A group of engineers, musicians, and University representatives headed by Constantine Saradjeff, a Russian carillon expert, who is to take charge of the installation of the Russian bells in the Lowell House tower, yesterday made an extensive tour of the tower and examined the loft where they will ultimately hang.
For the purpose of raising the bells aloft to the top of the tower, a scaffolding will be built on the Mount Auburn Street side of the house. The temporary structure will be constructed to support a weight of 11 tons or more, since the most massive of the bells which will be hoisted weighs approximately 10 tons.
For an engine as a source of power, the engineers are now debating between the use of steam and gasoline. Steam engines in cold weather such as is now here are inconvenient in that there is a constant danger of freezing when the engines are not in use. Gasoline engines of course are not as inconvenient in this respect, but for use in hoisting large weights they are bad in that they start up very rapidly, a fact that necessitates an extremely strong cable to take care of the inertia of the weights being lifted. In the pulley system that will probably be used four ropes are utilized to support the weight, and the result is that a total length of 600 feet of cable must be wound up by the hoisting engine.
Saradjeff will consult with the architects as to the type of rigging that he needs for the final hanging of the bells, and when the proper supports have been installed in the tower, the bells, and when the proper supports of the carillon bells will be hung in the lower portion of the tower, a few will be placed in the upper part.
Playing of the carillon will be done by mechanical means instead of the electric control which is a common practice. A single carilloner will however be able to play all the bells in the tower, with the exception of the largest one, which will require a special operator. After examining the bells yesterday, Saradjeff stated that a bell similar to the largest one of the Lowell House group, is now in a church in Russia, and that this one is audible for 15 miles around under proper weather conditions.
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