The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-01-13
SHIPS BELL o G
Nickel Plated, Some, and Not Expen.
sive; Others of Bronze, More Costly.

SlVe, OluerS VI DfOllZt, MUTE SosllS.
IN it's most ordinary form the ships
bell clock is a stout, we'll made clock,
a good timekeeper, contained in a
round nickel plated case six or seven
inches in diameter, which is mounted
on a board that can be hung on or
| screwed to a wall or bulkhead. The
face of the clock, the dial, is of in-
ished steel, and its pointers are Of
blued steel, so that with its nickeled
! case the whole clock has a metallic,
solid, ~serviceable look.
Attached to a projection of the
board upon which the clock is placed,
outside the clock and Immediately be.
low it, is the clocks gong, with the
hammers-there are two of them
brought down into it on arms extend
ing through an opening in the clocks
case and striking on the gong's inner
side. 1t is a sturdy gong. two or three
inches in diameter, and it sounds with
a strong, clear, resolute note when
the hammer strikes it. On this clocks
face you can tell the time in the usual
way, but the hours are struck as they
are at sea on a ships bell.
This is the sort of ships bell clock,
costing about SIS, that might be found
on merchant vessels, sail or steam, or
put up in steamer engine rooms or in
the pilot houses of towboats, and they
are, used also on many yachts. And
not a few are bought for use IN the
land by men who are fond of and
have been more or less on the water
and who hang them up in their room
or in their home for the sake of pleas
ant associations.
But there are now made also finer
and more costly ships bell clocks for
use on fine yachts, and fine clocks
with this strike are now made for use
as mantel clocks, these last being
most likely to be bought by yachts
men or by others to whom the sea
appeals.
One fine ships bell clock was so
made that it could be used either
aloat or ashore secured to a bulk
head or resting on a support on a
mantel. Used afloat, the clock was
removed from it's base and screwed
to a wall in the cabin Of the yacht
with screws running through holes
made in the rim of the clocks case
for that purpose. At the end of the
Yachting season the clock could be
brought ashore and set again upon it's
bronze support.
Fine ships bell clocks in bronze
cases designed especially for mantel
clocks are made in various sizes and
in a variety of styles. Here, TO: in
stance, is such a clock, base and case
of bronze, and the case having
wrought into it an anchor, its flukes
and shank of bronze, while its stock
is Of oak, with it's ends bound with
bronze.
The strike of the ordinary ships
bell clock is loud and sonorous, as it
is intended to be; the strike of the
fine ships bell is soft and musical.
Its gong, of a beautiful tone, is set
inside the clock, and the hammer has
a little patch of leather set in its
face, not to mufde but to soften the
tone when the gong is struck. the
effect produced by this clock striking
is that Of the sound of a ships bell
heard from some vessel far off shore,
coming unsteady across the water.
These finer ships bell clocks range
in price up to as much as $3.50
New York Sun.