News : Not quite like clockwork: Hands, bell still not in synch atop B.C. Courthouse

Irregular bell ringing bell and hands out of synch; the restored courthouse clock needs more work.

At 8 p.m. last Saturday, the bell atop the Benton County courthouse chimed – four times.

At that time, the big hand on the clock facing south was on “12;” the little hand on 8. The clock facing west, however, was five minutes behind.

Five minutes later, when the west face of the courthouse clock was at 8, the bell chimed four more times.

This irregular pattern is clearly not how the clock is supposed to work.

But, says Benton County Supervisor Terry Hertle, leaders were told that such irregularity was possible.

Hertle too, has observed that the bell at times has chimed as it should, but has not chimed at all on other occasions. He said oiling an arm that is part of the bell mechanism has helped a bit.

The Clayton County courthouse clock, ninety minutes north in Elkader, was restored last year, funded in part by the same kind of historical grant that helped pay for the clock project in Benton County.

“The people in Clayton County tell me it took six months for them to get that clock running as it should,” said Hertle.

The Smith Clock Co. of Indiana has been contacted about the issues. Hertle said that the state grant that covered the project came in two parts. The county received half to get the project started, and will receive the other half ($17,000) when the historical architect in charge of the project has approved it.

Hertle said that payment should be a motivating factor in getting the clocksmith to make sure the clock and bell are working properly.

“We haven’t received the funding, so they can’t be paid until we get paid,” said Hertle.