to
snecze. Now there are only five min
utes until the rooster crows. Maybe
he will not crow to-day. Everybody
looking at the clock" Don Don VIII Wink X
Now comes the fateful minute. In
the very centre of the big monument
to the clockmaker's ingenuity is a
gallery. Here stands Father Time,
representing Death. He has about
him, on rcvolvingplane, four figures
Childhood, boy; Youth, young
hunter; Manhood, fully-armed
knight; Old Age, a gray-haired man,
clothed in the skin of q beast. Child
hood had struck the first quarter hour,
Youth the second, Manhood the third
and Old Age the other hours of the
day; but now Mt noon it is Death s
own chance. The four figures como
ont in view before him, while, with
grim hammer OF bone, he sounds with
twelve strokes the death of another
day.
A little figure down near the face Of
the clock now has his turn, and, with
little shake reverses his hour glass.
Above all this is another gallery. 1t
begins to squeak. The machinery is
in notion In the middle is figure
of Christ, and around Him are to pass
the twelve Apostles. Ont they come,
one by one. Each stops IN instant
before the Saviour, turns his face,
bows, and receives the blessing from
His outstretched hand. But the
rooster; where is he? There he still
is, high up on n pedestal, besides II
stained-glass window. Now he clucks.
Now his old metal-plated throat swells.
He flaps his wings and crows. An
other minute. Again he flaps his
wings and crows. And n third time.
Was there ever such n rooster as this? ?
1t is all over. The bealles drive the
people ont, shut up the cathedral, au |
go to dinner.
The time of greatest interest comes
but once year, in the night from De-
cember 81 to New Years Day. Then
IN immense crowd always assemblies TO
watch the revolutions of the machinery
rs it regulates itself ready for the Ia
bors of the coming year.