“The clock not only tells the time, but alarms the sleeper by agitating a lever which is connected by a string to a pillow.”

Novel electrical devices aimed at aiding the blind and deaf were the focus of a poorly written article in the October 28, 1903 New York Times. The story:

“Boston--W.E. Shaw of Brooklyn gave an ‘electrical party’ last night, the feature of which was the exhibition of the electric clock for blind deaf-mutes. Mr. Shaw is deaf and dumb, and he was assisted in demonstrating the workings of his invention by Tommy Stringer, blind, deaf, and dumb, who is making great progress in the sciences.

The clock not only tells the time, but alarms the sleeper by agitating a lever which is connected by a string to a pillow, causing the pillow to move up and down, the vibrations being communicated to the sleeper by a touch.

A circuit is closed, by which an electric current is sent through a small incandescent lamp in front of a parabolic mirror, the rays of which are thrown into the face of the sleeper. It releases a spring connected with a hammer, which falls upon a fulminating cap, the loud explosion of which at close quarters is perceptible to a deaf person.

It also gives notice of the ‘entrance of burglars by any of the above methods, by means of connection by a wire with the doors and windows. It gives indication of fire by electric thermostats placed anywhere on the premises.”