Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-07-06
TRINITY STEEPLE.

The History of This Famous Landmarks.
The repairs being made at the present
time to the steeplo Of Trinity Lutheran
church have created not a little interest,
recalling to the minds of many Of the
older inhabitants, the times when the
steeplc was repaired in years gone by.
Mr.. Henry L. Eichholtz, q member Of
the vestry, has in his possession great
many old papers relating to the building
of the church. This morning he showed
US 4 number Of bills and receipts for
work done or labor furnished. some of
them bearing date rs early as 1851. They
are written in both German and English,
some Of the latter showing by their pecu-
liar Orthography that they were written
by Germans having very limited knOwl
edge Of the English language. Here is
one of them copied, rerbdtim
"Received Of Michael Hubley George
HOff & Jacob Yens Elder & Church wOr-
dons for the german Drinity Luderien
church in Lancaster the sum of Thirty
six Points wich allowed Dourts Builth-
ing Of an origin it being in Part of the
Money Due me Towrtst making an case
for the Orgen now builthing in said church.
I say Rec. by Me this lid Day of August
1774. PETER FRIcS.
f44. 90"
Another old bill shows that Philip and
Benjamin Schaum, coppersmiths, furnish
ed nearly 200 pounds Of sheet copper to
cover the points in the wood work of, the
steeple, which was erected in 1924 and
also that the same firm made the copper
ball placed upon the spire above the wood
| work. Their bill was f47, 1Ss and Sd, the
price Of the ball being 50. The weight OF
the ball when it was put up was As pounds,
but when it was taken down it weis he'd
only 431 pounds. Tho height Of the ball,
| which is Of oval shapes, is feet and inch,
its smaller diameter 1888 inches. Or 8 feet,
| 10 inches in circumference.
The weather vane is also made Of cop
per, the point and bearings being Of cast
brass. The vane is 8 feet, "A inches in
length ); 2 feet, inches in width, and
1864 pounds. The RODS indicating the car
dinal points Of the compass are 4 feet, J
inches in length, and the letters N. s. E.
and w. are inches in height.
The tulip shaped ornament above the
vane was made by Nathanel Smith and his
receipted bill still extant shows that the
cost of it was 81, IS, Cd.
When the ball was taken down the other
day it was found to have been pierced by
no less than four rifle bullets, two of which
passed entirely through it, and the Others
only entered it without passing through.
| One of the bullets was found inside when
the ball was taken down. The shots ap
pear to have been fired from an upper
room in the old Shirk building or from the
court house steps. Tho vestry offer lib
eral reward for the detection and cOnvic-
ton of the persons who fired the shots.
1t may be noted rs a singular circum-
stance that the big copper ball was made
by BENJAMIN & Philip Schaum. in 1894, in
the very same premises, 81 South Queen
street, now occupied by John P. Schaum,
a grandson of Benjamin, and by whom
the bullet holes in tho ball arc to DO plug
ged up.
| After the ball, vane and ornament had
been taken down and carried to the shOI
of Charles Brimmer to be regilded, hun
dreds of slips of paper containing the
names of well-knOwn citizens were fOunG
inside the ball, some of them having been
placed therein in 1854 and others in 1868
in which years the ball had been taken
down for repair. One of these slips read
as follows
deposited by John II. Duchman, born
- 10, 1896, resident Of Lancaster,
June 10, 1854, in the 5sth year of his age
this being the fourth time he was present
when the ball was taken down.
Another slip reads ''This ball was
taken down by Michael McCullon, Oct.
%, 1868. and put up Oct. 81, 1861"
AnOthers contains the following :
" Painters who worked on the Lutheran
steeple, Oct. 10Th, 1S6S-Michael McCul
lom and Allen Guthrie, contractors jour.
neymen painters, Frank Freidcnstein,
Charles Tucker, Sam. Showers, John Car
penter, Frank BrOadbelt."
Another contains the names of Jacob
Waltz, Edw. Bookmyer. w. L. PEPPER,
w G. Baker, DR.. E. Greenwald.
| There are hundreds of others, some in
pretty good preservation and others partly
or quite illegibie.
As soon as Mr.. Schaum shall have
patched up the ball and taken out the
'dents" Mr.. Brimmer will regild it, together
with the vane and ornaments. Meantime the
painters will be at work on the steeple,
and in short time ''Old Trinity will
assume rejuvenated appearance.