The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1920-11-17
OLD STEAMBOAT BELLS

Owners Of steamboats, fifty years
ago had great pride in having fine
bells that we're used in announcing
the time of departure of the steam
ers. The captains generally rang the
big bells half on hour before leaving
time, and their deep tones could cas-
lily be heard for two miles and fur
Their on quiet, clear days or nights.
In old days to have fine boat
minus special bell was like attempt
ing to operate a circus without an
elephant. Some of the famous bells
of the Mississippi River boats were
on the J. NJ White, Robert f. Lee,
Natchenz, James Lee the First, Inn
perial, Pennsylvania, T. p feathers,
Belle of the Coast, and after the civil
war there were fine ones on all the
Anchor Line steamers.
The Lee Line followed this custom.
On their steamers in the early days
and until recent years they had some
of the finest bells. Many of them are
said to have had a finer and deeper
tone than some of the older ones. The
Kate Adams, now operating in the
Memphis and Rosedaie trade, possess
ses a very fine toned bell; so does
the Harry Lee.
Practically all the bells used on the
big steamers prior to the civil war
were taken from the boats and scrap
ped by the Governments. The North
as well as the South needed the copper
in them.
For many years there was a small
bell foundry in Louisville, operated
by a man named Kay. In it were
moulded the most famous bells heard
along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Kay is said to have come to the
United States from Scotland. He had
some experience in casting bells in
his home country and established his
little place in Louisville before the
civil war. He designed all the big
boat bells and charged about a dol
lar a pound to mould one. He used
mixture of material that gave them
splendid tone, but the owner of the
bell usually put in several ounces of
silver. often dumping into the melt
ing pot SO many ounces of silver bull
lion.
The weight of these bells averaged
from l,50O to 1000 pounds. They were
placed on the hurricane roofs of the
boats with cord extending to the
pilot house and another dropping
down to the lower deck, so that the
crews could ring them when neces-
sary.
A few of the bells were removed
from the boats and used after the war.
Several fell into the hands of wealthy
planters and were installed on plan
tations. 1t is said the bell of the ].
M. White, until few years ago, was
used on Louisiana plantation.
In days when steamboating was
good at Memphis it was a great sight
to visit the levee at time when the
boats were getting ready to depart.
The captain began tolling the bell in
time to notify shippers and passen-
gers that the steamer was getting
ready to leave. The deep tones were
easily heard up town. If passenger
was late, or if there was a late dray
load of freight for the wharf, both
went heller SHELTER down the levee
Some shippers knew the tones of diff
ferent boat bells. They could distin-
guish them as easily as they could
whistles. All steamers use big bells
today. 1t is necessary when the pilot
desires to have the channel sounded
or when he wants to call the captain
from his room in the texas to the for
ward deck. Fl. Curtis in Memphis
Commercial-Appeal.