The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-30
CASTING
A BELL
By F. A. Mitchell

legends of the middle ages is about the
casting of st. Mary's bell at Breslau,
the capital of Silesia, in 1886. In those
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
OF 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
big bell that was to be swung In one
Of the great towers Of the church that
had 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-
tons in the uniformity of space into
which the molten metal was to be
poured would ruin the bell. The COM
D1nation of metals was easier, though
If 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
cruc1ble 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 he had started. The only
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 a
stranger who had silently entered the
butlding-a man tall and slender, who
moved with such q catlike tread that
Caspar did not hear 1t. He was dress.
ed In workman's clothes and wore a
leather apron.
"Who are your" asked Caspar, look.
ing up at him.
IAN ironworker. Ihave made many
BELLS"
Have you spoiled many?"
To this there was no response except
a low chuckle. But the stranger said:
II can make this one a wonder"
How can you do that?"
by adding certain metals to those
you have already put In"
Caspar produced a paper giving the
list of ingredients in the bell and the
quantity Of each and handed it to the
stranger, who glanced at 1t 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 criti-
cism was just. Nevertheless be was
demoralized and not certain Of any.
thing. But the stranger, who was a
very aggressive person, took up a
crucible Of molten iron--for there was
melted metal Of every kind used in
the bell at hand-and was about to
pour some Of it into the composition
when Caspars young wife, Ursula, en-.
tered the foundry. She had come to
sympathize with and encourage her
husband. Seeing the stranger, she
paused and shrank back
And the stranger shrank back too
Swinging aside the crucible from
which he was about to pour the iron,
his eyes were fixed ON a gold cross
that hung from Ursula's neck on her
bosom. With cringing step he sidled
to the door and went out like dog
with his tail between his legs.
"Who Is he," asked Ursula Of her
husband. land what was he about to
do?"
"Who he is l know not, but he told
me that he had made many bells and
could make mine success. After
looking at my constituent metals he
said I had not sufficient iron and was
about to add iron to the mixture when
you entered"
1T seems to me, Caspar," said the
wife, that instead of listening to
stranger We should ask the Virgin to
tell us If anything is needed"
And, sinking on her knees, she pray
ed to the Virgin to signify what would
add to the melody of the bell. When
she had finished her prayer she touch
ed bar of iron. Then she put her
hand on some copper. At once she felt
a tingling sensation running up
through her arm
PUT In copper, Caspar," she said.
Caspar poured in a stream Of copper.
Suddenly his wife called on him to
stop. The tingling in her arm had
ceased. She put her hand on other
metals with no response till she came
to lump of silver, when the tingling
recommended. When Ursula called
again Caspar ceased TO pour the metal.
and there being no other metal at hand
no more was added.