The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-01-06
FIRST PUBLIC CLOCK.
It Was One Of the Wonders Of
the Fourteenth Century.
The PEOPLE WERE PUZZLED

Parisians Couldn't Understand How
the Bells Were Rung Without Being
Struck by the INTERCHANGEABLE Era
Of Autonaton Ringers.
In primitive times a man was sta
toned at tae top Of the belfry TO ring
The bells at the indicated hours, day
ind night This Waterman was called
the horoscopus-that is to say, the OBJ
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 to the hourglass. The trade
OF the horoseopus was inevitably one
OF the FIRST which the progress OF
mechanism was to cause 10 disappear
The first clocks with bell known in
France date back to the fourteenth
century. Particular mention is made
or one which was established at Caen
In 1914 by Beaumont and that OF the
Pnlais de Justice in Paris. which King
Charles v. had constructed In 1870 by
the German clockmaker Henri de Vie.
This machine seemed so marvellous
that the inhabitants Of Parls-so goes
the legend asked permission of the
king to go on guard at the door Of the
tower to assure themselves that it was
the clock and not the Waterman that
rang the hours.
This establishment OF the people at n
period when mechanism was but just
born may well be conceived in pres
ence OF machine capable Of calculat-
Ing and striking the hours without the
assistance OF any human being. with
the same precision that could be exer-
cised by the most ylgllant horoscopus.
The custom was perpetuated until
the seventeenth century and still ex-
lists in 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 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
were not III existence, and the exigen-
cles Of life were not So great as they
are now. A cock which crowed and
Mapped bis wings some apostles who
marched By, striking blow for each
hour, filed them with admiration, and
In this respect no other clocks aroused
SO much enthusiasm MS those OF Lyons
and Strassburg 1t was clock of this
character that Henri Deux placed over
the superb portal Of the chateau Of
Anet
Nevertheless this timepiece was dis
tinguished from other clocks WITH au-
donations by the ori~inality 81 the IS
nres TINT II set IN movement Here
no longer was woman or man who
struck the hours with rusty arms. It
was majestic stag, standing erect,
surrounded by four bioodhounds Of
natural size. which appeared to be
holding It at hay, that one saw on the
summit Of the portal One Of the
stays legs was movable, aud as 1t was
lifted It seemed to strike the hours
The four bounds opened their jaws ut
each striking of the quarters, and their
voices were Initiated by bells of differ
tnt 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
unued
This curious clock exists no longer.
II was sold at auction With It's finest
aials 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 10
1876 by one entirely modern and made
By Wagner The stag and the hounds
IN bronze we're also carried away.
Those seen today are in bronzed terra
cotta aud play no other part than 70
recall to memory the ancient ones and
10 add to the decorative portion OF the
portal OF the chateau whose architee-
sure, the work Of phnlbert Delorme. is
sre Of the pucst and most delicate
Of the renaissance.
Besides the functions that we. have
the clock OF the chateau
VI Anet possessed on the side Of the
,ourf Of honor magnificent dial,
which Indicated the position Of the
Iigns Of tile zodiac, the months, the
lays Of the mouth and the moons
Horlogcre.
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