The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-08-18
THE ORIGIN OF
" CLOCKS
First in Europe Named After
Great Swedish
Chemist.
INTRODUCED BY ARABS
First One Was Fut in Operation at
Paris at ~lnstigation of
Charles V. in the
Year 1870.
BY ARABS

Revue nternationale d'Horlogerie:
al what time may tower clocks tor
the use or The public at large have been
i~ulroducedI'
This is a question which has often
been asked by many horologiStS, among
them OF kouen, III France, but
mas never been ~auSIacLOrlly answered.
This mucn, however, seems to be ad-
United. that public clocks We're first
~ ,ne ARABS in Germany.
And the first cock VI tins kind was
set up in rariS IN the town hail., or
court OF JuStlce, at the instance Of
Charles ", mo had ordered il to be
made by Il German artist named Henri
de Vic, who competed in the year
1870.
But it WAS only a few years later
Wien Il Norman, Jehun de FelainS,
made another clock OF mis- kind. which
was set up at ltouen, ana TINS II was
remarkable, OWING TO the tact that it
struck quarters. 1t nay be mentioned
III this connection that the clock mace
by Jehan Gle teIainS must have been Il
superior one, because II continued to
render service ior Il century alter the
one made by Henri de VIC had disap-
peared. Sim We nave an accurate and
u detailed description of the latter lur-
nished by ONT in the first cnapIer
Oh MS horoloSlcal treatise, as stated ny
Julien Leroy III his memoranda.
From this description we learn that
from the earliest time this style OF
CLOCK has hardly Undergone any rad
lcal change in its elementary cOlStruc-
ton, except In so far a. the trains,
both going and striking. were placed in
their frames vertically, |. e., one wheel
above the other, While at the present
time the placing of the trains is done
on a horizontal frame, which means
side by side The escapement. which
was placed above the frame, is said
to have been d %foliot; hence one may
Infer that it was the former verge es-
capemen: which was later superseded
by the pin e~srapement, which was
more simple and handy and more
adapted to a good timekeeper. All the
parts of these early clocks We're 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-
lcal principles very few innovations are
noticed.
The question has often been mooted
whether this specimen Of the horo-
logical art Is the original clock of
rbonn of RiCheiieu'S time, or. as has
been claimed by many, the m put in
It's place by LePante, who might have
oeen the maker of a more modern sub
stitute. The clock frame n 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 year the classic demon
stration of a~sphyXiating some live bird
lnder the globe of the pneumatic ma
shine.
During the appointed day a sparrow
condemned to show the effects of an
air vacuum had been placed on the
fatal disk of the instrument when a
cry of pity was raised by the scholars
n the birds favor. At their solicita-
lions Berbelius suspended the expert
ment and restored the bird to liberty,
and it DOR revived and took flight.
The next day after this memorable
>ne the sparrow. Or. more likely, one OF
its kind. perched upon one Of the
lands of the clock and remained there.
This occurrence happened during re-
less, which was prolonged until some
one noticed the stOppage of the clock.
1t was universally asserted by cred
Ilous persons that his extra ordinary
phenomenon was a positive manifesto
row. But as he neither left his card
nor his name 1t was decided that the
professor should lend his for the occa-
sion, and it was appropriated without
his consent. 1t was in his manner
that the illustrious Swede was com
PEELED. without knowing it. to lend his
name for commemorative a tower
clock.