The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-07-10
The Drum and Fiddle for the IBeston
Jubilee.

Jubilee.
Much difficulty has been experienc-
ed in procuring a drum large enough
to satisfy Mr.. Gilmore in his idea of
what drum should be, and one that
would be in keeping with the oeca-
sion. He at first thought of purchas-
ing one of those immense oil tanks
such as YOU see in Cleveland and the
oil regions, and even went so far as
TO contract for fifteen thousand bar
rel tank; but owing to a scarcity OF
sheep pelts in the country, and the
fact that this drum could not have
been taken inside the Coliseum build
ing, owing to its advanced stage OF
completion, this plan was abandoned.
He then proposed TO rent section OF
the Hoosac tunnel and cover that for
drum, but owing TO local jealousies
of the land owners in the vicinity of
the tunnel, who did not want the
hole used for this purpose, he was
forced to give this up also. He has
got drum Of his own design neatly
finished, which will give the inhabi-
tants of Massachusetts and ncighbor-
ing states, when it is pounded upon,
some idea of a South American earth
quake. This drum was constructed
in the pineries Of Maine, and nine
hundred wood choppers were six
months in cutting down timber sufli-
cient to furnish lumber for the panels
or sides, and over three axes were
worn 10 the helvc in this work. Ow-
ing to its immense size, the drum was
constructed in the woods, and tioated
down the river TO the sea where il
towed to Boston, placed in the dry
dock and covered with bull hide, over
one thousand hides being used in each
head. each skin being tanned with
the tail of the original animal adher-
ing to it for ornament When in po-
sition in the Jubilee building this
drum will be played upon by two
twenty ton trip hammers, though
when it is desired to get its greatest
sound cannon will be used and
twelve pound solid shot fired against
each head. When in use the noise
made by the steam hammers falling
upon the bull hide is terrific, and con-
veys the idea that violent thunder
storm is raging. For instance, last
week when the sounding capacity of
this huge instrument was first tested,
the inhabitants of neighboring cities
thought that the Hoosac tunnel had
blown up, others supposed a thunder
storm was raging and sought their
feather beds for safety, while "Old
probabilities" was so demoralized
that he hung out all the alarm flags
in his shop, and telegraphcd in all d.
rections to look out for dangerous
winds, earthquakes, hurricanes, and
tidal waves.
The bass viol that is designed to
take part in the general disturbance
is probably the largest instrument Of
the kind ever constructed. 1t was
built at the ship-yards of Portsmouth
and launched about month since,
and conveyed to Boston by two pow
erful steam tugs 1t is about the size
of four canal boats, and is triumph
of marine architecture
Considerable difficulty was found
in getting the bass viol On shore, but
it was finally accomplished and one
hundred men are now engaged in
caulking it, rendering il air tight, and
otherwise placing it in readiness for
its work. The strings for this fiddle
w,.re made at the Plymouth cable
works, and the cCmbined bowels of
seven thousand eats were used in the
construction of the same, from which
will proceed such variety of gutter
al and other sounds as will be in
keeping with the musical accomplish
ments of these felines while in the
flesh. The large string is what is
known as "hawser laid" in style, is
two and onc-quarter inches in diane
ter and the most touching feature
about the whole monstrous affair is
that this string is made entirely from
the skins of maltese cats that were
household pets, but cheerfully donat
ed by the little children who owned
them, the Sunday School scholars of
Massachusetts. Each Sabbath school
that furnished batch of eats is per-
mitted to attend the JubiIle free, and
during the festival one day will be
set apart to exhibit to these self-scari-
feing Young hearts what music can
be produced by a skillful manipula-
ton of horse hair over the abdominal
remains of their poor Tabbies and
Toms Before dropping this subject
| will remark that it takes ten bar
rels of resin to properly resin the bow
of this great fiddle, and the bridge
which upholds the strings is what is
known as the Howe truss patent, and
has central span of twelve feet be-
tween the the piers Two horses and
a wagon loaded with women, were
driven over this bridge before the
strings were stretched over, to test
its strength.
At a rehearsal last Monday after
noon couple of workingmen who
were walking over the sounding
board, fell into the bass viol and
have not been seen since, though sev-
eral days have been spent in Crap
pling for them. The performer upon
the yiol thinks few dead bodies will
not make any perceptible difference
in the tone, and after the jubilee is
over, if the friends desire TO obtain
the remains they can do so, but no de-
lay must occur.
KICKING Cows.-A correspondent