Daily camera., 1901-04-20
RUNG BY ENGINES.
Chimes In New York That Are
Operated by Electricity.
Closing Hours OF the Nineteenth Con-
tury Were Made MelOdiOus By
the Use OF . Modern In
yentiOA.

When the great 6,0C0-pound bell OF
St. Patrick's cathedral, answering the
chimes Of Grace and Trinity, doomed
out the closing hours of the last ceu-
tury and ushered in the new. il rang
down the curtain on the nfelcdramatic
and picturesque occups lion OF the bell
ringer as he is known in literature.
The shadows that veiled those somber
inhabitants of the belfry, the phan-
toms and elfin creatures Of the bells,
have all been banished, and in their
place now heartless, mechanical
genius, with switchboard, COM
pressed air, and electrical power hired
from street-lighting company, has
with mathematical precision reduced
bell-ringing to business basis, says
the New York Post.
The chimes OF ST. Patrick's, which
consist of 10 bells weighing from 270
to 5000 pounds, with the names of the
great Paccard foundry in Paris three
years ago, and cost $4,000. They have
a musical range from lower &c" to up
per 3D." with the accompanying
sharps and flats. Immediately upon
their arrival the trustees advertised
for an original device to ring them, and
after public competition Il. c. Champ.
of Brooklyn, was awarded the con
tract His plan called for small key
board is inches long, fashioned like
that of a typewriter, to be placed in
the sacristy, and which could be oper-
ated with ease by anyone with II
knowledge of music. Champ worked
for three years at his device. aided by
the trustees, who not only called in
well-known experts to advise him, but
when the sum of his contract was ex-
hausted made further contract with
him. They had the satisfaction Of
knowing on the night of December 2s
that the installation was perfect. and
three nights after, the chimes played
"Adeste Fideles," 80, Father of Light"
THE Harmonious Blacksmith" and
MY Country, Tis of Thee" at the
dawn of the new century. The other
day the automatic clock mechanism
which is to render the "Angelus" and
DE Profundis" four times daily was
successfully installed.
William F. Wynn, consulting en-
gineer to the trustees, in describing
the plant, says: 1T is an adaptation Of
the compressed-air cylinder adopted
by the Union Switch and Signal COM
pany. Mr.. Champ in following their
idea constructed 10 bell engines, cor.
responding to the number OF bells.
These bell engines are bolted TO wood.
en- seats, which in turn are bol,ed on
system OF steel beams inserted in the
walls Of the north tower. These en-.
gines consist in their working parts of
fine grade of bronze composition
metal, so as not to rust or corrode. The
engines practically consist of three
main parts, two cylinders and piston,
which fitted to clip hung on the
clapper of the bell above it. On the en-
gine there is an adjustable clevi., so
that the stroke can be arranged to a
nicely, and, once so adjusted, it can
not change its position.
The engines are operated from the
sacristy by means of a keyboard. A
key being depressed, current OF
electricity is sent along its wire to the
belfry, where, by means Of an air
valve operated through an electro
magnet, the compressed air is admit
ted 10 the bell engine. and the air pres
sure delivers the blow, which acts upon
the clapper, and rings the bell"