Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on March 8, 1946.
University’s Bell-Ringer Has a Scare
Rolland Lindberg, maintenance man at Valparaiso University, knows today how Joshua must have felt when Jerico’s walls came tumbling down at the blast of a trumpet.
Lindberg’s experience wasn’t quite as spectacular as the biblical character’s, but he got quite a scare Thursday morning when a big bell located on the roof of Music Hall decided to give up the ghost while Lindberg was ringing it.
The bell is mounted on a platform right at the edge of the Music Hall roof and Lindberg rings it for class call by tugging at a rope. He was tugging mightily yesterday when supports holding the heavy bell gave way with an ominous crash.
Bad Moment
Lindberg didn’t know for sure what was happening, but he had a bad moment, fearing the device might topple over on him. According to reports the bell-ringer was slightly indisposed yesterday, anyhow, and wasn’t in a bell-ringing mood.
After recovering from the initial shock, Lindberg decided that maybe the incident had a silver lining and that, since there was no bell to ring, he might get a vacation. But the Valparaiso fire department came to the rescue of students and faculty members by furnishing a gong bell from one of the fire trucks.
Fire Chief Wilbur Cowdrey when advised of the school predicament and informed by university officials that some kind of a bell would be required immediately, filled the need by removing a gong bell from a fire truck.
Vital Service
School authorities pointed out that with so many new students on the campus some sort of alarm was necessary to apprise the newcomers when class periods began and ended. That the bell filled the breach was apparent when it was reported its peals could be heard in the downtown business district.
The old bell is being repaired and will be placed back in use as soon as welding operations are completed.
According to Fire Chief Cowdrey the device was formerly used at the College Hill fire station on Freeman street, now occupied by the Law building.
At one time it was given by the Valparaiso department to the town of Wanatah. It was returned here when Wanatah adopted the siren system.
Later when the university lost one bell in the old College building fire the other was turned over to the school.
