The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-03

It is almost exactly two miles from
the court house tower to the tower of
Public School No. 25, North Scranton,
as the crow flies, but yesterday those
who might have been listening would
have heard an echolng peal from
North Scranton as the court house bell
struck the hour of l O'Clock.
For yesterday at the above stated
hour Master j. Fred Hopewell, son
of j. L. Hopewcll, editor and propri-
etor of the Providence Register, moved
the pendulum which started the new
clock in the school tower to keep on
until n break occurs or the machinery
wears out, telling the time and record
ing the hours by strike of bell as they
fleet by.
Long days Of labor and nights de-
void of ease" characterizes the devotion
of those who worked with might and
main that Yesterdays victory might
be won. Editor Hopewell set the ball
rolling several years ago by arranging
TO get a bell for the tower. One was
ordered costing nearly $500 and in the
spring of 1897 was placed in position
with a public ceremony. l.. \. LanSe
was principal of the school at that
owing to a sudden and long illness
which befell Editor Hopewell. The
members Of the North Scranton board
of trade made a spasmodic effort to
complete the work but little was done.
a few months ago II. A. Kemmer-
ling. now principal of the school, sought
out Mr.. Hopcwell and a plan was ar
ranged and carried out and yesterdays
affair is the result thereof. The clock
cost $775 under contract and the
amount is almost covered by subscrp-
tiOns. There does not seem to be much
doubt but that the patriotic, public
spirited citizens and residents of North
Scranton will see to it that no one
suffers loss. The other teachers in
the school, the pupils and their parents
ably assisted those at the head of the
movement.
The clock is a ponderous yet delicate
piece of mechanism and bears descrip-
tiCn. The works proper are placed on
the third floor or attic part of the
building to ensure protection and bet
ter regulation. The hands and face,
etc, are in the tower. connecting rods
doing the work of moving the hands.
The bell hangs just beneath the dials.
The iron frame on which rests the
cogs, wheels, pinions. etc, is four feet
| high, five feet long and fifteen inches
wide, made of cast and wrought iron
and weighing nine hundred pounds in
itself. The wheels are made of hard
hammered brass and the arbors and
pinions of the best open hearth steel.
The escapement is the Graham dead
beat. The dialS are six feet two inches
| in diameter and the numerals are one
foot in length. The centre dial is three
feet in diameter and is made of plate
glass three-eighthS of an inch thick
ground on both sides. The glass on the
outer rim of the dial, under the fig
ures, is one-fourth inch thick. ground
only on one side. The four dials weigh
1910 pounds. The figures, or frame,
which shows the hours and minutes,
is made of cast iron. The glass dials,
with a proper light in the tower, will
enable one to tell the time correctly
during the hours of night. The clock
win be run by weights, and will re-
quire 200 pounds of iron to do the work.
On the striking apparatus a hammer
weighing 80 pounds is controlled by a
weight of 600 pounds OF castings. The
SlcCl Nllt lbDC NlllNll Sul'I'Ol 10 lHCSt
weights is Sic of an inch in thickness
and has a tested strength of 5000
pounds. The pendulum bali weighs
ninety pounds and swings on a nine
foot bar. The clock will strike the
| hour only.
The guarantee given by the makers
the Howard Clock company, is for five
years and they guarantee to replace
! any piece that shall be broken, caused
| by original defects, free of charge and
| further guarantee that the clock Will
| keep time within q variation of one
| minute per month.