Sounds like a good book title. HMMMM.
This should be an easy find.
All the spots are in city limits.
You will not have to look hard to find these bells. They can be seen from these spots. Please, no cheating using maps and no pictures showing the wording on the bells. Go to the sites and enjoy the history. At some sites, be careful not to disturb the neighbors. This hide had to become a puzzle due to the lack of secure safe hiding spots near the bells. Little muggles abound at the sites.
Parking is available nearby, please park legally. Muggle activity can be high so be stealthy.
Answer the questions to solve the location of the final cache located at N 37 03.RSS W 097 01.XYZ.
The sum of R+S+S+X+Y+Z digits equals 18.
Go to N 37 03.919 W 097 02.184
What is the year on the bell?
If it was 1931 then S = 3
If it was 1877, then S = 2
If it was 1874, then S = 4
Who was the manufacturer of this bell?
If it was L.M.Rumsey, then X = 4
If it was Jones & Co. then X = 6
If it was Blymer Norton Co. then x = 8
Go to N 37 04.200 W 097 02.355
What year was this bell moved to its present location?
If it was 1910, then R = 5
If it was 1955, then R = 4
If it was 2542, Then R = 3
In line 5 of the paragraph of the plaque, there is a number. How many digits does it have?
If it has 5 digits, then Y = 5
If it has 3 digits, then Y = 3
If it has 2 digits, then Y = 2
Go to N 37 03.674 w 097 02.054
What is the year on the bell?
If it was 2002, then Z = 3
If it was 1887, then Z = 1
If it was 1897, then Z = 5
Information about these bells.
Bells were standard equipment on steam locomotives in North America from around 1840 onward. Their purpose was to make noise, alerting people and animals of an oncoming train. Steam locomotive bells were usually made of cast bronze or brass. They were typically between 11 and 17 inches in diameter (measured at the widest part). They could weigh hundreds of pounds. When a steam locomotive was scrapped, the locomotive bell was often one of the few items saved from the torch. On early locomotives and others that did not have clearance issues, bells were mounted on top of the boiler. On larger locomotives where height clearances became an issue, bells were mounted on the front of the smoke box. There were also cases where steam locomotive bells were mounted in odd places like under the smoke box or under the running board.
L.M. Rumsey M’F’G was in business from 1865 to 1917 under the names L.M. Rumsey Manufacturing Co. and L.M. Rumsey & Co. At the St. Louis works, employment of one hundred and fifty skilled and experienced workmen and sixteen commercial travelers was constant. The trade of the company extended to every part of the Union, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, South America, etc. The company manufactured farming equipment from pitchforks to elaborate machines; grist, feed, cider, and cane mills; screw presses; broom corn machinery; pumps & supplies, chain, sheets of lead, all types of fire equipment including engines, reels, trucks, supplies hose, belting. Also, iron and wood working machinery, foundry supplies, steam engines and supplies, and bells.
Jones & Co were one of the seven largest producers of bronze bells in the U.S. Primarily they produced church, chimes, fire alarms, factory, steamboat, locomotive, and plantation bells. The company was known for the pure metal, depth and richness of tone, prolongation of sound and durability. They held patents for mountings and yokes. The company was awarded various prestigious awards at State Fairs, World Fairs, and Institutions between 1853 and 1856 for their excellence in their bells. This website shows a catalog from that time period with schematics for bells.
https://archive.org/details/cu31924067727796