The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-28
PASSING OF THE BELL RINGER
It. PntrfcI,'S Chimes in New York
Now Oncrated by NnchLnerN.

NEW YORK. Jan 28.-When the great
6.o00-pound bell Of St. Patricks Cathedral.
answering the chimes of Grace and Trinity,
doomed out the closing hours OF the last
century and usbercd in the new, ii rung
down the curtain on the melodramaJic and
picturesque occupation Of the beilTiuger-
The shadows that yelled those sombre
Inhabitants Of the beIfry- the phantOms and
cIfiu creatures Of the bells have all been
banisheG. and in their place now a heart
less. mechanical genius with a switch
board. compressed air. and electrical pow
! er hired from street lighting company.
has with ma heLlatlcal precision reduced
bell ringing 10 q business basis
The chimes Of St Patrick's. which con-
slsts Of nineteen bells weighing from . zoe
10 6.G00 pounds with the names of the
various donors on them. came from the
P&ccard foundry, in Paris. ever three
years ago and cost ,GGG. They have
musical range from lower C. to upper
ID. with the accompanying sharps and
fats. but there has been great difficulty in
marking the bells satisfactorily
lmne diately upon their arrival the trus-
tees advertised for an original device to
ring them, and after d public competition
II c Champ, Of Brooklyn. WIS awarded
the contract. His plan called for a small
keyboard eighteen inches long, fashioned
like that OF q typewriter. to be placed in
-ne sacris5y. and which could be operated
WITH ease by anyone with a knowledge Of
music
Champ worked for three years al his
device aided by the trustees. who not
only called in well-knOwn experts to a3-
wise hin, but when the sum of his cen
tract waS exhausted, made a further con
tract with him They had the satisfaction
Of knowing on the night Of December %
that the installation was perfect and
three nights after the chimes PLAYED
a
"The Harmonious Blacksmith - and Nv
Country lis Of Thee at the dawn Of the
new century
4 few days ago the automatic clock
mechanism which is to render the An
gelus" and DE Profundis' four times
daily was successfully installed William
F. Wynn consulting engineer to the rrus-
tees. in describing the plant, says:
1t is an adaptation Of the compressed
air cylinder adopted by the Union Switch
and Signal Company
Champ. IN following their idea. con
s-ructed nineteen hell engines correspond
ing 10 the number OF bells. These bell
engines are bCIted 10 wooden seats. which
in turn are b0lted on system Of steel
/ beams inserted in the walls Of the north
tower. These engines consist in their
I working parts Of a fine grade OF EronZe
composition metal, so as not to rust or
ccrrode.
The engines practically consist Of three
| main paris. two cylinders and q piston
which is flted to a clip hung on the clap
per Of the bell above it On the engine
there is an adjustable clevis, so tina; the
stroke can be arranged 10 a nicely. and
! once so adjusted il cannot change its
position
The engines are operated from the sac
risJy by means Of a keyboard \ key be-
ing depressed current of electricity IS
sent along its wire TO the beifry where
by means Of an air valve operated through
an eiectrC-magueJ the compressed air is
admitted to the bell engine. and the air
pressure delivers The blow WhiCH acts
upon the clapper and rings the beIi''