Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-05-18
MARVEL OF A CLOCK.
Unique Timepieee Made BY Cripple
In Ohio.


As an Easter surprise for its patrons
the management Of the Hotel st. Re-
gis, in New York, recently purchased
a unique and remarkable clock for the
main drawing room Of the hotel. The
clock was made in a little Ohio towr
by a crippled workman, who spent
four years in its construction ane
whose only tools were a scroll saw,
jackknife and a file.
Manager Gus R. Schmidt of the st
Regis, who heard of the clock In the
west, where he inspected it, said:
"The clock is wonder. 1t is twelve
feet four inches high, four feet foul
inches wide and twenty-nine inches
deep. One large dial gives the stand
ard time, while directly beneath 1t is
dial which shows the changes OF the
moon and gives the government wealth
er indications for twenty-four hours ir
advance.
"By watching the clock one sees
handsome pictures Of the ships In the
United States navy pass behind
glass. The history of Christ is shown
from the nativity to the ascension by
pictures painted by the maker.
An interesting feature Of the clock
is a miniature Niagara Falls, with
real water, the color Of which appears
to change. Just below are an electric
fountain and an arch, which produce
a beautiful effect. Flags appear on
staffs in front Of the dial and indicate
the kind of weather expected twenty
four hours in advance. The weather
reports are produced by thermome-
ter, a barometer, a hydrometer, a spir-
it level and a compass arranged on the
front Of the clock.
"The front Of the clock Is lighted by
fifty small electric lights, thirty-five
of which are arranged around the Nj
agara Falls and electric arch. The
history of the United States from the
landing Of Columbus to the present
time is shown by ninety-six paintings
attached to a ribbon los feet long
which is moved by electricity. When
the clock strikes the hour the figures
of Uncle Sam and the Goddess Of Lib
erty pass out Of an electric elevator on
one side, down a stairway, around the
base of the miniature cataract and
electric fountain to the other side,
where they ascend another stairway
and enter another elevator. A minute
after the hour strikes fifty lights ap-
pear around the dial, and a musical
attachment is brought into play, send
ing forth delightful airs. At the half
hour the cathedral gong strikes once,
and the musical attachment is started
again.
IAN illuminated picture on one side
of the dial shows Washington cross
ing the Delaware with his army. Three
boats are portrayed, with Washington
standing in the first one. This scene
is repeated every hour and forty min
utes. Other illuminated pictures, which
appear periodically, show the old bait
tleship Maine both before and after
the explosion in Havana harbor.
ION the back of the clock is display
ed the Lords Prayer, inlaid with 312
pieces of wood. Pictures Of Ameri-
can poets, musicians and the presi-
dents also appear on the back. All of
these portraits are in motion and trav-
ell at the rate Of twenty-five feet a
minute. Pictures of Presidents Lin
coin, Garfield and Mckinley are shown,
and at the hour of their death light
appears on the face of the clock, while
a phonograph announces the occasion.
1.-The face of the clock contains a
piece Of wood from every state and
territory in the Union, including the
island possessions, and it took three
years for the maker Of the clock to
collect them.
"All the mechanism for running the
clock is in the base and includes GAO
feet of electric wire and 412 electrical
connections. The current Is obtained
from an ordinary electric light con-
nection."