Wood Island Lighthouse Fog Bell

[RichardB]

Wood Island Light is an active lighthouse on the eastern edge of Wood Island in Saco Bay, Maine. The light is just outside the entrance to Biddeford Pool and the end of the Saco River. The lighthouse is a 47 feet (14 m) tall conical white tower constructed of granite rubble.

Above from Wikipedia.

The fog bell was cast by Wickers Sons & Co. of Sheffield.

Wickers ??

[SteveHB]

Wood Island Lighthouse Bell.

Albert Norwood became keeper in 1872, and he was in charge in the following year, when Wood Island got its first fog signal, a 1,315-pound bell that sounded single and double blows, alternately, every 25 seconds. The striking machinery was housed in a pyramidal wooden tower. A new 1,200-pound bell was installed in 1890.

The 1872 fog bell from Wood Island, manufactured by Vickers, Sons & Co. in England, is now on display (below) at Vines Landing in Biddeford Pool.

Photo of the Cast Steel Bell

Photo 02

[RichardB]

Wood Island Lighthouse Bell.

Albert Norwood became keeper in 1872, and he was in charge in the following year, when Wood Island got its first fog signal, a 1,315-pound bell that sounded single and double blows, alternately, every 25 seconds. The striking machinery was housed in a pyramidal wooden tower. A new 1,200-pound bell was installed in 1890.

The 1872 fog bell from Wood Island, manufactured by Vickers, Sons & Co. in England, is now on display (below) at Vines Landing in Biddeford Pool.

Photo of the Cast Steel Bell

Photo 02

Great stuff, I had my doubts about Wickers ...

[SteveHB]

The largest bell Vickers cast (in fact at Millsands) weighed

some 7-tons, being destined for San Francisco Fire Station.

picturesheffield

picturesheffield 02

Colonel Tom & His Cast Steel Bells

(Word document) http://georgedawson.homestead.com/files/naylor_vickers_dlc.doc

[SteveHB]

How could they lose a Bell of this size ?

A bell of 7 tons was cast for the San Francisco Fire Station.

It is this bell, which took 150 crucibles to cast (they clearly had larger crucibles in those days) that takes the all time record. Unfortunately it was lost in the 1906 earthquake, and following unsuccessful attempts to locate the bell by the Sheffield Museums some years ago, it was presumed destroyed.

However, towards the end of last year, it transpired that this great bell was moved to the Jesuit church of St Ignatius in San Francisco where it hangs today.

Answer .. The Bell was never erected in the fire station.

USF History Vault: The Chimes of the St. Ignatius Church Bell. 08 September 2010

(Takes a while to load)

Edit: here's a copy of the above USF article The Chimes of the St. Ignatius Church Bell_ .pdf