The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-07
YHILADELrRIA's NV otocE,
IN, Huzo ARair o. usp CITY Hal % be
started on Dee. 81,

started on nee. 5is
philadelphia Press: The great clock
IN the tower OF city hall Is running. al
,souub this fact Is not yet apparent to
~ outside observer. The clock win be
nspt in operation COR a month IN order
70 test It's accuracy. and its hands viii
becln to move at 8 o'clock on New
years Eve.
To most people the marvelous intri-
eacy and the magnitude Of the big
tImeplece would prove surprise. It
seems to be popular opinion that the
clock is run by works located behind
me dial and similar to those concealed
IN the interior Of an ordinary mantel-
shelf chronometer. The mechanism
,bat controls the mighty hands OF the
Ci.y clock Is vastly different from com.
mon clock-worka.
The hands OF the clock are 10 be NOV
cd by machinery. stationed more than
$50 feet below them. The main inechan-
len, or master clock" as It is called, is
located in the seventh floor OF the togg..
sr In one corner OF the tower STANDS a
huEe ElHEa GAAAlAGkf NAAANAAa ~ 49, HAe-7
dl,lon OF flowers and plants, would
make a good conservatory. This cabi-
mel is ten feet high, fifteen feet IN
length, and, although seeming TO rest
an The floor, is in reality suspended by
IRON beams pEotruding from the tower
walls. The cabinet Is almost as care
fully made as the clock itself. The
framework IS composed OF iron and
soft pine, the whole being overlaid with
CONFER A mahogany door leads into
tba cabinet, and when this Is closed the
cabinet Is absolutely air-tlght and DUST
Standing inside the cabinet on a per-
fcctly level marble floor arctwo clocks,
four feet in height, and inclosed in
cases OF GLASS and ebony. One OF these
clocks is the vital part OF the elaborate
system, the other clock serving as an
auxiliary. The interior OF the cabinet 10
kent at one temperature by means OF
thermostat that automatically turns OF
or on the current generating heat In an
electric coil
The master clock was made in Gias.
heutter, Saxony, and required two years
In its manufacture. It Is so arranged
that knob attached to the long pendu-
Ium opens valve at every half minute.
The opening Of the valve permits cur
rent Of compressed air 10 flow through
a small brass pipe to the central move
meut, which Is one hundred feet above
IN the chamber of the tower behind the
clock faces. whenever the valve Is
opened the compressed air pushes for
ward or backward delicate diaphragm
which by Its movement causes toothed
wheel TO revolve through a definite arc.
To this toothed wheel Is attached by a
universal Joint a long brass rod that
runs TO the axis OF the hands In the bis
clock and turns them. It will be seen,
therefore. that the hands of the clock
move at intervals OF thirty seconds, the
minute hand describing complete cir
Gle by a series of one hundred and
twenty short advances. For each OF the
four dials there is central movement,
all four movements being operated SIM
ultaneously By the compressed air lib
Grated by the master clock.
In addition to this careful and CONF
pick arrangement are the three electric
pumps that work. automatically and
keep the air pressure at ten pounds. To
protect against accidents two other
pumps have been placed in an entirely
different part OF the city hall, and In
case Tie air pressure should fall through
acCluenI DeloS sever lOuhu9 thS tnN
distant pumps would take up the work.
The dlals are to be illuminated at
night by. So incandescent lights, and in
this connection there is another inter-
esting automatic arrangement that
turns on the lights whenever. darkness
comes. Inside the cabinet. behind the
"mastnr clock" is a telephone connected
direct with Washington, and through Il
the ticking OF the astronomical clock In
the government observatory can be
heard. BY. this means any error in the
reading OF the city hall clock can be
detected and corrected.
Each houc hand is thirteen feet three
inches and each minute hand sixteen
feet 1--WE inches in length. Each hand
weighs four hundred pounds and is
made OF brass. The entire clock cost
the city $4,000.