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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>MENEELY.......and MENEELY</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>It's significant that it was <STRONG>Clinton Meneely (T=
roy=20
Bell Foundry NY) </STRONG>who gave this interesting=20
peroration.<STRONG> </STRONG>The policy of the Troy Foundry was not to=
tune=20
bells, but it has to be remembered that there were <STRONG><EM>two=20
</EM></STRONG>Meneely bell foundries in Troy - the other, the older and lar=
ger=20
of the two being </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG>MENEELY & Co (Watervliet - West Troy -=
=20
NY)</STRONG>. It was established in 1826 by Clinton Meneely's=20
great-grandfather, Andrew Meneely Sr; he was also the grandfather of Andrew=
R=20
Meneely who introduced bell tuning at Watervliet, and of Andrew E and Alfre=
d C=20
Meneely who developed it and produced the first American-cast carillons as =
a=20
result.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Victorian bell foundry catalogues are nothing if entert=
aining=20
and picturesque. I've a number of Watervliet catalogues and one from =
West=20
Troy of this period, and nothing is said about tuning bells in either. =
;=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>The 1912 Watervliet Catalogue, which must rank as =
one of=20
the best in the field is not silent on the subject of tuning. Andrew =
R=20
Meneely wrote:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=3D2>All our chime bells are made from SPECIAL DESIGN PA=
TTERNS=20
drafted in accordance with most carefully calculated formulae to produce th=
e=20
richest, fullest musical tone quality; individually having certain tones th=
at=20
are in tune or harmony and which we can positively discern and=20
manipulate.....which we smooth out by the mechanical process employed ONLY =
at=20
our foundry.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=3D2>Every chime bell is thus a TONE-TEMPERED=20
bell.....musically attuned within itself and as perfectly in tune with the=
=20
others of the set as can possibly be made.....</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=3D2>We do not claim that chimes made many years ago acc=
ording=20
to the then known methods were models of perfection, for they simply COULD =
NOT=20
be, nor can any foundry on earth produce even an approximately accurate set=
of=20
bell chimes without SOME tuning after the bells are cast. What we cla=
im=20
is, that NO OTHER MAKE of chimes can fairly compare with such of our chimes=
as=20
have been made in accordance with our present system of=20
tuning.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Direct evidence of tuning here, and no need to guess at=
who he=20
meant by 'no founder on earth', with his relatives and competitors gl=
aring=20
across from the other side of the Hudson River! Elsewhere the same=20
brochure notes:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><EM>.....the lettering of the Inscription is impressed =
into=20
its </EM>(the mold's) <EM>surface.....for all SINGLE bells.....In attuned w=
ork=20
such as PEALS and CHIMES, the lettering is INVARIABLY CHASED on the surface=
of=20
the bell after it has been fully tuned, and so in this class of work t=
he=20
lettering does not appear in raised Characters.</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Meneely therefore tuned his bells on the <U>outside=20
surface</U> although his carillon bells were often tuned within as=20
well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>A R Meneely's concern seems at first to have been to ge=
t bells=20
better in tune with one another; he purchased a new set of twelve fork=
s=20
from Koenig of Paris in 1894. Significantly about the time that John=
=20
Taylor & Co were producing the first True-Harmonic bells at=20
Loughborough and that Alfred Lawson was showing Canon Simpson the =
;door=20
at Whitechapel. He would have known of Monroe's study of b=
ell=20
tones, quoted by Clinton Meneely in his speech, of Lord Rayleigh's=20
experiments and later would come to read Canon Simpson's papers a=
nd to=20
learn of Taylors' success. By 1907 (the year in which Gillett &=20
Johnston adopted 'Simpson' tuning, Meneely was writing of the practice of "=
major=20
triad" tuning which <EM>gives exact 3rd and 5th intervals and while the oct=
ave=20
and bell or bells beyond the octave are sharp, the ear seems to demand this=
, and=20
chimes on this basis seem to prove the most satisfactory.</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>In his excellent study of both Meneely foundries i=
n=20
the <EM>Bulletin </EM>of the GCNA, XXVII, April 1978, pp 30-61, B=
ill=20
de Turk, then the Guild's President observes <STRONG>(Meneely Bells an Amer=
ican=20
Heritage):</STRONG><EM> </EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><EM>In 1926, new tuning forks from England and a change=
in=20
bell profile led to five-point, equal tempremant tuning in=20
1927. </EM>(Andrew E)<EM> Meneely's theory of good bells was that=
the=20
octaves (hum-tone, fundamental, nominal) should be prominent and blend=20
perfectly, the minor third and fifth being subdued. Having always had=
=20
trouble with their smaller bells, they changed to a thicker profile about=20
1930. </EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>One feels that Meneely was very well aware of what was =
going=20
on across the Atlantic (he was on friendly personal terms with Pryce T=
aylor=20
and Cyril Johnston; with Taylor he discussed terms for uniting their carill=
on=20
interest - with Jonston "we shall in business I am afraid always be=20
cats". His adopting of 5-point tuning with the features describ=
ed=20
above is interestingly close to Mears & Stainbank's adoption of it, and=
to=20
their providing their first American carillon at Hamilton Cathedral,=20
Ontario.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bill de Turk quotes a letter from A E Meneely desc=
ribing=20
bell tuning at the time: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=3D2>"The bells are spun in specially contructed lathes=
=20
(tuning) and the pieces of stone are held against the outside surface of th=
e=20
bell by means of long lever". The carborundam stone which they were u=
sing=20
was too hard and they were searching for a substitute media. This met=
hod=20
of tuning appears as a slight scratch mark.....and can be easily=20
overlooked.</FONT></EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM><FONT size=3D2></FONT></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>There are in fact five Meneely carillons from Wate=
rvliet;=20
Danbury, St James Conn. (23), (1928). Originally deigned to =
be a=20
15-bell chime it became a carillon with the top bells 'on loan' as the resu=
lt=20
of a challenge from W G Rice to the firm to produce a carillon to=
=20
rival the English ones about which he was so passionate. Kamiel Lefev=
ere=20
(Riverside Church carilloneur) wrote to Rice that although not as good ("ye=
t")=20
as the avaerage Taylor or G&J carillon, it has the merits and shows the=
=20
possibilities, that Mr A Meneely is on the right road....." Reported =
to be=20
now unplayable. The others are:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>1929: Philadelphia Trinity E&R Church (25, all stil=
l there=20
in the present carillon of 4 octaves).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>1931: Storrs, Conn., Congregational Church (31); s=
till=20
there, intact</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>1936: duPont Estate, Wilmington, Del., (30); still ther=
e,=20
intact</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>1926-1938: Valley Forge, Washington National Carillon (=
38) -=20
most remain in the present 56-bell instrument.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>de Turk's article states </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><EM>The Troy foundry disdained this idea of tuning, as =
did=20
most other American bellfoundries, preferring to have the 'natural bel=
l=20
tone'. They believed that the proper design of a bell's pro=
file=20
brought itws partials into the correct relationship and that tuning by the=
=20
removal of metal was practiced by founders whose bells had faulty=20
profiles. (He) was not interested in carillons, their method of makin=
g=20
bells and chimes having proved successful enought over the years. In=
=20
making a chime. three or four times the number of bells would be cast =
from=20
which the most harmonious would be selected. The remaining ones were =
sold=20
as single bells.</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>T. C. Lewis, eat your heart out.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There was a family reconciliation in the late 1940's; but it didn=
't=20
save the foundries which both closed in 1952, the Troy buildings being=20
demolished soon after and the Watervliet Foundry in 1975. <EM>War not only=
=20
destroys bells, but also bellfoundries as well. </EM>(de Turk). <EM>Bu=
t=20
thousands of remaining bells, in this hemisphere and throughout the world, =
will=20
continually remind us of two American bellfoundries named Meneely.</EM></DI=
V>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Apolgies to those who got the heading only to this a couple of hours a=
go !=20
My PC froze (must have heard the T Mears II eight ringing away in the=20
background. Still, I like them)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>DLC </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LE=
FT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>Fro=
m:</B>=20
<A title=3Dc.j.pickford@t... href=3D"mailto:c.j.pickford@t...=
">Chris=20
Pickford</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogroups=
.com</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> 01 May 2002 18:35</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Bell Historians] Cli=
nton=20
Meneely and bell acoustics</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Good stuff this! It reminds me of =
the=20
letter written by Thomas Bond, the Burford bellfounder, to <FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman"><FONT size=3D3>the Ringing World in 1926 (<SPAN=
=20
lang=3DEN-GB=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING:=
-0.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New R=
oman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-lang=
uage: AR-SA">p.360).=20
On tuning, Bond wrote "I believe the whole system [the five-toned=20
principle] is a farce and nonsense, and I believe the best results are ha=
d,=20
only, from practical experience on the part of the bell=20
founder"</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><FONT siz=
e=3D3><SPAN=20
lang=3DEN-GB=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING:=
-0.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New R=
oman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-lang=
uage: AR-SA"></SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN lang=3DEN-GB=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; LETTER-SPACING:=
-0.15pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New R=
oman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-lang=
uage: AR-SA">CP</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-=
LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>F=
rom:</B>=20
<A title=3Dbill@h...=20
href=3D"mailto:bill@h...">oakcroft13</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
title=3Dbellhistorians@yahoogroups.com=20
href=3D"mailto:bellhistorians@yahoogroups.com">bellhistorians@yahoogrou=
ps.com</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 01, 2002 4:=
57=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Bell Historians] Clint=
on=20
Meneely and bell acoustics</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><TT>More on the Clinton Meneely talk from 1935 (link in=
=20
previous <BR>message). It is such a good read I am going to put it on m=
y=20
website, <BR>if I can get permission. Part of it is a rant against 5-po=
int=20
tuning <BR>(we would say true harmonic). His opinions, which I assume w=
ere=20
<BR>voiced primarily to protect his business, were based in part on the=
=20
<BR>carillon at Albany, which at the time was a 47-bell Taylor instrume=
nt=20
<BR>of 1928. Just two extracts will show the style:<BR><BR>On true-harm=
onic=20
tuning: "some theoretical process of manufacture <BR>which has the same=
=20
scientific background as some of the expressions <BR>found in modern=20
advertisements."<BR><BR>On playing music on carillons: "to allow the pl=
aying=20
of the more <BR>complicated works on a set of bells is a feature of=20
sensationalism <BR>that belongs on the vaudeville stage."<BR><BR>Wonder=
ful=20
stuff!<BR><BR>Bill H<BR><BR><BR><BR></TT><BR><BR><TT>This message was s=
ent=20
to you via the Bell Historians' Mailing List. To unsubscribe from the l=
ist=20
send an email to=20
bellhistorians-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com<BR><BR></TT><BR><BR><TT>Your=
use=20
of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the <A=20
href=3D"http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/">Yahoo! Terms of Service</A>.=
</TT>=20
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