From Liverpool Mercury April 18 1834
Our readers are aware that for some time past the dial of the clock at St Nicholas church has been undergoing a complete change, for the purpose of illuminating it, so as to show the hour at night.The dial has been considerably enlarged-so much so, that the inner or blank circle at present, is fully as large as the whole of the former dial
The hour figures stand 2 inches in height, and (outside them) all the minute figures are 3 and a half inches high
The inner or plain circle is ground plate glass, three eighths of an inch thick, and the diameter of the whole dial is 6 feet seven inches.
We must remark, what is obvious to every spectator,that this dial is lighted in a much superior manner to that of St Peter's church. In the first place the light is better, and the next, there are none of those cross lines, whose intersection is anything but an advantage. In this instance, as in many others, we are glad to say that the handiwork of Liverpool workmen far exceeds that of metropolitan artisans
The dial of St Peter's church was put up by a workman from London, while this at St Nicholas's has been done by Mr OAKES of Harrington street, for Messrs ROSKELL and son of Church street
So excellent is the light, and so completely does the whole answer it's purpose, that on Thursday night a gentleman at Woodside saw the hour by the assistance of a common night glass
The pilots also are much pleased with the change, for they say that the illuminated dial is a capital landmark, as it can be seen north, south, and west-up down and across the river, and better than any of the lights on the pier head
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