Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-10-09
FIRST PUBLIC CLOCK,
1t Was One of the Wonders Of
the Fourteenth Century.
THE PEOPLE WERE PUZZLED

Parss,sns Couldn't Understand How
the Bells Were Runs Without BEING
Struck by the Watehman-The Era
of Automaton Ringers.
In primitive times a man WINS sta.
TONED ut the top OF the belfry TO ring
the bells at the indicated hours dov
and night. This watchmsa was called
the horoscopus-thati is To say. the oh
server OF the hour. He had recourse
himself in order to fulfill his duty to
the study of the astral system. TO the
number Of prayers he was TO recite. TO
the quantity OF wax candle had con.
sumed, TO the clepsydra, or water
clock, and 10 the hourglass. The trade
or the horoscopus was inevitably one
or the first which the progress OF
mechanism was TO cause TO disappear.
The first clocks with bell known I'm
France date back to the fourteenth
century. Particular mention Is made
OF one which was established at Caon
In 1914 by By,umont and that OF the
Palais dc Justice in Paris. which L<in..
Charles Y. had constructed in 1870 10y
the German clOckmalser Henri dc Vie
This machine seemed so marvellous
that the Inhabitants OF Parls-so goes
the legend asked permission OF the
king 60 20 ON guard mt the door OF the
tower TO assure themselves that Il was
the clock aud not the vatchman that
rang the hours.
This astoalshnent Of the people mt n
ieriod when mechanism was hut just
born may veil re conceived I'm pres
ence OF Il machine capable OF calcu,at-
Ing ana striking tho hours without the
assistance of any human being. with
the same precision that could be exer-
cised 10y the most vigilant horoscopus.
The custom was perpetuated until
the seventeenth century and stiIl ex-
lists I'm certain cities OF Europe of plac-
ing alongside OF the clocks various au-
donations which ring the hours. II Is
due TO nothing else than the thought Of
recalling TO memory the recollection OF
the ancient Waterman. And also the
clocks with automatons catered TO the
popular taste OF that epoch. The peo-
pie OF that period preoccupied them
selves but little with the more or less
exact measurement OF time. Railroads
were not in existence. and the OXYGEN
cies of life were not so great as they
are now. \ cock which crowed and
Tapped his wings. some apostles who
marched by. striking u blow for each
hour. filed them with admiration. and
In this respect no other clocks aroused
so much enthusiasm rs those OF Lyons
and Strassburg. II was clock OF this
character that Henri Deux placed over
the superb portal OF the chateau Of
Anet.
Nevertheless this timepiece was dis
tipguished from other clocks with au-
donations by the originality OF the fig
ures that II set I'm movement. Here
no longer was a woman or man who
struck the hours with rusty arms. Ii
was majestic stag. standing erect,
surrounded by four bloodhounds Of
natural size, which appeared 70 be
holding II ut bay, that one saw on the
summit OF the portal. One OF the
stays legs was movable. and as II was
lifted IL seemed 10 strike the hours.
The four hounds opened their Jaws at
each striking OF the quarters, and their
voices were initiated by bells Of differ
ent notes whose clappers were connect
cd by wires with their lower Jaws.
causing them To open and shut as long
as the bell ringing mechanism con-
tinucd.
This CURIOUS clock exists no longer.
1t was sold at auction with Its finest
dials for the sum OF 500 when the
chateau of Anet was conhscated as
national property and sold with its
furniture in the year . OF the first re-
public.
This ancient clock was replaced In
1856 by one entirely modern and made
by Wagner. The stag and the hounds
in bronze were also carried away.
Those seen today are i'm bronzed terra
Gotta and play no other part than 10
recall TO memory the ancient ones and
10 add 10 the decorative portion OF the
portal OF the chateau whose archltec-
ture, the work OF Phllibert Delorme, Is
one OF the pureSt and most delicate
constructions of the renaissance.
Besides the functions that we have
enumerc.ed, the clock OF the chateau
of AnC' possessed on the side OF the
court of honor magnificent dial,
which indicated the position OF the
signs OF the zodiac, the months. the
days OF the month and the moons
age.-LHorlogere.