The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-08-29
Clocks ofShanse Mechanism and Construc.
lion and Of Historic Interest.
MANY CURIOUS TINE AEAsuRERs.
Geneva Mechanics Have Done some
wonderful work-Thcre Are seven
Niiiions of Clocks In the United
stntcs and About Ten T,mes That
Number I'm the World.

I wHich, because OF their peculiar working,
attract much attention. The first COM
& Pleto clock known wis made In tho thir-
tecpth century by Saracen mechanic
King Alfred In 8S7 measured timo by wa
esperA The escapement was invented
about the year 1000 by Gerbert. The first
accurate clock was set up at Hampton
S'nrt In 1910, marked by It's maker IN
O." The first astronomical clock was
made about 1900.
Clocks were first illuminated, so that
the hour could DO read at night, in 1896
and tho hrss Of this kind WIS placed in St
Brides, London, In that year. Clocks
Z were Erst synchronized by Messrs. Barraud
Ss Lund SO that they could be regulated hv
an electric wire from a standard clock, and
In November, 1873, thcy put into operation
In London an electric circuit Of 1o9 clocks
The first clock regulated by pendulum
was made Ia 1889 by the son Of Galilci
Richard Harris placed clock Of this kind
in ST. Paul's In 1641, and Christian Huy-
3 gems made good ones previous TO 1866 Tho
Arst clock to sta o tho hour WINS placed In
Westminster in 1868.
a curious timepiece was tho ono John
Harrison of Foulby, England, mado In
@1715 Harrison was an carly expert, and
won reward OF $4,000 offered by the
board of longitude for method of dotor-
mining tho longitude ut sea. This clock
& was not like the Others for It WINS made
with the solo intention Of being n curiosity
Every part of 1t was Of wood, with the e1-
ception of tho escapement, which he found
could not be made to work If constructed
4 Of wood. 1t, however, was n success. for,
although made nearly two centuries ago,
1t WAS running in 1871 ut tho patent mu-
scum Mt South Kensington. 1t struck tho
hours and Indicated the day Of tho month
and was on eight day clock.
n strange clock left by Fartloll is not
only a curiosity, but it is ALSO admired rs
q work of art, and 1t, moreover, kept good
time, although the mechanism required is
necessarily complicated. 1t Is in shape like
fnn, aud tho time Ia shown by blades
opening progressively, which, when all are
spread, close Mt tho twelfth hour. The timo
covered IL from Q to 9, Is blades being
necessary 20 snow tho 10 hours. Tho hour
~ denoted by tho number of blades that
3 arc exposed.
tx AT o'clock tho fan Is entirely closed
As time progresses the first blade moves
slowly upward, unooverinG the next, until
att O'Clock the second blade is entirely
visible, ard SO on until 6 o'clock is again
reached when spring and lever attach-
ment rotErns the fan to tho original posi-
ton. Tho movement is bulky, but is hid
den behind n red plush cushion. Tho en-
amcl painting on tho fan is wonderfully
Emo
NJ. Plancon devised an amusing clock
which attracted considerable attention at
tho Amsterdam exposition. 1t consisted
Of u tin or metal plate which would hold
water, with the hours marked about the
rim. When filled with liquid, small
metal turtle floating in tho center regu-
larly pointed to the hours The explana-
ton is that magnetized disk Travelled
about tho circle under the water, and the
turtle, with its small needle concealed bc-
meath its body, was ATTRACTED steadily by
the disk and followed it about.
Among the remarkable clocks are those
which run an unusually long time Herr
Eoil, mechanic of Berlanger, Germany,
constructed clock warranted to run 0, 900
years withe Z winding, 1t Is said Mir.
ID. l.. Gcff, in this country has in his hall
An old fashioned clock which, so long "a
the house is occupied, never runs down.
Whenever the front door Ii opened or
closed, the winding arrangement connect
ed by gears with the clock is given turn,
30 that every person entering the house
aids in keeping it going.
Mir. L. G. Farron of Fresno, CAL, in
vented clock thu only motive power of
which, lie ,-leges, is tho gravitation Of the
earth, and it requires no winding. This
clock consists OF plate glass dial suspend.
ed from the ceiling, and ell tho parts Of 1t
visible are the two hands, the pivot on
which thcy swing and the dial. In 1910
Mr.. j. Smith OF Leeds, England made q
s. clock the sole motor of which was cleo
tricity. He lived to see this clock 20 for
90 years. There is clock in tho Church
of St Quentin, hayence, which Is said to
have stopped only once during q period OF
500 years.
Clocks are now constructed to run five
years with one winding up. In 1881 the
Belgian government placed one of these in
= railway station and sealed 1T with the
government seal. 1t ia said to have kept
admirable time having been only twice
wound-in 1855 and 1891.
~ There is a certain clock which has 81 sim
gle hand, and 1t WAS never intended thn:
1t should have the REGULAR complement. 1t
is an old ono stcnding in the courtyard Of
tho palace at Versailles nud 1t called
Z L'Horlogc de In Mort du Roi. 1t contains
no works, but consists merely of a face In
the form OF a sun S grounded by rays On
the death Of king the hand was Get to tho
moment O. his demise and remained una!-
tered till his successor had joined him In
She grave The custom originated under
Louis XIII and continued until the reyo-
luton. It was revived on tho death of
Lonis XVII, md the hand continues to
this dry fixed on tile precise no,nont of
chat Elpnarah's death.
49, A mechanic OF Geneva in the last cen.
4 aary constructed n truly remarkable clock.