The record-union., 1895-04-18
SKILL In MECHANICS.
Achievements of Ingenious Human
Hands.
Men We're Mechanics Long Agos Be-
fore There Was What Could be
Called Mechanical Science,

| recLIy or Dy the agency OF machinery
This article will outline the history and
| trace the development of mechanics
| The purpose, rather, is to indicate some
of the more remarkable triumphs of the
science, and to specify some of its peculiar
developments.
Mechanics, in practice, it is safe to say,
is as old as the race. Men were mechanics
| long ages before there was what could be
called mechanical science. just as they
used language long before there was 6
science of speech. There were good boat
! builders before the flood, and in the years
that Immediately followed there were
| Tubal Gains as we'll as Nimrods-mer
who could work in brass and iron anG
wood as we'll as mighty hunters.
Practical experience, says the Chicago
| Record. soon becomes knowledge, and
| knowledge well founded soon becomes
| science. One has no reason 10 doubt
therefore, that at very early age of the
! worlds history some of the principles Of
| mechanical science were well understood.
One OF the earliest applications OF
| human genius would naturally be in the
! direction OF building. Men required
homes and they built for themselves
! houses. They required protection, and
| they congregated IN great muItltudes, and
! built for themselves walled cities. They
| had to hunt for living, and they had to
| fight and protect themselves against the
! enemy; and they made for themselves
| swords and spears and other weapons OF
| destruction. They needed clothing, and
| the productions of the loom gradually
! took the place of the skins of the wild
animals. Ana so it was that experience
| led to knowledge, and knowledge to sci
| ence.
The pyramids of Egypt, for long and to
| this day included among the worlds
! wonders, are to be regarded as marvellous
| trlumphs of mechanical skill. OF these
| there are many scattered over the Nile
! Valley, some of brick, some of stone and
! of varied hight. The two largest are in
| the neighborhood OF Cairo. They are,
and have been for thousands OF years,
the most colossal monuments in the
world. The largest, that OF GheOps, in its
original state is said to have been 800 feet
high, and the length of it's base on each
| side the same. 1t is built of huge stones
ranging from two TO three feet in hight.
1t is now rugged and has the character as
! we'll as the appearance OF a four-sided
great stairway. The hollows between
the steps are believed to have been filled
in with white marble, which would shine
like snow under the bright Egyptian sun.
The pyramid is now much reduced in
hight, not being more than 500 feet. 1t is
generally admitted that the pyramids
| we're built for tombs, and on certain
astronomical principles. There is an
| inner chamber where the Sarcophagus
was placed. When a monarch began to
! reign he commenced to build his tomb.
| When he died his body was placed in the
sacred chamber prepared for it, and the
opening which led to it was closed. The
pyramid was then completed. If the
! monarch's reign was long, the pyramid
was large. II short, the pyramid was
small. How those great structures were
reared-how the huge masses were
broughttogether and put in their places
is a question which has never been salts
| factorily answered. OF mechanical forces
some OF the early people seem to have
had much more knowledge than there is
| any direct record OF.
1t was Archimedes vino made the first
! contributions 10 mechanics as scisnce.
The world owes to him the lever and the
| screw, and it was he who discovered that
a body immersed in fluid loses as much
| OF its weight as Is equal to the fluid it dis
places-a principle which has much to do
| with the floating leviathans of the deep.
| When one thinks of the discoveries and
| applications of modern times the discov-
cries of the great Syraousan sink into in
significance. 1t is unnecessary to refer to
the steam engine and It's numerous appli-
| catlons--appllcations which are being mul.
| tIplied every day. One exception must
be made. Nasmyth's steam-n hammer is
an invention OF comparative recent date.
| II Is really something wonderful to be-
| hold this mighty hammer come down
with gentleness enough TO crack nut, or
| with force enough to forge huge anchor.
| by means OF this instrument, in the mat
| ter OF driving piles in the ground, the
| work of twelve hours can be reduced to
four; and if large enough it is capable OF
welding by one stroke into solid mass
| whole tons Of scrap.
The Strasburg clock has often been de-
scribed. The original clock was really a
| wonderful contrivance. 1t was con-
structed in 1870. On its plate was a ceIes-
tial globe with the motions of sun, moon
and planets. The phases of the moon
| were presented and there was a perDat-
ual almanac, the day OF the month be!ll q
| indicated by statue. Every quart 81
was struck; the first by child with an
apple; the second by a youth with an ar
row; the third by man with the tip OF
his staff. and the last by an old man
with his crutch. The hour was struck
| by an angel who opened the door and sa-
! luted the Virgin Mary. Another angel
stood by with an hour-glass, which he
turned when the hour was struck. On
the arrival OF each successive hour a
golden cock tapped his wings, stretched
| his neck and crowed twice. The present
StrasDurg clock, which is q reconstruc-
ton OF the old, gives one a very imper-
feet idea OF the original, especially in its
| outward performances.
\ clock scarcely less curious was con-
| Structed toward the close of the last
| century by mechanic of Geneva. 1t
had figures of negro, dog and a shep-
! herd. When the clock struck the sheD-
herd played six airs on his flute and the
dog approached and fawned upon him.
| When being exhibited 10 the King oil
his request, took an apple from the shep-
herds basket. The dog barked and set
the Kings dog barking also.
! One OF the most prominent jewellers
and mechanicians Of London about the
third quarter of the last century was a
man OF the name of Cox. He had a
wonderful collection of clocks and clock
work. One of the wonders of his collec-
tion was cage of singing birds, all of
jewelers. work. The plumage of the
birds was of stones variously colored
Iue birds fiuttered, warbled and moved
their bills TO every note, as they sung
solos, duets and other musical pieces. to
the astonishment of the auditors
n very ingenious clock was INSTRUCTED
py trenchman of the name of Bordeau
| III the time of Louis XIV. II was made
Tor the King. 1t represented the King on
ms throne surrounded by the German
| electors and the Italian dukes. The hours
were struck by the Kings OF Europe. At
certain point of time the Prince of
| Orange, William III. of England. the
Kings most relentless foe, was to do
homage to the grand monarch. Some
thing, however, went wrong with the