In Europe these chiming clocks are sometimes very elaborate, as the following description of a set of bells in Belgium will show:
“So far as the experience of the writer goes the Belgian carillons are invariably constructed on one prevailing plan, with the exception that the metal used for the cylinder is generally brass; here, however, it is of steel, and consists of a large barrel measuring 4 feet 2 inches in width and 3 feet 6 inches in diameter, its surface being pierced with horizontal lines of small square holes about ⅜ inch square. There are lines of 60 of these in the width of the barrel, while there are 120 lines of them round the circumference, making a total of 7,200 holes. The drilling of these, of course, takes place when the cylinder is made, and, so far as this part is concerned, the barrel is complete before it is brought to the tower.
“Into these square holes are fixed the ‘pins,’ adjusted on the inside of the cylinder by nuts.
“The pins are of steel of finely graduated sizes, corresponding with the value of the notes of music. Some idea of the precision obtainable may be gathered by the fact, as the carillonneur told the writer, that there were no less than 24 grades of pins, so as to insure the greatest accuracy of striking the bells.
“Over the cylinder are 60 steel levers with steel nibs; these are lifted by the ‘pins’ and, connected by wires with the hammers, strike the bells.
“The 35 bells are furnished with 72 hammers, which are fixed as ordinary clock-hammers outside of the bells; three of the bells (in the ring of eight) have a single hammer only, the limited space in the ‘cage’ making it impossible to put more, while others are supplied with two or three apiece for use in rapidly repeating notes of the music. On a visit some years ago to the carillon at Malines, the writer noticed that some of the bells there had no less than five hammers apiece.
“Obviously, though there are 72 hammers in connection with the carillon, only 60, corresponding with the number of levers, can be used at one time; these are selected according to the requirement of the tune; in case of new tunes, the wires can easily be adjusted so as to bring other hammers and bells into use.
“The feature of the Belgian carillons is that instead of the single notes of the air being struck as with the old familiar ‘chimes’ harmonized tunes of great intricacy are rendered with chords of three, four or even five bells striking at one time.
“The cylinder here is capable of 120 ‘measures’ of music, but as, a matter of fact it is subdivided so that half a revolution plays every hour.