An especially designed amplifying installation for the playing of
recorded music.
32 high-fidelity speakers. Uniform frequency range from 50 to 15,000
cycles.
Total operating power—5,500 watts.
Bronze Galeria 12 ft. in width; located 35 ft. above terrace.
Record player in Console Room.
Control panels in Power Room.
[Illustration: The sectional diagram at the left shows the
construction and arrangement of the Carillon both above and below
ground. The map shows location and parking area.]
Number of bells 32
Total weight of bell chandelier 32 tons
Diameter smallest bell 1 ft. 6 in.
Diameter largest bell 6 ft.
Height of tower above terrace 151 ft. 6 in.
Height of tower from bottom of 183 ft. 7 in.
foundation
Construction:
Indiana Limestone with Granite Base.
1 _Chandelier of bells_
2 _Galeria for Celestron_
3 _Carillon Console Room and Celestron
Record Player_
4 _Power Room_
5 _Basement_
A most spectacular step in bell-making comes when the copper and tin are
melted and mixed in the oil furnace, brought to just the proper
temperature, and then carried in a huge ladle from which the molten
alloy is poured into the mold.
Larger bells are kept buried in dirt for days after the casting to
retard their cooling. Sometimes weeks go by before the bell can be
“shaken out” and the founder gets the final check on the accuracy of his
calculations.
The Meneely Bell Company foundry represented a curious mixture of the
old and the new. There was the main foundry with its large modern oil
melting furnaces in which was blended the age-old mixture of copper and
tin which is known in the textbooks as “bell metal”.... Out in the next
shop were the blacksmith and his helper, skillfully working iron into
the special bell mountings. Immediately behind this was the finishing
room where large and small bells were cleaned and buffed, while finished
ones were being set into their mountings for final tests before
shipment. Upstairs, patterns and cabinets were fashioned from wood;
while on a nearby drafting board a chime would take form as it would fit
into its final position in the tower.
In making bells, there must be a complete understanding of the technical
elements that make a bell ring true. Meneely’s men knew that a pure tone
was a definite number of vibrations per second as sensed by the human
ear.
The sound of a single tone is pleasant but colorless. The usual tone is
made up of a number of different pure tones, blending together, with the
dominant one giving the tone its pitch. Practically everything that will
vibrate will produce a tone, but only certain combinations will have the
musical qualities which distinguish them from unpleasant “noise.”
In this country, the commonest form of chime is that found in clock
towers. Principally used to strike the quarters and hours, these bells
are usually stationary and seldom number more than four or five; hence
no complete airs can be played with them.
[Illustration: From an acoustical standpoint the Deeds Carillon is
ideally located. The hills to the south provide a natural sounding
board and enhance the tone of the music.]
Chimes usually contain a minimum of ten bells, which give enough tones
in the diatonic scale to permit the rendering of hundreds of complete
hymns, folk songs, etc., in simple harmonies. Chimes are typically an
American form of art and are found in our churches in every part of the
country. The bells do not move, but the clappers are operated from
manual claviers, or by modern electrical methods employing small
piano-like keyboards.
[Illustration: This picture shows how the bells are mounted on the
chandelier and hang suspended from the top of the Carillon. The
larger bells are at the top of the chandelier.]
[Illustration: The regular Sunday afternoon concerts at Carillon
Park have drawn music lovers in ever-increasing numbers. In the
informal atmosphere of a beautiful park on a sunny summer afternoon,
there is pleasure and relaxation for all the family. The hour-long
program is now divided between numbers played on the bells and
recorded music amplified through the Celestron.]
[Illustration: People in Carillon Park]
[Illustration: People in Carillon Park]
The first regularly scheduled Deeds Carillon program was presented on
Sunday, August 23, 1942, in the presence of a capacity crowd. The first
two programs were played by Mrs. Deeds. Since that inaugural day,
programs are given every Sunday afternoon, June through October, and at
Easter Sunrise.
Once Carillon Park had been created, Colonel Deeds stepped into the
picture for his contribution to the project. His wise counsel and sense
of perfection had contributed much to the success of the tower
construction. He now set about to gratify his love for the historic with
the larger conception of providing a group of exhibits that would be a
visual lesson in history. The striking parade of transportation in the
Park dating from the picturesque days of the Conestoga wagon and the
Concord coach to the Wright airplane is the result. Every exhibit meant
painstaking research and discriminating choice.
The Deeds Carillon stands on a three-acre tract purchased by Mrs. Deeds
from NCR. The property was, in turn deeded to Educational and Musical
Arts, Incorporated. This is an administrative subsidiary of the Dayton
Foundation, especially created to carry out the construction and
perpetuation plans through a group of Dayton’s civic leaders who were
proud and glad to assume the responsibility. The financial requirements
for maintenance and operation are met through an endowment fund created
by Mrs. Deeds and contributions of Colonel Deeds.
Carillon Park is unique among the gifts for public enjoyment in that it
serves a threefold purpose. The Carillon itself, with its eloquent and
deep-toned bells, is a spiritual stimulant for Dayton, a source of
beauty and inspiration. The Park, a natural beauty spot, is a sanctuary
for all people, while the historical exhibits are highly educational.
[Illustration: People in Carillon Park]
[Illustration: People in Carillon Park]