The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-10-19
OLD TIME TELLERS.
The First ClOeks-The Dial Ring
Sun Dial, and Clepsydra.

sun Olulg hmu NAGRag NNa-
From the London Globe.
The invention Of clocks has been faith
cred on different persons. at dates vary
ing from before the Christian era to the
fourteenth century. bat 10 trace precisely
the first appearance Of an instrument al
all resembling the modern clock is some
what difficult. In 1888 a clock tower and
clock were set up in Westminster at the
expense OF Chief Justice De Hengham,
punishment imposed upon him for falsi
flying the record OF a fine, and weight
clocks were known IN European monas-
tic houses from the tenth century on
ward but il IS very doubtful II these pos
sessed a dial face and hands; more prob
ably they merely caused a bell to sound
at stated intervals
The sand glass can boast antiquity OF
rather better than 1000 years at least.
and though now enjoying an honorable
retirement or merely presiding in old
fashioned kitchens at the boiling OF the
breakfast egg. had formerly a place In
almost every parish church and served 70
keep the sermon within reasonable
bounds. Hour glasses OF superior quail
ity at one time contained not sand, but
egg shells. which. finely powdered and
kiln dried, formed a material less sensi-
tive 10 atmospheric moisture.
OF probably still greater antiquity than
the hour glass was the clepsydra, or
water clock. OF which We know OF sew
eral forms. One OF the simplest was the
Hindu's copper basin pierced with a small
hole IN the bottom. which, placed in a
vessel Of water. gradually filed and sank
at the appointed time. More elaborate
forms were known in Europe and Egypt
Though varying somewhat IN construc-
ton. the principle Of each was the same
a float" This was either placed IN q
fun cylinder. from which the water grad
ually escaped by a hole In the bottom,
usually bored IN a pearl as being less
liable 10 erosion by the constant flow; or
in an empty vessel TO which water was
admitted from above. In both varieties
the float, falling or rising. as the case
might be, pointed 70 the scale OF hours
marked upon the vessels side The float
sometimes took the form OF a miniature
boat, in which the pointer was an out
stretched oar.
Clepsydrae such rs these were used in
the Athenian courts Of law and had a
special officer in charge. one water
apiece being allowed 10 plaintiff, defend
ant and judge. During the reading Of
any documents which bore upon the case
the flow was stopped. \ clepsydra which
in its action and appearance foreshad-
owed the modern clock carried upon its
float an upright rod which acted on q
toothed wheel and turned a hand upon a
dial
But the precursor OF both the sand
glass and the clepsydra was without
doubt the "gnOmOn" of the sun dial. a
simple rcd which, standing upright in a
sunny place. measured times passage
by it's moving shadow on the ground.
The earliest time teller at all convent
emily portable was the dial ring. Within
its brOad-banded circle were craven the
hours. and a ray OF sunlight falling
through small hole in the rings upper
side when held erect gave the approx
mate time. 1t was either this or its i'm
mediate successor-a miniature dial plate
with a hinged collapsible gnomon TO ad-
NIT OF its being carried in the pocket
that was drawn from the poke" Of
Shakespeares forest fool The dial ring
held IT'S own until comparatively recent
times, when watches. though well known
were still too dear for common use.
Ornamental and elaborate as often Is
our modern clock. watches. however cost
", now seldom deviate into any form but
that OF the simple circle. Oval watches
were formerly common; Cromwells
watch was Of this shape, A sixteenth
century watch still IN existence is a six
sided oblong, and was fitted ninety years
after its construction with a pendulum.
Mary Of Scotland presented 10 one of her
famous -four Maries' a grewsome little
imepiece-technically a watch. though
too large and heavy for personal use-in
the form Of a skull. richly adorned with
sculptured tokens OF mortality, as Time
and Death. the Crucifixion. and the like.
BOX" and book watches were also
favorite forms