Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-12-14
A WONDERFUL CLOCK.
Strange Things that German Watch
maker Has Accomplished.

Strange Things that German Watch
maker Has Accomplished.
A poor German matchmaker has JUST
achieved wonderful work of ingenuity
| and art. consisting OF an astrononl. cal
and calendar clock. Twenty-four years
| ago he was fired to attempt the task by
II study of the famous horo.ogica m6nu-
ment at Strasburg cathedral. He inn
| mediateiy began to execute his design
| to excel even this surprising piece of IN
| genuity. For nineteen years ne devoted
! all MS time TO the project. At one time
| ms means being of the scanTieST charac-
| ter, he had no alternative but 20 sell BY
| degrees everything he could spare. HIS
| wife, being extremely indignant at this
] procedure, brought her complaints before
! the local magistrate. He promised her
| his help, being convinced that man.
| mind must be deranged who thought he
! could make an astronomical calendar
clock even surprising that of Strasburg.
His mental activity and financial and do
| nestle troubles told upon the patient
worker. and at last his friends declared
him insane. At the thought of parting
from his clock he became more excited.
tie was forthwith put into a straight
Jacket and sent 10 Iunatic asylum. \.
ength he managed to regain mis- liberty,
on the understanding that he remained
under police surveillance. He found that
ms home was no pace for him, SO ne
Journeyed to Carlsruhe (Baden), taking
the clock and his tools with him. In this
town he obtained, with the assistance of
a privy councillor free board and lodg-
ings at the permanent industrial exhibi-
tion After a stay of eighteen months BE-.
lost this place of refuge, and fled with
his work by night to his son in Switzer.
land. In Carlsruhe he had been able to
make some small savings. and few
friends gave him assistance. The Ger
man Emperor. though his majesty
thought his task hopeless. sent MIN a
sum of money. AT last the clock. how
ever. was finished, but the constructor
had 10 funds for the case On this oc-
casion a parish priest came forward with
generous and unselfish help, and the
project was completed.
IT is claimed that this clock is rs won
derfui Cor its artistic beauty and work
manship as for its ingenious mechanical
arrangements II is Enclosed in glass. so
that its every movement can be seem 1t
consists of 22OO parts, 112 of which are
wheels. Every detail is the watehmak-
er'S own handiw0rk. The clock indicates
the seconds. minutes hours dates. the
days of the week, months and the sea-
sons If the year. the pictures of the signs
of the zodiac. the sun, moon and stars,
and the rising and setting as we'll as the
exact position of the celestial bodies. II
shows, besides the moon phases, all the
eclipSes of the sun and moon. Its calen-
dar. it is urged. will last forever, with
minute accuracy. At the beginning of
the year it fixes by itself the statements
of the Astronomical practitioners in ex-
pianation Of the everlasting calendar as
well as Easter, and the changeable feSti-
val days for the coming year. A glass
ball, representing the spherical glol-aAexs
actly, shows the movements and positions
~ n fAiDnnfs Aaskar.s l. y
moon. Mars, Jupiter. Saturn and Uranus.
The work is beautified by over hun
dred movable pictures and figures. Every
quarter of an hour the figure of a guard
ian angel appears or the left side of the
principal field. The striking of the quar-
ters is done by two angels, standing in
the second recess on the left. while in the
sixth recess TWO figures al a time repre-
Senting the four ages of man, are chang
ing alternately. On the right side of the
principal field the Angel of Death adj
vances. pointing with his scythe to the
dial plate. When the full hour strikes
the center angel of the second recess APP
pears, holding en hourglass, while the
angel on the right side above is sounding
a trumpet. Under the roof an allegoricai
figure represents symbolieally the right
season of the year, while above in the
principal field, the guiding star of the
year appears On the left side of the
CT Dlllct SldHuS Il COCK, winch. 1Ne minutes
before noon, beats its wings StoOps its
neck, opens its beak and crows three
times.
When the picture shows "Spring" there
appears Il cuckoo above: with the season
summer" quail comes forth on the left
side, both calling seven times. When the
picture autumn" appears bull lying II
the feet of the evangelist st. Luke roars.
aud when "winte"" IS indicated. a lion.
which lies close to St. Mark. raises its
voice. Every time the clock strikes II
Christ, bending his head. appears with
his twelve apostles. and monk. standing
in the portal below, rings his ave"
The work contains also small chime.
which plays hve minutes after the strik-
ing of an even hour, the melodies chang
ing and each lasting one minute. This
work has twelve little belts ana on the
roller there are 991 pins, which make the
music.
Now that this patient worker has fin
iShcd his task. he has been unable 10 find
anyone To buy il from him.