THE BELL

Bob Bachman

For those in attendance at P/C Carl Wilhelms’ memorial, you heard 8 bells rung, the traditional naval way of signaling the end of a watch. Many immediately noticed the solid, deep tones of those 8 bells, as they were accustomed to the tinny clanging of our old bell.

A while back as I was digging thru a deep pile of clutter in the storeroom I discovered a large bell. The bronze was almost black, the few brass pieces were dark green, and the wood base was covered in old varnish, grease and large splotches of red bottom paint. Lifting it out, I immediately became aware of its weight and decided I had to hear it ring. One ring after another convinced me that this bell should not be retired and hidden in the depths of the club but returned to its glory. I brought it out and after rubbing away some of its grime, I was able to make out a name stamped into the wood base – "Sea Venture".

After inquiries around the club to see if anyone could identify it, I had struck out. So home it went to be refurbished in my spare time. My idea was to replace the bell in the main hall with this newly found, richly sounding bell. With the holiday commitments little was accomplished on the bell's restoration. I vowed in January I would give it my full attention.

Then came the news that Carl Wilhelm had taken ill. Within a matter of weeks things had become very serious. Being a highly respected, longtime member and a friend, Carl was our elder statesman. I decided now might be a good time to complete the restoration project. The refurbishing seemed to have taken on a sense of urgency. Four days were spent restoring its golden color and stripping down and revarnishing its beautifully figured wood. I finished on Sunday evening. At six A.M. the next morning, Carl crossed the bar.

On February 1st a memorial was held, with standing room only in the clubhouse. During the Commodore’s comments he spoke of Carl’s love of the sea and as a teenager, was in the Sea Scouts. The Commodore went on to say "most people can remember where they were on significant dates in history". It so happens that on December 7th, 1941, Carl was sailing the waters of Lake Washington on the Sea Scout ship "Sea Venture". Could this be the very bell from that ship? I have no way to confirm it, but due to its style, heavy construction and poor condition, I strongly suspect the mystery of the bell has been revealed. Everyone is free to draw their conclusions, but when I hear that bell toll, from now on I’ll think of it as "Carl’s Bell".

Bob Bachman
February 2003