Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-04-20
FLOWERS TELL TIME.
Largest Timepiece Ever Built, Design
ed Entirely in Flowers.

concealed beneath beautifuls flower
and varicolored foliage plants, the
mammoth floral clock that may be
seen at st, Louis by visitors to the
Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904,
every constructed.
The iloral clock is Immediately
north of the Agriculture building. and
to the visitor appears to be made en-.
tirely from contributions from the
floral world. The mechanism of the
clock Is buried and the huge dial, 100
teet in diameter shows its face six
inches above the ground. The dial,
the hands, the minute hand being 80
feet long and moving feet at each
move, and all of the frame are so GOV.
cred with flowers as to quite conceal
any mechanical contriyances.
The numerals marking the hour are
10 feet In length and are made of
bright colored coleues, foliage plant
that grows dense and may be pruned
with the gardeners shears and kept
symmetrical without fear of imparing
the growth of the plant.
In circle surrounding the numerals
are collections of IL distinct plants,
each collection being 25 feet long and
IL feet wide. Nature has ordained
that each of these plants should open
its blossom at certain hour of the
day, and the great floral clock shows
how the laws of nature are as exact
as the mechanical laws discovered by
man. AS the hands of the giant floral
| clock reach the numerous naming a
certain hour the flowers in the great
| bed at the back of the hour so desig.
mated begin to open their buds and to
exhale the perfume peculiar to the
plant.
| Still another mode of computing
time will be shown by this immense
recorder of times flight, and this is
by the primitive hour glass. On the
south side of the dial, behind the nu.
neral that denotes midday or mid
night, is built tower IL feet square
and is feet high. The tower is of
wood, and like most of the beautiful
structures within the City of Knowl
edge, is covered with staff. The achi
lecture is graceful and ornate. The
top of this tower is sumounted with q
mammoth hour glass, made of the
heaviest and clearest crystal, with the
receptacles for holding the sand each
six feet in length and four feet In di
ameter al the base. The hour glass is
so suspended that when the sand is
spent the glass automatically revcrses
itself and another hour is being told
off
Concealed in the tower is the pctur
esque massive machinery, weighing
tons and controlling the powerful steel
shaft that extends under the center OF
the floral dial more than fifty feet dis
tant The powerful machinery is 50
delicately adjusted that it measures
off each second of time with as much
certainty as does the most accurate
ships chronometer.
Above the hour glas is supended a
sweet-toned bell, weighing 5000
pounds. on which the hour is anonunc
ed. The sound waves thus created
penetrate to the extreme ends of the
Exposition grounds.
With the first sound of the bell. the
massive and beautifully decorated
doors to the tower swing open, anC
the machinery that propels the grea
timepiece is exposed to the view o
the public. In one minute the doors
are again closed, and the vine-coveret
hands continue their never-endinl
journey. propelled by a power as in
capable of detention as the power tina
causes the flower to unfold its blossom
at the hour appointed by nature, o.
the force of gravity that causes th'
hour glass to deplete itself in giyeI
space Of time.
The entire center of the face of th
mammoth floral clock, a space insid
} the circle created by the numerals
and 20 feet in diameter. is compose'
, of alternanthere, foliage plant whicl
{. is commonly known as Joseph
| coat" because of its many colors
l This plant grows low and exceedingl
, dense and the mottled and bright
A colored foliage completely covers tn
: ground, but will never grow Ia
t enough to be touched by the hands a
} they pursue their neyer-endin
L course.
> Encircling this imemnse bed of a
,. ternanthere and separating 1t from til
l5-foot floral numerals that mark III
q hour, is narrow band of centaure
. another foliage plant. popularly know
= as the Dusty Miller"Th species
i plant, beautiful silver in appearance
. grows a trife higher than the alterna
. there The band of Dusty Miller
L. only eight inches wide, separates Il
u 70-foot circular bed of alternanthe
'e from the l2 beds of the same pla
'e that surround the space on the dial |
- lotted to the large numerals.
1t The crowning glory Of the flor
10 clock is the group of IL distinct plan
n that begin unfolding thei- petals wi
n the morning glory at the peep o'da
ts and as each hour Is registered a n,
B. plant begins displaying its char
'e while the bloom of the plant of I
IL hour before falls and dies, to be re
D. carnated "a hours later. The Giro
III surrounding the numerals Is 300 fe
=, in circumference and the sections
IL hour flowers each occupy space
q. feet long and IS feet deep. The s,
ed tions are divided by narrow strips