The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-25
CASTING
A BELL.
By F. A. Mitchell

days these cathedral bells were only
second in Importance to the edifice
that held them. The composition and
casting of one Of them were matters
OF great skill. Many a man was made
or marred by his success or failure to
make bell that would produce mar.
velous tones.
Caspar Ulrich, who had served an
apprenticeship at bell casting. was the
nephew of the bishop of cathedral in
Brabant and through his uncle's in
fuence obtained an order to cast the
Dig bell that was to be swung in one
OF the great towers of the church that
mad been hundred years in building.
Caspar began his work with all the
confidence of youth. but as he proceed
ed 1t evaporated. He prepared his
mold, which must be of exact dimen-
sions. Any deviation from his calcula-
lions In the uniformity of space into
which the molten metal was to be
poured would ruin the bell. The com.
Dlnatlon of metals was easier, though
II his calculations were not correct the
result would be unfortunate. But the
most dangerous part of the work was
the running off of the metal from the
crucible into the mold.
By the time Caspar Ulrich came to
this last step in the manufacture Of
/ the bell he had lost all the confidence
with which bo bod cto,to5 m. 81,
thing remaining to be done was to
turn the stopcock in the bottom Of
the crucible, giving free egress to the
metal fluid. He could not bring him
self to take this last step. He sat
down on bench before the embryo
bell. rested his elbows on his knees
and his chin on his hands and gave
himself up to gloomy forebodings.
He was awakened from them by q
stranger who had silently entered the
building-a man tall and slender. who
moved with such q catlike tread that
Oaspar did not hear 1t. He was dress.
ed in workman's clothes and wore q
leather apron.
"Who are your asked Caspar, look.
ing up at him.
Gan ironworker. have made many
BELLS"
"Have you spoiled many?"
To this there was no response except
low chuckle. But the stranger said
81 can make this one wonder"
''How can you do that"
"By adding certain metals to those
you have already put in"
Caspar produced paper giving the
list of ingredients in the bell and the
quantity Of each and handed it to the
stranger, who glanced at it hastily
and said:
''There is not enough IRON"
Caspar went over his calculations
while the stranger waited and, having
done so, said that he feared the crit
cism was Just. Nevertheless he wa!
demoralized and not certain of any
thing. But the stranger, who was
very aggressive person, took up
crucible Of molten iron-for there was
melted metal of every kind used II
the bell at hand-and was about t.
pour some of it into the composition
when Caspar's young wife, Ursula, en-
tered the foundry. She had come t.
sympathize with and encourage he
husband. Seeing the stranger, sh'
paused and shrank back.
And the stranger shrank back too
Swinging aside the crucible iron
which he was about to pour the iron
his ewes were fixed on gold eros
that hung from Ursula's neck on he
bosom. With cringing step he sidle'
TO the door and went out like dol
with his tail between his legs.
.sNbo is he asked Ursula of he
husband, land what was he about Z
do?''
.Who he is / know not, but he tolt
me that he had made many bells am
could make mine a success. A1te
looking at my constituent metals n
said 7 had not sufficient iron and wa
obout 70 add iron to the mixture whel
you entered"
st seems to me, Caspar," said TN
wife, that instead Of listening to
stranger we should ask the Virgin {
tell us if anything is needed"
And, sinking on her knees, she pray
ed TO the Virgin to signify what woul
add TO the melody Of the bell. Whe
she had finished her prayer she toucI
ed a bar of iron. Then she put he
hand on some copper At once she Eel
tingling sensation running u
through her arm.
.Put in copper, Caspar," she said.
Caspar poured in a stream of copper
Suddenly his wife called on him t
stop. The tingling in her arm ha
ceased. She put her hand on othe
metals with no response till she cam
TO a lump of silver, when the tinglin
recommended When Ursula calle'
again Caspar ceased to pour the metal
and there being no other metal at han
no more was added.
Then Ursula babe Caspar turn tn
stopcock, but he declined to do SC
telling her TO do it herself. She oil
so. and the metal was soon cooling |
the mold.
Caspar told his uncle, the bishop, Q
+bo StranOar and the bishop said tho