The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-04
ELECTRIC CHIMES.
GRACE CHURCH'S INNOVATION MAJ
MAKE SOME CHANGES.

| a"'st hohch Nay DO It-IIow Chitni.:,.
| Is Lcarncd-pnst and Present aIot,,o,..
The electric attachment by which the
Grace church chime is rung is the latest
development in chime ringing-the most
scientific and yet the simplest way of pro
ducing music from church xells now
known to the world Musical York that
once required the arms OF "A number of
strong men is now done with the touch Of
| lnSer, ana instead of ten men collected
IN the belfry pulling ut ropes one young
woman sits before keyboard and plays
upon the 10000 pounds of metal cast into
ten bells us she WOULD play upon piano
| When the chime of the original Trinity
church first made itself heard in New York
there were five bells in the chime, and from,
each Dell Il rope ran down to n platform in
the lower part of the tower. when the
GIMME was to be rung each rope was in the
hands OF man. In front of the men stood
the director, or principal chimcr, each man
| pulled his rope when the signal was given
| MIN, and the proper sound was produced.
Inc director alone knew anything about
the music, and even he was usually not an
| accomplished musician, bit he came in
time to be so familiar with ehe tones of his
bclls that he could play them better than
| any other person.
ic HISI Sre'tC Improvement III the mode
| oil ringing made it possible for the chimcr
| to Go his own work, and the services Of the
Ave or more ringers were dispensed with.
instead OF rope coming down through
the ceiling from each bell, the ends twist
ing themselves upon the floor like so many
snakes, the ropes descended through neat
| openings made for the purpose and the
ends were attached to the rear ends of
handles fitted into rough framework in
such Il way that when the handles We're
depressed the bells were struck. Sometimes
there We're also pedals for the feet, and
with these the heavier bells were runu.
at later period, by Il complicated ar
range'nent of cords and springs, IL small
Dell WAS made TO ring in the chime loft
ana with this bell Il church officer down i'm
the auditorium gave the chimer his sig
! nails, telling him when to begin and when
to stop.
Eventually the ropes themselves were
discarded and galvanized telegraph wires
were used i'll their stead The surround.
lnGs still were and are to this day extreme
ly rough, for bare stone walls and rounh
and generally dirty floors and plain
wooden bench are not thought to interfere
with the chimcr's work. The duties of the
chimer become harder, for he must do
them all himself; but he now began to take
great interest III his work and came to he
great man i'll the church, inferior in use
1ulhcSs only to the Clergyman and organ
list. Mr.. James Aylilrc, the great Trinity
chimer, who died III 1878, held the place
for twenty years John n. Sonia. who
WAS retired from his place in Grace church
when steps were first taken for the intro
duction OF I'M electrical keyboard, had been
the chlmer of that church for nineteen
years.
The principle of chime ringing is the
same rs 1T WIS ten centuries ago, and prob
ably must ever remain unchanged
STRIKING OF hammer against I; bell to
produce the sound. But with the electrical
Keyboard the mechanical part of this is
made work for Il child No more force is
required than III pressing the kew OF mn
organ, and in fast tunes the notes may be
struck much more rapidly than they could
possibly be produced by hand. The prin-
clpie Is much the same rs in playing the
organ by electricity; pressing Il key com
pietes or sometimes opens an electric cir
cult, weights and springs are set in mo-
ton, the hummer strikes the bell and in
stantly lilies back to its place, and in Il
second everything is replaced and the ap-
par;,tus is ready for another stroke
The old chimers OF the city naturally do
not favor the Introduction of electric key
boards. They have for years had the work
very much in their own hands, and have
commanded good salaries. But with the
electric keyboard Ginning is so much sim
plihed That any person of average ability
and experience can do it, and no unusual
strength is required.
The use of electricity in ringing Grace
church chimes opens Il new field for wom-
en-, although not large one, us there are
only five real chimes in this CITY. There
are monastery bells, peas and half chimes.
but ONLY five r.Dl 70 of oh IT,
the business will be Il much easier matter
than it ever was before. The beginner
may practice noiseessly upon n dummy
QUILT III his own house il he choose or he
may go to the church, if the chimer will
let him, have the wires disconnected. and
practice indefinitely without making any
disturbance. For this work the learner
must of course first become so familiar
with the tone of each bell that his imagina-
ton VIII tell him the sound TO be expected,
though the bells are silent
In another way the electric keyboard
will make change in the profession of
Ginning. Rough stone walls and rough
boards have always been thought good
enough FOR the chimer, while the organist
sat upon cushioned seat in q comfortable
place. with handsome surroundings; but
with women in the chime lofts there is
little doubt that within IL short time the
chlmer will sit in handsome, we'll fur
nished room. This room. indeed, may be
back of the pulpit, or in the basement, or
in the next block-for location is of little
account TO the electric chimer For the
Grace church chimcr to sit in the Wind
sor hotel or in his or her own house in
Chicago and ring the Sunday morning
peas not only would not be impossible,
but would not be at all difficult.
Why not put in chime attachment to
the organ" one of the New York chimers
asks, distlainfully, land let tho orsanist