The record-union., 1897-12-01
FACTS ABOUT OLD CLOCKS.
Suggested by the Sight of an An
cient Timepiece.

suggested py the S1Sht OF an <An-
cient Timepiece.
An ideal old clock has recently made
its first appearance in public and that
in such exasperating fashion that it's
admirers must, forsooth. break one of
the ten commandments and proceed to
eovet it in most unchristian manner.
The fine old timepiece is On exhibition
temporarily in Reading. 1t stands ma
Jestically back of a plate glass window
"a real. though not an apparent OBJ
stacle-eight and q half feet in hight.
massive, but of perfect symmetry and
without a suggestion of bulk. 1t was
constructed about 100 years ago by
Ziegler of Allentown, Pa The mech
anism came from Germany and the pipe
organ with which 1t is equipped from
Switzerland, The cylinders that are Il
part Of its musical equipment are out
of wood and an indisputable index OF
its antiquity, since these have not been
made fer a century and a half They
are contained In mahogany cabinet.
about one yard square, the wood be-
ing the same as that Of the clock
Above the dial stands forth the fig
ures of an orchestra, Il pompous col
lection Of musicians. each holding the
instrument he plays. Surmounting
these automata is the significant in
scription; 'Abreise. Quentin Durward."
The orchestration occurs every half
hour, when, instead of the usual one
bell, delicious and quaint airs flood the
apartment. Eyes as Well as ears are
delighted as the musicians above the
dial raise their instruments into proper
position, make all the motions OF per-
forming and then drop them to their
sides again. Eacn instrument can be
recognized in the ensemble, and the de-
lghtful effect is better imagined than
described.
1hirty-two airs constitute the mag
nlllcent repertoire, which IS presented
on sellum in old German and quantity
framed, making q most attractive fea-
ture. No more ertistic environment for
this work of art could be suggested
than TO remain in the possession of the
last representative of the family that
originally owned it. Yet eyes have
looked wistfully and plethoric purses
offered their seductive contents at this
impossible shrine.
1t may be a consolation TO reflect
that great Caesar was not fortunate in
the matter of time keepers. a water
clock marked the flight of his imperial
time. 1t is interesting TO note in the
progress of clock making from that
crude state wherewith Caesar was
doubtless content. to the highly COM
pick and apparently perfect system
now in use, that the heavenly bodies
were usually represented. Those land
marks in the history Of clock making
whose Importance has led to their pres
erVa-ion, either in chronicle or in fact.
show this comprehensiveness of effort
The celebrated clock IN the famous
Cathedral at Strasburg describes the
motions of the planets. \ clock pre-
sented to Frederick H. by Saladin in
the thirteenth century marked not only
the hours but also the course of the
sun ard moon and planets A clock
maize by an English abbot in the four
teenth century indicated in addition 10
these the ebb and flood tides.
In the eighteenth century a German
who Invented astronomical clocks con-
ceived the still mere comprehensive
idea Of measuring time in its whole ex-
tent. A hand of universal history in
dlcates principal epochs of history in
IN the Old Testament and the great
events of the future founded on the
Apocalypse. Eight thousand years
were embraced in the revolutions. A
century hand marks the year of the
century and makes the circuit in 100
years. This clock also represents the
motions of the planets, and they make
their revolutions in the same time and
manner that thE actually do in the
heavens.
The heavenly orbs alone were con-
suited for marking the passage of time
When no other method was known. AT
the same source to-day are regulated
these masterpieces of human ingenuity,
whose complex and precise mechan-
ism would have filled with wonder the
minds of the old monks of the middle
ages, who made these contrivances for
the marking of time a possibility
Chicago Post.