Thirteenth stroke of the clock
Encyclopedia
Thirteenth stroke of the clock or "thirteen strikes of the clock" is a phrase, saying, and proverb to indicate that the previous events or "strokes to the clock" must be called into question. This is illustrated in the case "Rex vs Haddock" in which a remark by a witness is compared to the thirteenth stroke of a clock. One lawyer argues that not only is this thirteenth strike discredited, but it casts a shade of doubt over all previous assertions. This proverb puts forth the notion that if just one of someone's proclamations are wrong, or something of a process is wrong, then all the previous items are called into question if they are correct and accurate. In a legal case then it brings forth the notion that the person's entire case of claims might not be valid because just one is obviously wrong. A lawyer would argue that it is like the thirteenth stroke of a clock – which is obviously wrong, since there is no thirteen o'clock.
A prominent physicist and mathematician notes the problem with his variation on the same general idea. He points out that if a clock strikes the thirteenth hour then it has counted wrong and reflects on the other twelve hours of the clock's strokes as then they could also be wrong.
A striking clock
rings a bell once for each hour of the time. One ring is 1 o'clock, two rings is 2 o'clock, three rings is 3 o'clock, four rings is 4 o'clock, etc. Traditional clocks that strike a bell only mark 12 hours. After the twelfth hour with the twelve strikes of the bell then the next hour should be with one ring only, indicating 1 o'clock. There is no thirteen o'clock, therefore when a clock strikes thirteen times it is indicating an impossible time and that the clock is not functioning correctly.
Testing the rack in its place allows it to fall until the tail rests on the lowest step of the snail. The hook of the rack should then hold the rack so that there are twelve teeth gathered up. Trying it on the highest step should be now exactly fitting in the first rack tooth. This leaves only one to be gathered up. If the clock strikes thirteen when on the lowest step and two when on the highest, it shows that the end of the rack tail is a little too far off from the snail and must accordingly be set a little closer. If on the other hand the snail strikes the right number when on the lowest step and two when on the highest, then the proportion between the rack and rack tail is wrong. The rack tail travel is too great for the rack.
clock on one occasion struck thirteen bongs of the bell at midnight, with the result of saving the life of a soldier accused of sleeping at his post. An obituary notice of a John Hatfield appeared in the Public Advertiser
a few days after his death states that a soldier in the time of William and Mary
was tried by a court-martial on a charge of having fallen asleep when on duty upon the terrace at Windsor
. It goes on to say that he categorically denied the charge against him. He swore as a proof of his having been awake at the time that he heard St Paul's Cathedral clock strike thirteen, the truth of which was much doubted by the court because of the great distance. Affidavits were made by several persons verifying that the clock actually did strike thirteen instead of twelve, and the soldier was pardoned.
There is a poem that alludes to this published in 1774 called A Trip to Windsor by Timothy Scribble:
A children's riddle asks "What time is it when the clock strikes thirteen?" The answer is "Time to get a new clock!" Americans and Europeans do not have an understanding of "thirteen strikes of the clock" and it indicates that the clock is broken. Most countries of Europe and other countries around the world use a 24-hour system. Americans, however, do not except in the military. In European clocks that use the 24-hour system all the hours from 1 to 12 are before noon. The numbers of 13 to 24 are in the afternoon or p.m. Therefore Europeans use "1300 hours" as meaning 1 in the afternoon. Americans say 1 p.m. or "1 in the afternoon" and do NOT say "1300 hours" as a European would. Only American military would use that terminology.
Adolf Hitler is quoted as saying, "I make it a principle not to stop until the clock strikes thirteen". This was in reference to him never giving up as Germany did in the First World War. This was said in November 1942 at almost certain defeat because at the time Paulus's army had surrendered and the German army had retreated in North Africa. He wanted to point out to his enemy that he was not going to surrender under any circumstances, by using an analogy that theoretically could not happen.
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
, owned extensive coal mines near Manchester. He spent a fortune operating them and a canal to carry the coal to Manchester and Liverpool. He noticed that his workers ceased working the moment the bell struck twelve times at twelve o'clock, which was lunch time. They, however, were slow in returning to work at one o'clock. The excuse was that they did not hear the clock strike just once. The Duke then had the clock made to strike thirteen times at one o'clock, so that the men could no longer use the excuse that they did not hear it.
Mark Twain is known to have said: "The thirteenth stroke of the clock is not only false of itself, but casts grave doubt on the credibility of the preceding twelve".
when it starts with, "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.". The famous children's book Tom's Midnight Garden
by Philippa Pearce
speaks of this phenomenon when it says "When Tom hears old Mrs Bartholomew's grandfather clock in the hall striking thirteen, he goes to investigate".
A prominent physicist and mathematician notes the problem with his variation on the same general idea. He points out that if a clock strikes the thirteenth hour then it has counted wrong and reflects on the other twelve hours of the clock's strokes as then they could also be wrong.
A striking clock
Striking clock
A striking clock is a clock that sounds the hours audibly on a bell or gong. In 12 hour striking, used most commonly in striking clocks today, the clock strikes once at 1 AM, twice at 2 AM, continuing in this way up to twelve times at 12 noon, then starts over, striking once at 1 PM, twice at 2...
rings a bell once for each hour of the time. One ring is 1 o'clock, two rings is 2 o'clock, three rings is 3 o'clock, four rings is 4 o'clock, etc. Traditional clocks that strike a bell only mark 12 hours. After the twelfth hour with the twelve strikes of the bell then the next hour should be with one ring only, indicating 1 o'clock. There is no thirteen o'clock, therefore when a clock strikes thirteen times it is indicating an impossible time and that the clock is not functioning correctly.
Striking clock mechanism
A 100-year-old tower striking clock has a striking mechanism snail with indentations that vary in depth progressively from one to twelve. It rotates via a gear drive over a twelve hour period. Shortly before each hour a rack with twelve cuts along its length is released to contact the snail. This makes the number of cuts available to activate the strike mechanism correspond to the depth of the snail at that hour.Testing the rack in its place allows it to fall until the tail rests on the lowest step of the snail. The hook of the rack should then hold the rack so that there are twelve teeth gathered up. Trying it on the highest step should be now exactly fitting in the first rack tooth. This leaves only one to be gathered up. If the clock strikes thirteen when on the lowest step and two when on the highest, it shows that the end of the rack tail is a little too far off from the snail and must accordingly be set a little closer. If on the other hand the snail strikes the right number when on the lowest step and two when on the highest, then the proportion between the rack and rack tail is wrong. The rack tail travel is too great for the rack.
Culture
There is an 18th-century London legend of a clock that struck thirteen times and saved a man's life. The story goes in Great Britain that St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
clock on one occasion struck thirteen bongs of the bell at midnight, with the result of saving the life of a soldier accused of sleeping at his post. An obituary notice of a John Hatfield appeared in the Public Advertiser
Public Advertiser
The Public Advertiser was a London newspaper in the 18th century.The Public Advertiser was originally known as the London Daily Post and General Advertiser, then simply the General Advertiser consisting more or less exclusively of adverts. It was taken over by its printer, Henry Woodfall, and...
a few days after his death states that a soldier in the time of William and Mary
William and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
was tried by a court-martial on a charge of having fallen asleep when on duty upon the terrace at Windsor
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. It goes on to say that he categorically denied the charge against him. He swore as a proof of his having been awake at the time that he heard St Paul's Cathedral clock strike thirteen, the truth of which was much doubted by the court because of the great distance. Affidavits were made by several persons verifying that the clock actually did strike thirteen instead of twelve, and the soldier was pardoned.
There is a poem that alludes to this published in 1774 called A Trip to Windsor by Timothy Scribble:
A children's riddle asks "What time is it when the clock strikes thirteen?" The answer is "Time to get a new clock!" Americans and Europeans do not have an understanding of "thirteen strikes of the clock" and it indicates that the clock is broken. Most countries of Europe and other countries around the world use a 24-hour system. Americans, however, do not except in the military. In European clocks that use the 24-hour system all the hours from 1 to 12 are before noon. The numbers of 13 to 24 are in the afternoon or p.m. Therefore Europeans use "1300 hours" as meaning 1 in the afternoon. Americans say 1 p.m. or "1 in the afternoon" and do NOT say "1300 hours" as a European would. Only American military would use that terminology.
Adolf Hitler is quoted as saying, "I make it a principle not to stop until the clock strikes thirteen". This was in reference to him never giving up as Germany did in the First World War. This was said in November 1942 at almost certain defeat because at the time Paulus's army had surrendered and the German army had retreated in North Africa. He wanted to point out to his enemy that he was not going to surrender under any circumstances, by using an analogy that theoretically could not happen.
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater , known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748, was a British nobleman, the younger son of the 1st Duke...
, owned extensive coal mines near Manchester. He spent a fortune operating them and a canal to carry the coal to Manchester and Liverpool. He noticed that his workers ceased working the moment the bell struck twelve times at twelve o'clock, which was lunch time. They, however, were slow in returning to work at one o'clock. The excuse was that they did not hear the clock strike just once. The Duke then had the clock made to strike thirteen times at one o'clock, so that the men could no longer use the excuse that they did not hear it.
Mark Twain is known to have said: "The thirteenth stroke of the clock is not only false of itself, but casts grave doubt on the credibility of the preceding twelve".
Literature
The idea of a clock striking thirteen times has shown up many times in literature. The most famous is the first line in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-FourNineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
when it starts with, "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.". The famous children's book Tom's Midnight Garden
Tom's Midnight Garden
Tom's Midnight Garden is a children's novel by Philippa Pearce. It won the Carnegie Medal in 1958, the year of its publication. It has been adapted for radio, television, the cinema, and the stage.-Plot summary:...
by Philippa Pearce
Philippa Pearce
Ann Philippa Pearce OBE was an English children's author.-Early life:The youngest of four children, Pearce was brought up in the Mill House in the village of Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire...
speaks of this phenomenon when it says "When Tom hears old Mrs Bartholomew's grandfather clock in the hall striking thirteen, he goes to investigate".