The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-04-16
FLOWERS TELL
THE.
Largest Time Piece
Ever Built Will
be at the Ex-
position.

vari-colored foliage plants, the nam
moth floral clock that may be seen at
st. Louis by visitors to the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition in 1904, will be by
far the largest time piece ever con-
structed.
The floral clock is Immediately north
of the Agricultural building, and to the
visitor appears TO be made entirely OF
contributions from the floral world. The
mechanism of the clock is buried and
the huge dial, 100 feet in diameter shows
its face six inches above the ground
The dial the hands, the minute hand
being 30 feet long and moving five feet
at each move, and all OF the frame are so
covered with flowers as to quite conceal
any mechanical contrivances.
The numerals marking the hour are
fifteen feet in length and are made OF
bright colored coleus, foliage plant
that grows dense and may be pruned
with the gardeners shears aud kept
symmetrical without fear Of impairins
the growth of the plant
In a circle surrounding the numerals
are collections OF IL distinct plants. each
collection being 25 feet long and II 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 na-
ture are as exact as the mechanical laws
discovered 10y man. As the hands OF the
giant floral clock reach the numeral
naming a certain hour the flowers in
the great bed at the back of the hour SO
designated begin to open their buds and
to exhale the perfume peculiar to the
plant.
Still another mode of computing time
Will be shown 10y this immense recorder
OF times fight, and this is by the primi-
tive hour glass. On the south side of
the dial, behind the numeral that de-
notes mid day or midnight. is built a
tower, IL feet square aud Is feet high.
The tower is of wood, and like most of
the beautiful structures within the City
of Knowledge, is covered with staff. The
architecture is graceful aud ornate The
top of this tower is surmounted with a
mammoth hour glass, made OF the heayi-
est and clearest crystal, with the recep-
tacles for holding the sand, each six feet
in length and four feet in diameter, at
the base. The hour glass ia so suspend
ed that when the sand is spent the glaes
automatically reverses itself and another
hour is being told off.
Concealed in the tower is the pictur-
esque massive machinery, weighing tons
and controlling the powerful steel shaft
that extends under the center OF the
floral dial more than fifty feet distant.
The powerful machinery is So delicately
adjusted that it measures of each sec
ond of time with as much certainty as
does the most accurate ships chronom-
eter.
Above the hour glass is suspended a
sweet toned bell, weighing 5000 pounds,
on which the hour is announced. The
sound waves thus created penetrate to
the extreme ends CT the Exposition
grounds.
With the first sound of the bell, the
massive and beautifully decorated doors
to the tower swing open, and the ma
chinery that propel the great clock time
piece is exposed to the view of the pub
lie. In one minute the doors are again
closed, and the vine covered hands con-
tinue their never ending journey, pro
PEELED by power as incapable of deten-
tion as the power that causes the flower
to unfold its blossoms at the hour ap-
pointed by nature, or the force Of gravity
that causes the hour glass to deplete
itself in a given space of time.
The entire center of the face of the
mammoth floral clock, space inside the
circle created by the numerals, and 70
feet in diameter, is composed of altern-
anthere, foliage plant which is COM
monty known as "Joseph's coat" be-
cause of its many colors. This plant
grows. low and exceedingly dense and
the notified and brightly colored foliage
completely covers the ground, but will
never grow tall enough to be touched by
the hands as they pursue their never
ending course.
Encircling this immense bed of al
ternanthere, and separating it from the
15-foot floral numerals that mark the
hour, is narrow band of centaurea,
another foliage plant popularly known
as the "Dusty Miller" This species of
plant, beautiful silver in appearance,
grows tritie higher than the alternan-
thara The hand Of "Dusty Miller lfllu