The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-08
TOpeka's Old Fire Bell Goes to
Junk Dealers.
Was the Pride of the City in
the Old Days.
SENT The CHILDREN INDOORS
Called the Citizens to Fires
Day and Night.
1t Has Hung in Its Place I'm
used for Years.

Forty wears ago a bell just out OF
the mould, the pride of the city Ia
thers-a bell whose metals held tones
to fit all occasions-beSan Gaining
hundreds of present day business anu
professional men in off the streets
each evening at o'clock They were
kids then and with the forty years
they have grown stronger sturdler
and their tones have melloWed. bul
not so with the old bell 1t is cracked,
it's metals are corroded, its tones nave
become harsh with increasing years
And now it is to be sold-for JUNK.
= The old bell rests on the roof OF
the city building. There is no sent,
ment connected with its removal am
sale. The only feeling present city OF
ficials have regarding it is due to the
fact that it causes the roof TO 'eak
and that even it's removal presents a
problem The bell weighs l,6Oo
hounds 1t is three stories above the
ground and il is going to take some
maneuvering to get it to the ground.
Former Mayor Cofran is one of the
Topekans who remembers the Original
purchase of the bell. He recalls mat
the bell was brought to topeka apout
1877. He thinks it was during or 1ist
before the administration of Mayor
Milton H. Case. Mayor Case served
from 1877 to 1881.
Pride of the Town.
At that time the city building ana
fire headquarters were located at the
corner of Seventh and Kansas avenue
A. a building which has since been re-
modelled and is now known as the Sc
curity building. Old timers say :he
bel was the pride of the town; that
while there were larger bells in me
city even then, its tones were ex-
quisite.
For years the bell rang each night
at O'Clock to serve notice on Topeka
kids mat it was time to hustle OF the
streets. 1t was the curfew Dell IN
addition to that it was used as ne lire
bell Topeka was not so large then
that the clang of the bell failed 10
reach al sections of it, designating by
n series CT peals the location of Il ire.
During, the years it served as fire DELL
thCusar as of Topekans followed its d.
rcctions ard gathered with tbs excited
crowds at fires.
Moved to New Building.
When the new city building was
constructed the bell was moved and
placed on the roof on a sawed off
tower. 1t continued its services as a
curfew bell and a fire bell for several
years but Topeka began to grow out of
the town class and the old bell, not
withstanding its best efforts, found it
could no longer reach the ears of the
youngsters in the outskirts In one
of these last efforts something went
wrong From the soft, mellow peal
Topekans had cherished for a genera
ton. the tone instantly degenerated to
a clang that Jared on the nerves.
Someone went up on the roof to see
what the trouble was and found a
crack eighteen inches long up the side
of the bell. A bell doctor was called
and with a chisel, hammer and brace
and bit he used all the bell surgery
he knew, but without effect. The
crack continued to grow in length and
with regret the city fathers agreed
that the old bells days were mum
bered. Like a faithful old dog or old
family horse it was allowed to rest in
idleness by one set of city officials
after another.
Succeeded by a Siren.
Its curfew duties were first trans
ferred to a new tangled continuance
located at the Continental Creamery
a whistle, a siren which screamed and
shrieked and moaned like a lost spirit.
If the old bell had been capable it
certainly would have blushed when ii
first heard the efforts of its success
sor. The city fathers then decided
it was no longer necessary that all
Topeka should know the location OF
every fire and the old bell ceased to
toll them off.
Commissioner w. l.. Porter saw just
one feature to the old bell-that il
weighed 1000 pounds and that bell
metal is worth twelve and one-halt
cents a pound. 1t will be sold, if the
deal is not already made, and will &c
into the melting pot somewhere with
such prosaic pieces of wreckage as
old stove lids, sewer CRATES, bolts
bars and nuts.