The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-29
BEFORE CLOCKS.
various ENpedients of Our Ancestors
for Learning the Time of Day.

date life so largely depends on the exact
ALLEGATION of time, that the man of to-
day cannot understand how nations exist
ed ere clocks licked the hours away. He
cannot understand any form of civiliza-
ton existing without its handspring, the
clock. Yet this Indispensable accompani-
ment of our daily life, is but just over
five centuries old. which in comparison
with the long duration of ancient vanish
ed but complex civilizations, of which the
Egyptian is the most conspicuous. is a
very moderate extent of time.
The first clock. in our selse of the word,
seems 10 have been Qor we are not sure
as to what clocks they were which, in S72.
the Venetians invented, Of which they SEM
a specimen to Constanlinople) one made
in 1874 for Charles V. Of France. 1t was a
very big one, weighing several hundred
weights, end made by converted Arab,
named Henry de Vic. ANA those who are
curious may find fun details in Frossart
This clock was put up in the Round Tower
of the palace, and for months vast crowds
assembled to watch the novelty's action
and details. 1t is not with this. however,
or any of The succeeding efforts Of clock
makers, that we are conc rned. but al a
far anterior date with 'hc contrivances by
which men measured time and supplied in
some degree the place of ihe clock And
back TO r5motest ages must we go.
The water-clCck otherwise the cleDsy-
dra, seems unless The Egyp'oloEs.s find
something fresh in that land Of incessl1t
discoveries from The most far m,sts Of
time, TO have been the first scientific cf-
fort at noting the hours good many
people talk glibly about the clepsydra WAC
neither know its precise construction ro-
the nation who have the credit of con-
structing it, That belongs TO the Assyriaa,
and as far back as at least over $50
years ago the olepsydra was used in Nine
yah under the sway of the second Sar-
danapalus. 1t was brass vessel Of cyl
indrical shape. holding several gallons of
water, which could only emerge through
one tiny hole in the side. Thus he trick
ling of the fluid marked certain amount
of time, and the water was cmptied about
half a dozen times per diem In Nidevaa
there was one at the palace, and one in
each principal district. These were al
nlled by signal from Waterman on a
tower at the moment Of sunrise, and each
had an attendant whose bus ness was 10
rehII the clepsydra as soon as Il was emp
tied, the TACT being announced by criers,
much as in the last century The watchmen
droWslly shouted The hours OF night
throughout the streets of London. some
five centuries later an anonymous sen as
made a great Improvement Dy inserting
toothed Wheeis, winch, revolving, turned
two hands on a dial m CLOCK FASHION, mus
showing tne progress OF the time, Wh-ch
from one ming TO emptyiAS aVeraged Two
hours ana a hait. IN thls shape the clep-
sydra, which was then chiefly procurable
IN Egypt became introduced 70 various
other nations, including Rome, Where II
houIlsleu with various splehull ethpeillsh-
mems until the END OF the empire
Inc sun dlaI STANDS next IN the order Oh
tlihe 70 lne clepsyoFa ~ was ihNehteu !.
AleAailurla some llNe centuries anu nan
.. = ChIlke the water CLOCK II hourlshed
thfough an tne centuries even unto our
own days, where IL nay adorhs many a
statey OF slInpie oia-Worid sardeh anu
smooth' shauy lawn il was halufaily Oh
greater constant use IN otner ci'iIleS IMAM
those OF our DfuIhous isle from we "a
larger aHiouhS q sunshine these ehJoyeu.
But some me ana FAMOUS sun uiais nave
long eNlsted Withih Inc realm ana tIie IN
sclptions nave not been their Ieast cha m
Oh me past DuIiAs the uark Ass 1he
eiepsydra seems 10 nave Vanlsneu win ~ 10
man empire us eAltIouucIloh ma" 4>u-
rope Is uue 20 ,nat nero ~ our youilT
DAYS, the Ca4lph idIouu i1ascio' liie "a
nous potentdAe q b1sHau ntNlts SemV ~
the year oU1 ap4ehulu specilieh o. = ma
lemagne but Just apouL OF niue De
moue OF NnarhiHs Itine ny 'He iINei il ioI
oil the hour glass destined 10 as IONS ar
existence as the sun uldl' iiueeu Piop
cry mace ms Was Valuaple aliu acc
rate time piece proVlueu II was resula ~
turned
we heeu hot 90 more tnail diluue 70 'li'
haolts alter We ll1il' anu
IN Scotlanu' o. pFeaclielS meas III ~
thelr discourses py me houI glass "a ,i'
pulpit 1 hese 1lalhS ca .n nour S s.S
lilose i.S' iiauS "A, .,ss > oS
OF tweNe nou >. Gu ny lii'
methou Oh measuring 'llile witch SNOW '.'
tnat tilere was no Ga Aoll one ,AouSh Nei9
probaply some OF tne hn0hasteries l1hei
the only MONIES OF hho"tSusel were ac
qualhted win a'et-cloCAs anu hour
glasses. Il not py pracucal khoWledge,
any rate Dy hearsay. however, tne MUS
dom IN general followed AIRED pan
Whlcn, ohoush ingenious necessarily ldck
ed everything IKE me accuracy OF the o'h
er inventions YET me KING 1dea wa
nailed as Wohueriul eilorl OF genius
which, Tor such an era'p by comparison VIII
the general ignorance, II was. As every
| school boy On inns case hterallN) knows
Alfred marked time by rushhghis. a Ions
existence, by the way has the rushligh
| enjoyed, seeing that middle-aged peoph
still remember its use in the nursery a
night. and the reflect zion of the cirCula