Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1899-01-13
A MONSTER CLOCK
Philadelphia Has the
Largest Time-piece
in This Country
and the Highest
IN the World.

The largest clock IN this
country and the highest clock II
the world was started in the
City Hall tower at Philadelphia
at midnight Dec. 3Ist. All
things considered, it is the great
est clock in size and in irnport~
ance in the world, although
there are two clocks with great
er dials.
One of these great clocks
adorns the steeple of Mechlin
Cathedral. one of the finest old
Gothic edihces in Belgium. The
dials are forty feet i'll diameter,
and the movement is much SIM
plifed by the omission OF a
minute band.
1t is likely that the big dials
that loom up over Westminster
bridge, London, in the tall tow
er of the House of Parliament,
are better known than the great
er timepiece in Mechlln. These
d:als are six inches more Ill
diameter than those Of the City
Hall, clock, but the clock is
operated in a manner now near
Ilv obsolete, although the time
piece was installed as recently
as 1880. The London clock has
dials twenty-five and one-half
feet in diameter and is operated
by means of weight, to wind,
which requires the services OF
two men four days a week.
The City Hall clock stands
47o feet above the pavement
that in the Mechlin Cathedral
nearly 500 feet, and the one II
Westminster Palace 40 fee
above the street level.
Up to the present the Ph1la
delphia City Hall clock ha
cost about $2I 900. The motive
power is compressed air, and tht
visitor to the clock story IN th'
tall tower is astonished to hnt
there are no work" to be seen
The ponderous hands on tn
four dlals are operated by mean
of air under great pressure fore
ed through tubes, and all tou
pairs of HANDS are controlled b
. one little master clock that coul
easily e set on a library mantl
piece. :,
This little clock, as it tick
> the minutes, received by tele
l graph from Washington Obsel
vatory, in turn releases the con
rressen air, and over each dl;
v 400 pounds of hands are pushe
z forward. The hands are move
t every half minute and the jun
of the minute is SIX and ON
O halt inches. The pressure excl
IS ed is 700 pounds-suthcle
: is said, to drive the hands und
any weather condition.
4 However, electricity is real
IT the power which governs t
S workings of the clock, and
+ ingenious automatic appllanc
- it is believed that any lapse
- electricity will be immediate
~, taken up by the relief motors.
~; Another popularity of t
- clock is the absence of hgul
on the dials, Broad strips
SIS bronze taking their place. The
Fl are of uniform width, except
aY those taking the place OF III,
iss TX and XII, which are an III
wider for sake of conVenlen
W. These strips are 3 feet , incl
ler long and IS inches broad. Es
in hour hand is 9 feet long an
ne feet 8 inches broad, and wel&
INT 175 pounds. The minute hal
weigh 225 pounds each, (
tly each has an extreme length
tist 1o feet, for each is countert
zes anced. Each dial complete,
the ted with its 92 pieces of 81
;ort weighs FIVE tons. One tlve~n
ere ute section, for SO the dlals
lids constructed. weighs SIS pou'
our The problem Of illumlna
!. was one of considerable dlthc
but it is believed it has [
lies, solved successfully. The cen
cnT- are part of each dial is divided
Be four circules, 5 feet7 inche
-jggs diameter. into each OF WhlC
fitted a single piece OF glass.