The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-03-18
FIRST PUBLIC CLOCK,
Il Was One of the Wonders Of
the Fourteenth Century.
THE PEOPLE WERE PUZZLED
Parisians Couldn't Understand How
the Bells Were Runs Without Being
Struck by the Watchnan-The Era
OF Autonaaton Ringers.

or SCcorfaSoH Ringers.
In primitive times ! man WAS sta
toned az the top oi the bclfry 10 ring
the bells IT the indicated hours, day
and night. This watchnan was called
the horoScopuS-tlIat IS 10 say, the oh
server OF the hour. He had recourse
himself in order 10 fulfill his duty to
the study OF the astral system, to the
number OF prayers he was 10 recite, 10
The quantity Of wax :; candle had con-
Sumel, u the clepSydra, or water
clock. and 10 the hourGlaSS. The trade
OF the horoScopuS WAS Inevitably one
OF the first which the progress OF
mechanism was TO cause 20 disappear.
The first clocks With bell known n
France date back TO the fourteenth
century Particular mention IS made
of one which was established 1T Cacn
in 1914 by Beaumont and that OF the
PalaiS de Justice in Paris. which Nlng
Charles Y. had constructed IL 1870 by
the German clockmakcr Henri de Vic.
This machine seemed so marvellous
that the inhabitants OF FarlS-so goes
the leGcnd-aSked permission Of the
king 10 go on guard at the door OF the
tower 70 assure themselves that it was
the clock and not the watchman that
rang the hours.
This aStonishment Of the people at 4
period when mechanism was but just
born may we'll be conceived in pres
ence of a machine capable Of calcuiat-
ING and striking the hours without the
assistance OF any human being. with
the same precision that could be eNer-
cised by the most vigilant horoScopus.
The custom was pcrDctuated unit.
the seventeenth century and still eX-
lists. il. certain cities of Europe Of plac-
ing alongside Of the clocks various au-
donations which ring the hours. It IS
due to nothing else than the thought OF
recalling to memory the recollection Of
the ancient watchman. 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
vert. llOl III eNiSlSINS, <i44NA -lAAS S-NASS-A
cies of life were not so great as they
are now. : cock which crowed and
lapDed his wings, some apostles who
marched by. striking q blow for each
hour. filed them with admiration, and
In this respect no other clocks aroused
so much enthusiasm aS those of Lyons
and StrassburS. It was 4 clock OF this
character that Henri DeuX placed over
.he superb portal Of the chateau Of
.ANet
Nevertheless this timepiece was dis
tinguished from other clocks with au-
tomatons by the originality of the flg-
ures that it set in movement. Here
no longer was 4 woma'i or 4 man VINO
struck the hours with rusty arms. 1t
was q majestic stag. standing erect,
surrounded by four bloodhounds OF
natural. size, which appeared to be
holding it at bay, that one saw on the
summit Of the portal. One OF the
stays legs was movable. and as it was
lifted it seemed to 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
ed by wires With their lower jaws,
causing them to open and shut as long
as the bell ringing mechanism con-
tinued
This curious clock exists 10 longer.
It 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 ID
1856 by one entirely modern and made
by Wagner. The stag and the hounds
in bronze were also carried away.
Those seen today are in bronzed terra
Gotta and play no other part than to
recall to memory the ancient ones and
to add to the decorative portion OF the
porta! Of the chateau whose archltec-
ture. the work Of Philibert Delorme, is
one of the purest and most delicate
constructions Of the renaissance.
Besides the functions that we have
enumerated, the clock Of the chateau
Of Anet possessed on the side OF the
court of honor magnificent dial,
which indicated the position OF tbs
signs OF the zodiac, the months, the
days of the month and the moons
age.-LHorlogere.
The Word "Sutter"