THE FAMOUS CLOCK OF STRASBURG.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 743, 22 October 1870, Page 2

THE FAMOUS CLOCK OF STRASBURG.

Oue of the telegrams of news received by the mail states that " Strasburg is in ruins, but still holding out." There is thus hardly any room for doubt that the magnificent cathedral, which was the chief boast of the city, has been destroyed. As this cathedral was most widely known in connection with its wonderful clock, a few particulars regarding the latter will be of interest. We take the following description of it from Mr Henry Mayhe w's work, " The Upper Rhine " : — The other great feature of StrasburgCathedral [besides the stained windows] is the puppet clock that performs a variety of mechanical movements every hour, and more particularly at noon each day. Bui though it is mainly the toy characters of the time piece that attract the " children of larger growth" in Buch crowds every mid-day to see it strike twelve, the clock is something more than a mere collection of moving figures. It not only tells the ordinary or mean time, as well the day of the week and month, but it indicates sideied time, the phases of the moon, eclipses to come, and all the revolutions of the stars and planets ; besides marking the different fetes, or feast-days, and computing the Golden Number. Dominical Letter, &c. There was a clock of this kind a* Strasburg in the fourteenth century, but the wheels ceased to work, no mechanicians could be found sufficiently expert to set them going again. At length, however, three ingenious "artistes" resident in the town undertook the task, which was completed 1574 by the brothers Isaac and Josias Habrecht of Schaffhausen. Their work lasted for upwards of two centuries, and the clock continued going till the year 1789. Then, however, the machinery came once more to a standstill, nor was its re-construc-tion attempted till 1838, when the Municipal Council of Strasburg voted that the task should be confided to M. Schwilgue, of that city ; and he, in the course of six years, perfected the present wonderous piece of mechanism, which is almost entirely new — only a very small portion of the old works having been used in it. .5: The case of the Strasburg clock is a stupendous affair, being literally as big as a house. The pedestal of the case, so to speak, is like a monster wardrobe, and above this rises, in the centre, a tall square turret of wood, reminding one of the gawky clock-cases that used to stand in gentlemen's halls, but being of gigantic dimensions. On one side of this turret is an isolated spiral staircase, and on the other a smaller square turret, with the figure of a cock, life size, cresting the top. The wardrobe-like base is divided into three compartments. In the centre is an enormous dial, with a huge, fall-length figure at either side— one pointing to the day of the month, and the other to the name of the saint whose fete is celebrated on that day. In the compartment to the left of this there a is series of wheels for calculating the different ecclesiastical problems, such as the Dominical Letter and the Golden Number, &c. ; while the compartment on the other side is devoted to an apparatus for solving lunar Aid solar equations, Immediately over the central dial is a small semicircular table, like the half of an enormous tambourine, projecting from the pedestal cornice, and on this are seen the chariots of the gods and goddesses who have lent their names to the several days of the week — the god of the day for the time being occupying the centre place. Above the chariots, again, there is an ordinary clock-dial, marking the " mean time," with the figure of a winged boy, the size of life, on either side ; one holding a bell and hammer, and the other an hour glass. This completes the work of the pedestal so to speak ; that of the gigantic clock case standing above it consists, first, of a dial, as large as the one below, and devoted to the purpose of an orrery, bordered with the zodiacal constellations, and indicating the place of the sun and planets. Over this is set a sphere Bet amid clouds, and representing the phases of the moon for the time being. Surmounting this again are two other compartments, filled with two different sets of mechanical figures; the lower one of these consists of a puppet skeleton with a bone in his hand, standing beside a bell, and surrounded with a series. of small mechanical figures illustrative of the four ages of man, one of which comes forward as another retires at each quarter of the hour ; whilst the uppermost compartment of all is fitted with another series of clockpuppets, representative of Christ ajuLtHa 'Apostles. This marvellous piece of horological machinery is situate in the southern part of the transept ; and it is curious, as the hour advances towards noon, to see the peasants and Sisters of Charity, and soldiers and priests, and strangers and citizens with young children, that come streaming in at the side-door. Then the beadle proceeds to keep back the crowd, who stand with open mouths and upturned faces watching the minuce-hand move slowly on — the fathers with the children perched on their shoulders, and the mothers telling the little things what to look at first, and crying " Now watch well," the moment that the hand is on the stroke of twelve. ; The words are no sooner uttered, than —clink-clank ! goes the little gilt angel at the side of the dial which marks the " mean time," as he is seen to strike the bell he holds, while the other turns the hour-glass in his hand ; and immediately afterwards the little skeleton figure of Time up above is observed to sound the remaining quarters — tink-tink ! — by striking with his bone against the bell : whereupon a whirr of wheels is heard, and the old man that typifies the passing hour, glides from his place in front of the skeleton, and the little child that indicates the new born one, advances to the spot the other has left. Then, as the huge cathedral bell is heard to thunder forth the hour without, one of the puppet Apostles moves past the figure of the Saviour, and as each different stroke booms through the aisles, Christ turns towards the passing figure, and places his hand upon his head. While this is going on, the great cock, surmounting the turret at the side, flaps his wings thrice, raises his head, and crows so lustily that the transept rings again with the sound. And when the crowing has been thrice repeated, the beadle knocks with his staff on the stones, after the fashion of the old Liverpool policeman, and the crowd immediately disperse ; for the marvellous bit of clock-work has performed its chief wonder for the day.