Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-12-23
ON MAKING BELLS
| ONE WHO INHERI!S
| MENEELY SKILL

Heart as sound as a bell" From
this we are permitted to infer that
bell rings true to that which has
been put into it. Indeed the bell
founder it would seem could put
somewhat of his own character as
well as skill and traditions into the
making of bells. Perhaps that is
why the grandson of the maker of the
| old bell of ST. Marks, installed in 1850,
is the one in charge of putting in the
new chime bells for that church.
| Again it would seem possible that
Skill pride in workmanship and all
that may be transmitted from genera
ton to generation, for the Andrew +.
Meneely, President Of the old Me-
nicely Bell Foundry of Waterveliet,
n. Y. here in charge of installing the
chimes, is the fourth Andrew Me-
nicely in direct line. This firm was
established in 1926 in West Troy, then
a village, now bearing the name of
Waterveliet, five miles from Albany
and where the great cannon are made.
And this maker of good bells is so
interested in the work of that old
firm that when for one reason or an
other there is no one else to send to
see that the reputation of the firm is
he goes himself, puts on workman's
overalls and turns to-" All of which
may serve to explain why the presi-
dent of this old established business
and fourth in direct descent among
it's bell makers is here on the job.
And he knows bells. He can tell you
why many years ago an enterpriSing
If not prescriptions bell founder
went about telling those who had
Paul Reveres bells that they should
replace the old worn tongue with a
new heavier one, forgetting of course.
to add that owing to the proportion of
tin which good old Paul Revere put
into his bells the heavier tongue
would be sure to crack them, where
upon the enterprising bell founder
| would show up for an order for new
| one.
There is, it seems, standard OF
composition for bells recognized in
England, in Germany and in this
country. A certain amount of techni-
cal information should be in the
/ possession of the interviewer, who
shall comprehend fully, but notwith-
standing in this instance his lack of
such comprehension some of that
which Mr.. Meneely kindly told him
may be made clear. For instance his
! concern makes use for its bell metal
bronze of 1870 pure American copper
and 22eo of East India block tin. He
remarked that while there are yarie-
| ties of tin, of which this from the
East Indies is the most expensive,
they nevertheless use the latter ex-
clusively.
The proportion of tin in the metal
is what gives the resonance. If the
/ t. n ~ "
be struck but dies quickly with dis
lance, whereas If the proportion of tin
| be too great the metal becomes brit
tie. He said his concern had adhered
over a long period of years to the
same proportions of the two metals.
In chimes it is necessary that each
bell shall be exactly attuned to note.
He said the old foundry discovered %
| years ago a method whereby the bells
could be attuned as exacly as any
piano or organ. Under this the num-
Der OF vibrations per second are
counted as the bells come from the
moulds and corrections are then
made that each bell shall give out the
number OF vibrations a particular
tone should give.
The shape of any bell. he says, is of
equal Importance with the material
that is used. The badly shaped bell
has overtones out of tune with the
striking tones, the striking tone being
the only sound heard at a great dis
lance from the bell. Chimes should
sound as perfect to those entering the
church as to those at a great dis
lance.
Respecting the chime for st. Marks
it is composed of IL bells; bells of
octave in key fiat; semi-tone bell,
d fiat. essential. for instance, in play
ing America; the A bell which he de-
scribed as a much needed "acciden-
| tal' for many of the great hymns OF
| the church,: and an upper F or upper
Re which increases the scope of the
chimes. II bells in all.
! Mr.. Meneely is accompanied by
Mrs. Meneely and they are stopping
at the Augusta House.