Big Ben Stops for a Spell, Stumping Engineers
Big Ben, the landmark London clock renowned for its accuracy and chimes, stopped ticking for 90 minutes.
Officials do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday. It resumed keeping time, but stalled again at 10:20 p.m. and remained still for about 90 minutes before starting again, a spokeswoman for the House of Commons said.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. June 10, 2005 For The Record
Los Angeles Times Friday June 10, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 51 words Type of Material: Correction
Big Ben -- A May 29 news brief in Section A about the landmark London clock, which mysteriously stopped ticking for an hour and a half on May 27, said the temperature in the city hit 90 degrees May 28. In fact, that temperature was recorded the day the clock stopped.
Hot weather may have been to blame. Temperatures in London reached 90 on Saturday, and forecasters called it England’s hottest day in May since 1953.
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