[Bell Historians] Untuned bells ("Wright Jones apparatus")

[Peter Whisker]

I'm sure it can come no way lose to the noise emitted from the clock 
chimes in Kouvola, Finland. We were there one lunchtime when we heard a 
noise sounding like scaffolding poles and a bag of spanners crashing to 
the ground.

On looking around, we realised that this was the clock chime. The Finns 
don't seem to have got around to tuning their bells at all.

I've been up the tower at Savonlinna Cathedral (Savonlinnan 
tuomiokirkko) also where they have a couple of bells rung by a motorised 
chiming apparatus. Two random notes from apparently untuned 
self-discordant bells.

The huge 3,000 seater wooden church at Kerimäki with its detached bell 
tower is no better for sound.

Regards
Peter

Sam Austin wrote:
>
>
> I visited Belmont some years ago aged 10 or 11. It was an autumnal 
> night, getting dark, the fog was rolling in from the moors and one 
> could not see the church from the lychgate, very spooky.  Suddenly, a 
> great metallic crashing noise was being emitted from the void 
> where church should have been, it sounded like a blacksmith at work. 
> Listening more closely, the 'crashes' were different pitches. It was 
> of course the bells being chimed.
>  
> There are two staircases in the tower. I chose one and ascended, and 
> found six steel bells hung rigid, horizontally (i.e. the mouths facing 
> the wall) at 90 degree angles in two rows of three. The clappers were 
> hung from the centre of the bells in the usual manner, but were 
> resting on the bottom lips. Cords were attached to each clapper and 
> were directed over each bell and down through the floor below.
>  
> The other staircase led to the ringing room where there where in six 
> cords with toggles,  the cords being of the variety used on shutter 
> blinds. On some wooden panelling written in chalk were some hymn tunes 
> in numerical notation. The action required to sound the bell was to 
> pull on the cord, and let go. This lifted the clapper and dropped it 
> onto the bell, where it rested. The cords fell in a similar manner to 
> a conventional rope circle, hence it required three people to chime 
> all six bells, one cord in each hand.
>  
> Referring to the original question, there is no chiming apparatus as 
> such, but the way the installation has been rigged up surely must be 
> unique.
>  
> The visit was arranged by Bryan McCahey ( a member of this list), 
> perhaps he could correct any details I may have misremembered 
> and maybe supply a photo?
>  
> Aye
>
> Sam
> On Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 6:07 PM, John <Dovemaster at 1JdzuAIwLTP_YseJx94m3c0L0pTkDOTh-ncWWYJo0kAfIzG8f2xl2ZlrZqAlcNZYbTjH5QZUMmYb10oc89dfWyTiwR4.yahoo.invalid 
> <mailto:Dovemaster at 1JdzuAIwLTP_YseJx94m3c0L0pTkDOTh-ncWWYJo0kAfIzG8f2xl2ZlrZqAlcNZYbTjH5QZUMmYb10oc89dfWyTiwR4.yahoo.invalid>> wrote:
>
>      
>
>     I received an enquiry today from a historian parishioner dealing
>     with the 6 steel bells at Belmont, Lancs.
>
>     Inter alia, he said ...
>
>     > these are fixed and according to the detailed financial
>     statement which we still have, are rung using "Wright Jones
>     apparatus patent 15".
>
>     - a form of chiming apparatus which I have never heard of
>     previously (nor has GAD). The first 100 results of a Google search
>     on "Wright Jones apparatus bell" has produced nothing of relevance.
>
>     If anyone knows of any documented reference to what this is (I
>     infer a sort of Ellacombe variant), I would be pleased to learn
>     more. It dates from 1860 according to the enquiry and so it is
>     possibly contemporary with Ellacombe's design.
>
>
>
>
>