A MECHANICAL MARVEL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 83, 5 April 1873, Page 4

A MECHANICAL MARVEL.

A German of Cincinnati has on exhibition, in the window of a jeweller in that city, a complicated piece of mechan ism, which he call " die Lebenshur " (clock of life).* It will be seen from the following descriptibn that it is truly a mechanical marvel :— ■■•*% -.. '"■•'•-'."' v: ■■'■■■'.:■ *-* ■ ' '... We see in;:a; glass case a three-storey, ateepl^-shaped clock, four feet wide at the; ; ;: '-)Brß^BtOTeyi*;^n^y nin i-mtfvem'eny..iß| placed in l the centre of ] Jhe;:* •^rst^fst*^^ within which swings the untiring pendu|^n^*wfcie^

beehive. Behind the pendulum there is a picture representing mature manhood^— a countryman behind his plough. The four corners are carved, and represent the four, periods of life — infancy, youth, manhood, i and age. The spaces to the right and left of the clock' are ornamented with two oilpaintings, representing the spring-time of life (children playing in a garden), and the autumn or end of life (grave-diggers in a cemetery). The second storey consists of two towerlike pieces, on the doors of which there are two pictures that represent boyhood and early manhood. In the one, a boy is just pushing his little bark away from the shore. He stands upright in the boat, and points to the distance; he is about to begin life— -' to paddle his own canoe." Ia the other, a young man who has already made some progress in the journey of life, enters a room in which there is an hourglass that reminds him of the fleet nc-es of time. On this storey there are three guardian angels. A majestic tower crowns, as third storey, the ingenious structure. A clock, as a symbol of watchfulness, stands on the top, directly over the portal, which opens the tower in front. On this portal there is a painting which represents the perishableness of earthly things. The entire structure is, in appearance, very like an old Gothic castle. Now, let us see if we can describe the mechanical action of the clock. When it marks the first quarter, the door of the left piece of the second storey opens, and we see a child issue from the background; come forward to a little bell, give it one blow, and then disappear. At the second quarter, a youth appears, strikes the bell twice, and then disappears; at the third there comes a man in his prime; at the fourth, we have a tottering old man, leaning on a staff, who strikes the bell four times. Each time the door closes of itself. When the hours are full, the door of the right piece of the second storey opens, and Death, as a skeleton, scythe in hand, appears, and marks the hour by striking a bell. But it is at the twelfth hour tbat we have the graod spectacle in the representation of tbe Day of Judgment. Then when Death has struck three blows on the little bell, the cock on the top of the tower suddenly flaps his wiDgs, and crows in a shrill tone; and after Death has marked the twelfth hour with his hammer, he crows again twice. Immediately three aogels, who stand as guardians in a central position, raise lheir trumpets with tbeir right hands (in their left they hold swords), and blow a blast towards each of the four quarters of the earth. At the last blast the door of the tower opens, and the resurrected children of the earth appear, while the destroying angel Binks out of sight. The multitude stand for a moment full of awe and wonder, when suddenly, Christ, in all His Majesty, descends, surrounded by angels. On His left there ie an angel, who holds the scales of justice ; on His right another carries the Book of Life, which opens, to show* the Alpha and Omega — the beginning and the end. Christ waves his hand, and instantly the good amongst the resurrected are separated from the wicked — the former going to the right the latter to the left. The archangel Michael salutes the good, while, on tbe other side, stands the devil, radiant with fiendish delight — he can hardly wait for the final sentence of those who fall to him; but, in obedience to the command of the central figure he withdraws. The figure of Christ raises his hand again with a threatening mien, and the accused sink down to the realms of his Satanic Majesty. Then Christ blesses the chosen few, who draw near to Him. Finally, we hear a cheerful chime of bells, during which Christ rises, surrounded by His angels, until he disappears, and the portal closes. We look with amazement on this exhibition of the mechanic's ingenuity; a complete drama is here represented, without tbe aid of a human hand. And what excites our admiration still more is the perfection of all the movements; they are steady, calm, and noiseless, with the exception of the threatening gestures of the figure of Christ, and the movements of Lucifer, who darts across the scene with lightning rapidity. -•» Of course, the peculiar action of these two figures is intentional on the part of the artist, and adds greatly io the effect.— Appletoris Journal (New York). «>