Bell at Kimberling city

[moregooder]

I must look to all of you for help, it has come to my attention that some one wishes to raise the bell that hangs from the submerged 1927 bridge at kimberling city MO and put it in a museum. the bell has no real historical value, it it a marmoreal to a friend , his family and friends would vary much like it left there. we visit the bridge ring the bell and feel better about his loss.
If you all can help me get the story out maybe the bell will be left alone for all of us to enjoy
He was an instructor, shop oner from Nebraska and led many trips to the lake , started looking for the bridge in 1997 and found it on a late spring trip in 2000,that was his last dive, he was killed in a hunting accident weeks later. we had the bell cast that winter and in the spring of 2001 we hung it after a weekend of ceremony.
The bells hardware is made of stainless steel, all of the components were welded together. three separate 3/8s stainless steel chains attach it to the under side of the east spans mane support. at normal pool it hangs at about 110'. all divers give names to there dive sites, don't know that the locale divers call it anything more then kimberling city bridge, what we call it is cast into the bottom lip of the bell, we don't tell anyone what it reeds you must reed it four yourself.
NO ONE WOULD BE ABLE TO REMOVE IT WITH HAND TOOLS AND MISPLACED AMBITION I built that into it, nothing short of a commercial effort can get at it, but that is what we have heard is going on

I am hoping this affects some of you the way it dose us, his friends and family and will help us get the word out

 

[SteveC]

I'm right behind you on this one. It's your bell, it's your friend, you hung it, I say the bell stays.

 

[wb5plj]

I concur, it is yours and what happens to it should be up to you.

you may try working up an article of some kind and submit it to a news paper in Kimberling City and or a local paper to where this other party may be located. you never know sometimes they have slow media days and public interest is often times an interesting motivator. Plus if you do the work for them it is also an advantage.

Over the years I have had several articles printed in relevant papers for ham radio (amateur radio operators) events and quite frankly ham radio is very boring and geeky to the common public. not to mention that I can't write very well. At any rate I would say that raising the alarm in the diving community like this is a good idea but if you are still concerned then broaden your scope and include the relevant non-diving community.

Good luck

sounds like a good dive, and sounds like you have helped to make it better. I will have to try and find it some time I am down there. don't often have a boat to dive from though.

 

[ScubaSteve]

First of all, what link??? You edited your original post to add a link but there is no link. I am also a bit confused. Why would somebody want to put a bell in a museum that was built by someone and hung underwater? It can have no historical value at all? Or is there something that you have left out about the object which you hung?

No matter what the circumstances, I agree that your best bet would likely be to get this into the media. It because a HUGE public opinion case when the public sees that it is a memorial to a loved one. Most people do not have the heart to do that to a family....this guy was likely also a big part of the community. Get the word on the news public and TV and watch the support roll in.

 

[moregooder]

The link was a photo of the bell, I'm working on that. We haven't gone to the media with it because the core of engineers gets so pissy about putting things in the lake.

 

[k ellis]

I agree the bell should stay. I am a bit curious though about this bridge. Was it over the river before it was made into a lake? Just curious

 

[theskull]

I agree the bell should stay. I am a bit curious though about this bridge. Was it over the river before it was made into a lake? Just curious

That's right, it was the White River bridge before the Corps of Engineers built that dam that turned the river into Table Rock Lake. Now it is a most excellent dive site, with the top of the old bridge at app. 110 ft. and the bottom deck at app. 135 ft., and the old river bottom at app. 170 ft.

We also ring the bell on every dive, enjoy its presence, and appreciate the symbolism.

I can't imagine anyone wanting it in a museum, and only thought divers even knew about it. Would sure love to hear more details regarding who wants it, why, and how they plan to retrieve it.

theskull

 

[k ellis]

You got my support to keep it there where it is

 

[muddiver]

Here's another submerged bridge

Relics exposed in Lake Shasta : zFeatured : Redding Record Searchlight

 

[Wkndbum]

Moregooder....maybe you could scan the picture you have of the old bridge & the new bridge above it before the lake filled & post it here. That is really a neat picture.