Big Ben Skips A Boom

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 9 (Supplement)

Big Ben Skips A Boom

LONDON —Big Ben, timepiece of the Empire, pride of Londoners, the “clock that’s never slow," guardian of the Houses of Parliament, went back on. his word one day recently. He went back, in fact, about half an hour.

The village postmaster visiting London who made citizens guffaw when, looking at his own watch, he announced Big Ben was two minutes fast, would have had the laugh on Londoners at last.

Passers-by, peering through a morn ing fog, saw that Big Ben had stopped. It was after 9 and tho clock stoutly maintained it was only a quarter to. Mystery Finally Elucidated

At about 9.30 the foreman of a gang of painters working on the inside of

the clock tower went out to see the time. He craned his neck and stared in amazement. Then he ran as fast as he could up to tho top of the tower. Before ho got there the clock had started again. What happened? The foreman didn't know. He asked tho painters. The painters didn’t know. They didn’t even know the clock had stopped. Then the clockmakers came in and elucidated the mystery. Dignified Boom Resumed The painters had placed a ladder against the spindle which turns Big Ben’s hands. The ladder did not stop the clock, but tho weight of a man who climbed up it did. And when ho came down again his weight apparently started it once more.