Middletown transcript., 1906-07-14
THE TOWER CLOCK DEDICATED

CLOCK, ttle liuUlilCeHb Ellb 0 mfs. 4 rance
E. Comegys, was dedicated, and tlie hand
some brass memorial tablet. commenlore
tive Of tie event, was unveiled.
The special music hy the choir, aud Il,
HYMNS ana Scripture lessons Mere u
appropriate 10 the occasion and iilsl !,
the new ciock struck the hour OF eleven
the congregation arose and RENAME,
standing while Dr. R. A. and Mr.. Josepl
Comegys unveiled the tablet commemor
ating the gift in memory of their grand
parents, Mr. Robert A Cochran aud o
his wife, Mrs. Mary Rouse Cochran. Tb
prayer OF dedication by the Pastor, fol
lowed, and then Mr.. Edward Reynolds
on behalf of the Board of Trustees, nladi
made brief statement of Mrs. Comegyi
offer of the clock, under certain obviousl,
fair conditions, and of the acceptance by
the Board Of Trustees OF the profferec
gift, and their appreciation Of the grea
generosity of the donor.
The text Of DIR. Moore's sermon was
II Kings, POLL, ''And Isaiah the prophet
cried unto the Lord and he brought the
shadow ten degrees backward, by which
i. had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. .
These words which tell US OF the sign by
which King Hezekiah. sick unto death,
knew that he would be restored to health
and fifteen years would be added to his
life, are also especially interesting TO us
to-day, because they constitute the first
Biblical record OF an instrument devised
by man for the measuring of time. Steps,
with staff on the top of them as a
gnomon or pointer, to serve as sun dials
had been invented at Babylon, and Ahaz
may probably have become acquainted
with their form and use when he visited
Damascus. 1t is probably from Babylon
that the Hebrews borrowed the division
of time into hours. The various iilstru-
ments for measuring time before the gem
eral use Of the essentially modern clock
were the hour glass, clepsydra or water
CLOCK, and the sun dial. Clocks operated
by falling weights appeared in Europe
notably in Germany, in the eleventh CEN
tury, and this form of mechanism can be
traced back TO the Chinese about two
Thousand years before Christ These
ancient tower clocks were the progenitors
of all our modern tiulekeepers. They
wero usually in the churches and monas-
teries. DR.. Moore then referred to some
of the famous clocks, mentioning the
ancient clock at Rouen dating back to
1879, and those marvellous triuinphs OF
mechanical Ingenuity, the famous clock
at Strasburg with its procession of the
Apostles, and symbolic figures striking
the hours, the clock at Prague, where
skeleton holds the rope in his hand and
rings the bell, and also the famous clock
Of st. Marks Square, Venice; and com
ing to England he called attention to
the familiar Westminster clock with its
four diais each twenty-three feet i'll
diameter, to the "Big Benz with its
hammer weighing 448 pounds, and to the
clock of st. Paul's Cathedral. Guilford,
boasts of having the first
town clock in America. 1t was >con-
structed shortly after the year 1925. But
one of the most famous clocks in the
world is the City Hall Clock of Philadel-
phia. 1t has four dials, each twenty
feet in diameter, the hour hands are
twelve feet long, and the centres Of the
diais are 1862 feet above the pavement.
The speaker then referred to interesting
associations ef famous bells and clocks.
and related that all that is mortal Of the |
man who rang the State House bell on the
adoption of the Declaration of Indepen.
1ence, now rests in the graveyard of DR..
Gibbons Presbyterian Church at Fourth
and Pine streets, Philadelphia and this
recalled George Alfred Townsend's poem
on Caser Rodney's famous ride, in which /
as the rider dashed onward and each
hour sees him nearer his destination,
hears, and almost demands,
.he existence Of the wTIclock, at every
hour of his progress.
But while recognizing the propriety |
,f these great clocks rising above our
courts of law, our institutions Of learn
ng, our chambers of commerce, and our
,ivic buildings generally, unifying our
collective public and corporate. life, yet
Ill sentiment and judgment unite in that
of the fitness Of things which
lssigns such prominent association OF
clocks with the massive towers and soar
ng spires of our churches and thus one
mission of the Church is largely accom-
,lished, as she reminds the people that
hey are to redeem the time, to remember
hat it is short, and yet that it means
'lorious opportunity; thatfor the wounded
md sad in heart time is the great healer,
md that we all are 10 number our days
hat We may apply our hearts unto wis.,
lom. DR.. Moore then quoted largely !
rom the famous horology of Bishop
Lancelot Andrewes, in which there is
meditation and prayer for almost every
lour Of the day, based on the events and
in the life of our Blessed Lord.
And here to-day it is especially fitting
hat the generous donor should have
elected tower clock as her memorial to
Ter deceased parents. Her mother was
eceiyed into the communion OF this
church by the sainted Doctor Patton,
nd her father, although not commun-
can't Of this Church, yet was one of the
riginai trustees of this Church when the
resent church building was erected, and
lis name transcribed on the marble tablet
4 the base of the tower of this Church.
he site OF this Church was secured from
i'm he loved this Church and contrib
ted literally to her support. / have
eard it said that Mr.. Cochran was one
1 the best friends Forest Church ever
ad. Il was his desire to place clock in
lie tower of this Church, and he had
,af1a riraiiminary siunt1iries concerninny |