Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-07
COSTLY CLOCK.
Operated Wholly by Electricity With.
out Touch of Hands.

HHetheF or not this is really the
greatest country in the world, the
| fact remains that We are every wear
adding to our own list of greatest
things in the world some new Won
der The latest addition is the big
clock Of the Metropolitan tower in
the Metropolitan Life Co.'S building
ar Madison-sq which was set IN mo-
ton short time ago This is by
| long odds the costliest AND most
elaborate public timepiece ever con-
structed and is the only great clock
in the world operated wholly by cleo
tricity without the touch of human
hands.
Some of its other wonders are its
size, being the largest four-dial tow
er clock and the third largest clock
OF any size in the world and its aIti-
tude, which is the highest al any
clock in the world. 1t has also the
highest and heaviest striking bell.
The other three largest clocks are
the one-face dial OF the Colgate fac
tory in jersey City. which is forty
feet across, the rext in size Of MARI
moth public chronorneters being the
dial at St. Bomborts. il the old city
of Malines in Belgium. which is thirty
nine feet across. st. Peters. -
Zurich, switzerland. has a dial face
twenty-nine feet and then in order
comes the Metropolitan tower clock.
which is 26 IL feet in diameter
1t is worthy of at least incidental
remark that the tower. which was
| conceived and executed in the first
intention largely as a big advertise
nlHnf for tho ltfa hac cd
| a paying investment and has in
creased the rental value of the whole
building. IN outline and general de
sign the Metropolitan tower copies
faithfully the Campanile which stood
in Venice on the sea edge of the
Plaza of st. Marks for centuries The
great clock faces stand out about
midway of its height. or exactly 346
feet above the pavement of the street.
AS stated, the dial braces are 26 IL
feet in diameter and they are made
OF specially tested concrete, which has
been proved to stand a hard climate.
These dial faces are a mosaic OF small
squares of this material. the back
ground OF white being relieved by Il
delicate pattern of centerpiece and
border in turquoise blue.
This can be discerned from the
sidewalk only on clear days. so deli
cate is the coloring, SO as not to in
terfere with the reading qualities.
the first and last requirement in a
clock face.
The numerals that mark the hour
| are four feet high. They are of COL
| ored wire glass and are set in the
1 NJ hn ,;,l.
| behind them of 1-2 feet. in which
the electric lights for night iilunina-
ton are placed. Thus, while the fig
ures show Very dark in the daytime
| they are capable, being of glass, OF a
Very brilliant lighting up at night.
| The hands are massive and Won
derful. The minute hand is seven
teen feet long, being twelve feet from
| the dial's center and weighs very
| close to half a ton. The hour hand
is thirteen feet four inches long, and
five feet less from the center of the
dial, and weighs 700 pounds.
| These great hands are made Of skele-
| ton steel frames. sheathed in copper
| to prevent rusting. In this outer
sheath are set great panes of thick
glass through which the whole length
and breadth of the hands are illumin-
ated at night when they shine like
great swords of fire in the dark
ness, surrounded by their equally bril-
liant satellites, the dial figures. There
is no clock in the world that even APP
proaches this one in the strength and
beauty of it's night illumination. And
Iyet all the machinery which operates
these gigantic hands directly Is con-
tanned in a small steel chamber be-
hind each dial, which is only 141a by
% by "a inches in size.
The four compartments containing
the machinery for the stiking appar-
atus are but little larger, such is the
astonishing ingenuity with which the
problems connected with the clock
have been worked out. There is a
chime of four bells connected with
the clock, which is located 269 feet
above the dials and this is the high
, est placed chime of bells in the world
This chime plays the old English air
called the Cambridge Quarters" so
well known in England for $50 years.
There are four bars to this tune, of
four notes each, and to remind people
aurally of the rapid flight of time the
first bar is sounded on the first quar-
ter hour, the first two bars on the half
hour. the first, second and third bars
} on the three quarters, followed by the
good old tune of sixteen notes just as
Handel wrote 1t on the full hour.
Then comes the striking of the hour
on the big deep toned bell, which
weighs close to three tons and a hall