The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-22

of Clocks In the United States.
While there are seven million clocks
in the United States, and probably ten
times that number in the world, there
are some clocks which, because of their
peculiar working, attract much atten-
ton. The first complete clock known
was made in the thirteenth century by
a Saracen mechanic. King Alfred in
SS7 measured time by wax tapers. The
escapement was invented about the
year 1000 by Gerbert The first accu-
rate clock was set up at Hampton
court in 1910, marked by its maker IN.
o." The first astronomical clock was
made about 1900
Clocks were first illuminated so that
the hour could be read at night, in 1926,
and the first Of this kind was placed in
st. Brides, London, in that year.
Clocks were first synchronzed by
Messrs. Barraud & Lund so that they
could be regulated by an electric wire
from a standard clock and in Novem-
Der, 1878, they put into operation in
London an electric circuit of one hun
dred and eight clocks.
The first clock regulated by pendu-
lum was made in 1889 by the son of
GaIilel Richard Harris placed clock
of this kind in ST. PauPs in 1641, and
Christian Huygens made good ones pre-
vious to 1858 The first clock to strike
the hour was placed in Westminster in
1868.
A curious time-pece was the one
John Harrison, of Foulby, England,
made in 1715. Harrison was an early
expert, and won a reward of one hun
bred thousand dollars offered by the
board of longitude for method of de-
termining the longitude at sea- This
clock was not like the others, for it was
made with the sole intention of being
a curiosity. Every part of 1t was Of
wood. with the exception of the escape
ment, which he found could not be
made to work if constructed Of wood.
1t, however, was success, for, al
though made nearly two centuries ago,
it was running in 1871 at the patent
museum at South Kensington. 1t
struck the hours and indicated the day
of the month and was an eight day
clock
A strange clock left by F'ardoll is not
only curiosity, but it is also admired
as a work of art, and it, moreover, kept
good time, although the mechanism re-
CURED is necessarily complicated. 1t Is
in shape like a fan, and the time is
shown by blades opening progressively,
which, when all are spread, close a the
twelfth hour. The time covered is from
six to six, thirteen blades being neces-
sary to show the twelve hours. The
hour Is denoted by the number of
blades that are exposed.
AT six o'clock the fan is entirely
closed AS time progresses the first
blade moves slowly upward, uncovering
the next, until at seven o'clock the sec
ond blade is entirely visible, and so on
until six o'clock is again reached, when
a spring and lever attachment returns
the fan to the original position. The
movement is bulky, but is hidden be-
hind red plush cushion. The enamel
painting on the fan is wonderfully fine. |
N. Plancon devised an amusing |
clock which attracted considerable at |
tention at the Amsterdam exposition. |
1t consisted of a tin or metal plate, |
which would hold water with the hours
marked about the rim. When filled |
with liquid a small metal turtle float |
ing in the center regularly pointed to !
the hours The explanation is that a I
magnetized disk Travelled about the cir
Gle under the water, and the turtle, |
with it's small needle concealed be-
meath its body, was attracted steadily
by the disk and followed it about.
Among the remarkable clocks are
l.; ,a1l lD,,rr
time. Herr Noll, a mechanic of Berlan-
ger, Germany, constructed clock war
ranted to run nine thousand years
without winding, it is said. Mr. D. J..
Golf, in this country, has in his hall an
clock which, so long as
the house is occupied never runs down.
Whenever the front door is opened or
closed, the winding arrangement con-
nected by gears with the clock is given
a turn, so that every person entering
the house aids in keeping it going.
Mr.. T. G. Farron, of Fresno Cal, in
vented clock the only motive power
Of which, he alleges, is the gravitation
of the earth and it requires no wind
ing, This clock consists of a plate
glass dial suspended from the ceiling,
and all the parts of it visible are the
two hands, the pivot on which they
swing and the dial. In 1910 Mr.. ].
Smith, of Leeds, England, made a
2lock, the sole motor of which was cleo
,ircity. He lived to see this clock go
for fifty years. There is a clock in the
1hurch of st. Quentin, Mayence, which
s said to have stopped only once dur
ng a period of five hundred years.
Clocks are now constructed to run
i've years with one winding up. In 1881
he Belgian government placed one of
hese in a railway station and sealed it
With the government seal 1t is said to .
nave kept admirable time, having been :
only twice wound-in 1885 and 1891.
There is a certain clock which has .
single hand, and it was never intended !,
hat it should have the regular COM
element. 1t is an old one standing in
he courtyard of the palace at Yer
sailles audit is called L'Horloge de Ia
Iort du Roi. 1t contains no works, but :
consists merely of q face in the form
# a sun surrounded by rays. On the
eath of king the hand was set to the
moment of his demise and remained /
lnaltered iii ms successor hau Joined c
IN, he {