WHY THE CLOCK STOPPED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23113, 30 January 1945, Page 4

WHY THE CLOCK STOPPED

Cleaning Necessary History Of Timaru Timepiece

Since June 21, 1913, when the chimes given by Mr James Craigie, M.P., were flrst set in operation by the then Postmaster-General, the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, the Timaru town clock has given faithful service and has had a wide reputation as an excellent timekeeper, but on the few occasions when it has developed temperament its regular and faithful attention to duty is overlooked by the public whom it has served so well. Its vagaries during Sunday and yesterday were due to the need for cleaning and, on receiving attention at the hands of a member §f the Municipal Electricity Departlent’s staff it has settled down to its normal routine.

In the early days of Timaru, residents set their watches and timepieces by a time ball which was dropped daily at noon from the top of the cower on the Post Office. This procedure was adopted from the opening of the Post Office on September 10, 1880, until October 8. 1881, when the flrst clock was installed. This clock was superceded by the present timepiece and chimes which were mounted in a tower on the Post Office. Early in 1933 the Public Works Department decided that the Post Office tower was unsafe from the point of view of earthquake risk, and designs were invited from Timaru architects for a clock tower to be erected by the Timaru Borough architect, Mr V. H. Panton, and the clock was set in operation with appropriate ceremony in the present tower on December 24, 1933.

By the courtesy of the Timaru Borough Electrical Engineer, Mr R. D. Veitch, a reporter inspected the clock yesterday. The timepiece is a pendulum clock, electrically w'ound. The time, the chimes and the striking gear, are all three separate units and must be synchronised to ensure that the chimes take place when' the hands are on the quarters and so that the strike takes place immediately after the hour chimes.

Tne chiming is done by levers which are raised by a studded wheel. These levers allow the hammers to drop on the bells. The bell hammers are adjusted not to touch the bell normally, but to remain a fraction of an inch clear tc allow the bell to ring after it has been struck. The gears - are of bronze, with the balance in steel. Originally hand-wound, the clock was later converted to an electric wind. This is accomplished by three separate motors with automatic switches, each motor operating the hands, the chimes and the striking gear separately. The rate of the chimes and strike is controlled by adjustable air vanes. The clock, with accessories, weighs about a ton and a half. The weights of the five bells are: 1 ton, 12cwt, lOcwt, 4cwt and 31cwt. Mr Veitch explained that under normal conditions the maintenance of the clock would create no difficulties, but the shortage of skilled staff had had its effect in less frequent attention to the clock, as was the case with other electrical equipment throughout the country.