Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-10-17
FOG BELL INSTALLED.
Now in Place on South End Of the
Breakwater.
Heavy Hammer VIII strike n Double
blow Every ~ Seconds during
Thick or Foggy weather
How II IL Done.

Tho work Of installing the new fog sig
nal bell on the light house at the south
end of the breakwater, which has been
In progress during the last three weeks
under the supervision OF W. Gray Werner,
United States superintendent Of light
houses, was completed Saturday after
noon, and Mr.. Werner left for his home
in Stapleton. n. Y. Sunday morning
on the government boat Nettc a new
Gamewell striking apparatus was also
installed on Juniper Island at the same
time with the one on the brcakwater.
| On the invitation of Superintendent
Werner, Free Press representative made
the trip Saturday afternoon to the south
light and Juniper Island to Inspect the
| signal bells, and to get n general idea Of
the manner in which they are operated
, during foggN weather. Leaving the foot
! Of King street the first stop was made
/ at the south light. The fog bell has been
erected on the vast face Of the tower
! and is supported by framework Of
/ heavy tintbers, which suspend the bell o.
! feet above the level of high water. The
he'll itself weighs 42 pounds. and is placed
close under the lantern deck of the tower
in order TO defect the sound to the north.
! west and south, the directions in which
it Is most necessary for its tones to he
heard by an approaching steamer The
bell Is struck by heavy hammer which
is operated by a Gamewell striking ap-
paratus and during thick or foggy wealth
| err strikes double blow every IL seconds.
| The apparatus is worked by means OF
heavy weights, operated by an automatic
clock. which. when wound up, will run
for several hours. The weights are hung
on chains much after the manner of an
old-fashjoncd clock. and drop about one
inch at each double stroke Of the bell,
The distance at which the bell can be
heard depends entirely upon the direction
of the wind With a stiff wind blowing
from the south on Saturday the tones of
the bell could be heard at a distance OF
over mile and half The hell
| will go into operation about Octo-
Der ~ and will be In charge Of Light
Keeper Charles Chiott The striking APP
paratus which operates the bell was in
stalled at cost of $50. exclusive Of the
bell itself and other paraphcrnal'a re-
CURED for properly installing it.
The second stop was made at Juniper
island where Superintendent Werner went
to pick up hts force OF men who had
just completed putting in a new striking
apparatus for operating the fog bell there
in place Of the old style stevens machine
which has been in use many years. The
old bell and other apparatus Will still be
used there This bell is much heavier
than the one on the breaxwater weigh
ing over 900 pounds, and the signal here
is one blow every IL seconds durna
heavy weather. Tho bell on the islant
is In charge OF Light Keeper H. l.. Perry
who keeps bachelor hall. doing his owl
homework and cooking and who showed
the Free Press representative about thu
well kept house. and incidentally dis
. played a row Of fresh pies, loaves o
bread and several kinds OF cake which
might have excited the envy of many
good housewife.
A trip was made into the tower. wher'
the manner Of operating the light wa
Thoroughly explained by Mr. Werner In
> most Interesting manner. after which tn
return trip was made to burlington
Sunerintendont Werner has seen 80 year
Of service as a seaman. having been will
Farracut during the civil War ana los
.ng a leg in the battle of Mobile Bay
He entered the navy at an early ag
and has been on tho water CONSTANT,
, ever since AS he expressed 1t I'm ever,
- hole and corner of the earth wher
salt water flows" He Is superintendent
of all light houses controlled by tn
United states, and relates many inter
, cstinr incidents of the trips he ha
made