The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-08-17
THE ORIGIN or
" CLOCKS
First In Europe Named After
Great Swedish
Chemist.
BY r A
First One Was Put In Operation a
Paris at instisation Of
Charles v. in the
Year 1870.

Revue Internationale d'Horlogerie:
AT what time may W clocks for
the use OF the public at large have been
introduced?'
This is a question which has often
been asked by many h~orologists. among
them Hainaut OF Roucn, In France. but
has never been satisfactorily answered.
This much. however. seems to be ad-
mitted. that public clocks were first
introduced by the Arabs In Germany.
And the first clock OF this kin was
set up I'm Paris In The town hall. or
court OF justice. at the Instance OF
Charles ". who had ordered IL to be
made by n German artist named Henri
de Vic. who completed : In the year
1870.
But IL was only "a few years later
when "A Norman, Jehan de Felalns,
made another clock OF this kind. which
was set up ut koven. and this one was
remarkable. owing to the fact that II
struck quarters. AZ may be mentioned
In this connection hat the clock made
by Jchan de Felains must ave been "A
superior one. because q continued to
! render service for Il century after the
one made by Henri de Vic had disap-
pcared. stu We have an accurate and
a detailed description OF the latter fur
nished by Monet In the first chapter
- sA' aA@h tA@0A NJ NJ skAANNN ~
Julien Leroy In his memoranda.
From this description we learn hat
from the earliest time this style OF
clock has hardly undergone any IA
ical change In Its elementary construc-
ton. except I'm 90 far "a the trains.
both going and striking, were placed In
their frames vertically. I. e.. one wheel
above the other. while at the present
time the placing OF the trains Is done
on n horizontal frame. which means
side by side. The escnpcment. which
was placed above the frame. IL said
To have been n foliot. hence one may
infer that IL was the former verge es-
capement which was later superseded
by the pin e~scnpement. which was
more simple and handy and more
adapted To a good tlmckecpcr. All the
parts OF these early clocks were made
of iron. instead OF which modern clock
makers use bronze. brass. steel and
castings. when such can be employed
with advantage. From the standpoint
Of the employment OF general mechan-
zeal principles very few innovations are
noticc1.
The question has often been mooted
whether this specimen OF the horo-
logical art In the original clock OF
Sorbonne OF Richelieu's time. or. rs has
been claimed by many. the one put In
It's place by LePantc. who might have
SNNAA NV nv VI ~ w NAN'efA ~ SUI
stitutc. The clock frame and the parts
composing the clock OF the Polytechnic
school. obsolete, was chrIstened BerZe-
ius. This great Swedish chemist. who
taught at the school. had the habit of
repeating each veal h classic demon
Ttration OF asphyNiatinE some live bird
lnder the globe OF the pneumatic ma
shine
During the appointed day n sparrow
condemned to show the effects OF an
air vacuum had been placed on tho
fatal disk OF the instrument whcn n
sry Of pity was raised BY the scholars
N the birds favor. At their solicita-
lions Berbelius suspended the expert
ncnt and restored the bird 20 liberty,
md II o revived and took flight.
The next day after this memorable
me the sparrow. or, more likely. one OF
lts kind. pcrched upon OF the
hands OF the clock and remained there.
This occurrence happened during re-
cess. which was prolonged until some
one noticed the stoppage OF the clock.
IL was universally asserted by cred
llous persons that this extraordinary
phenomenon was n positive manifesto
Ion or the gratitude of tho little spar
row. But ms he neither left his card
aor his name II was decided that the
professor should lend his for the occa-
sion. and II was appropriated without
MS consent. II was In his manner
that the illustrious Swede was COM
PEELED. without knowing u. 20 lend his
name for concentrating n tower
,lock.