Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-09

diameter Of each is twenty-six feet. The
lengths OF the minute and hour hands are
fifteen and twelve feet respectively, and
their weights 225 and l75 pounds. while the
lengths and widths Of the hour marks are
thirty eight and fourteen inches, and the
size OF the minute marks three and one
half inches square. The distance Travelled by
the minute hand in one year is 114.7 miles.
The weight of the dial frames, with glass,
is Ave and one-half tons, and the total
weight OF the clock is fifty tons.
The little or master clock, the clock that
really runs. is 143 feet below the great
clock by which the city and country folks
for miles around regulate their watches.
Two years were spent in building 1t and
its mechanism is as delicate as that Of the
finest watch. It rests in a metallic case on
a platform built into a wall so no vibration
can affect it. Quite unlike the big clock.
which in four years collected three tons
of dirt, the case keeps 1t free from dust
once every minute this clock. which is
regulated from Washington, opens the valve
which admits impressed air to the tubes
connected with the gears. The air moves
the hands of the clock way up in the tower,
which after all is just a dummy clock, for II
has only four faces and let's the little clock
down below do all the actual work.
Another peculiar thing about the tower
is that in the course of a day contraction
and expansion, due to the suns rays, make
il lean three-quaTters of an inch out Of
plumb. This peculiarly has been deter
mined by means of a tub Of molasses placed
far up in the tower, the surface of the
molasses varying thrce-quarters of an inch
according to the lean of the tower.
Then, too, the tower is an Unsuitable and
inveterate destroyer Of 1.-The birds of the
air" The ring Of sixteen powerful arc
lights that glow at the base Of PENIS statue
blinds the birds so that they fly against the
tower, are killed and fall to the roofs be-
low. One OF the halls employees has a col
lection of over 1000 birds, compris-
ing all sorts of species, that we're killed
in this manner.
The statue of william Penn that caps the
tower has unusual dimensions. 1t weigh.
SO, 3iS pounds and is thirty-seven feet In
height. The hat is nine feet in diameter
the rim twenty-three feet in circumference
the buttons on the coat are six inches in di
ameter and the coat cuffs three feet long
Penn himself has a nose thirteen inches
long, eyes twelve inches in length ant
four wide, a mouth that is fourteen inches
from corner to corner, hair four feet long
a face of three feet three inches from ha
to chin, a waist of twenty-four feet, finger
two feet six inches long, nails thre
inches long, legs that are ten feet from
ankle to knee. ankles five feet in circum
ference, arms twelve and one-half fee
long and feet that are twenty-five inche
wide and five feet four inches long.
The five guides for the convenience 0
visitors declare that, on an average, GO
persons who have no object in view othe
than that of sightseeing are daily show.
through the building. This makes a tota
Of 10000 yearly. Bridal couples are i
evidence by the thousands. When tn
courts are in session The corridors are s
blocked that one can scarcely push his wa
through.