A REMARKABLE CLOCK.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 121, 24 January 1880, Page 3

A REMARKABLE CLOCK.

♦ There is now on exhibition in Detroit Michigan, a clock (the work of Mr. Felix Meier, a meehanij), which is said tj eclipes the famous el >;1; at Strasb.irg hi complexity and interest. It stands l.sft in height, and is eucbsed in a black walnut frame, elaborately carved and ornamented. The crowning figure is that of " liberty," on a canopy over the head of Washington, wdio is seated on a marble dome. The canopy is supported by columns on either side. On niches below, at the four cjnurs of the 2lock, are four human figures representing Infancy," "Youth," "Manhood," and "■Age"; each has a boll in one hand and a hammer, in 'he other. The niches are supported by angels with flaring torches, and over the centre, is the figure of Father Time. At tho quarter hour. the figure of the infant strikes its tiny bell; at the half hour, the figure of the youth strikes his bell of louder tone ;at the third quarter, the man strikes his bell; and at the full hour the gray heard. Then the figure of Time steps out and tolls the hour, as two small figures throw open doom in the columns on cither side of Washington, and a procession of the Presidents of the United States follows. As the procession moves, Washington rises and salutes each figure as it, passes, and it in turn salutes him. They move through the door on theothorside.aud it is then closed behind thwn. The procession moves to the accompaniment of varied music played by the clock itself. The mechanism also gives the correct wovemont of the planets round the sun, comprising Mercury, which makes the revolution once in SSdays; Venus, in 22-t days; Mars, in 080 days ; Vesta, in 1327 days ; Juno, in 1003 days; Ceres, in 1681 day ; Jupiter, in 4332 days; Saturn 20 years; Uranus, 84 years. As these movements are altogether too slow to be popularly enjoyed, the inventor has added a device by which he can hasten the machinery to show its working to tho public. There are dials which show the hour, minute, and second in Detroit, Washington, New York, San Francisco, Loudon, Paris, Berlin, Vienna St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Cairo, Pekiu, and Molbourno. The clo.lc also shows the •lay of the week and month in Detroit, tho mouth and season of tho year, tho changes of the moon, &o. It is said that Mr. Moier hns worked on this olock uearly.ten years, and for tho last four years has dovotcd hifl whole time to it.