Ilion High School - Class of 1940

Utica Observer - October 18, 1940

Arms Plant Whistle as Vital To Ilion People as Main St.

Article 2

Arms Plant Whistle as Vital To Ilion People as Main St.

Photo caption - The 36 year old whistle atop Remington Arms powerhouse gives an scheduled blast to arouse the curiosity of Ilion residents.

Ilion - "What's the whistle blowing for?"

"I didn't hear the noon whistle, did you?"

These were familiar expressions around the village last week and they typify the average villager's reaction to something that is as much a part of Ilion as Main St.

People were inquiring about the whistle on the top of the Remington Arms plant powerhouse and their attention was attracted to the whistle because of its unscheduled "toots" and failure to blow on schedule early in the week while it was undergoing repairs.

The only time people pay much attention to the whistle is when it fails to blow on schedule or is heard when it shouldn't be and this usually happens when workmen are making adjustments or repairs.

The whistle is so much a part of Ilion and Ilion residents that many fail to realize how much their daily schedule is linked to its stentorian bellow.

Tells Workers They're Late

Thousands of residents in Ilion and in nearby Frankfort, Herkimer and Mohawk hurrying to work in the plants here know they are late if they hear the whistle and hundreds of housewives set their kitchen clocks and start putting their noon-meal on the table when the whistle's hoarse voice tells them their husbands are on the way!

The whistle begins its chores at 7 a.m., blows again at noon and at 1 p.m. and "quits" for the day at 4 p.m.. It is blown automatically by means of an electric valve from the main offices of the plant.

In addition to starting and ending work days, the whistle has other "Important functions" but perhaps the one that commands the most attention is when the deep-toned blast summon Ilion volunteer firemen --- sometimes from their factory benches and business places and sometimes from their beds on cold winter nights.

Gives Emergency Signal

On two occasions in recent years at the height of wind and rain storms the whistle has sounded above the storm sending out the emergency signal that brought the volunteers to the Central Fire Station to begin flood duty. The whistle has been the official "starter" for civic parades as long as many residents can recall and each Armistice Day it is blown for one full minute in observance of the moment when the Armistice was signed.

Officer Clifford Hall Is one local resident who will testify from experience to the shock of hearing the whistle go off "under your car." On two occasions he has been nearly knocked from his motor cycle as he was riding along Main St. near the powerhouse when the whistle suddenly let loose.

Heard for Several Miles

Tales of the distance the blast of the whistle can be heard are legendary but there are many who insist they have heard it as far north as Fairfield and as far south as the Cherry Valley turnpike.

Powerhouses employees admit this is a possibility if the wind and weather conditions are just right.

One volunteer likes to tell the story of the night he was snow bound in a farm on Vickerman Hill and heard the blast of the whistle sounding a fire alarm as clearly he jumped from bed and was fully dressed before he realized he was snowbound more than four miles from Ilion.

The other occasions when the wind was the other direction, residents of West Hill, less than half a mile from the plant, have had difficulty in even hearing the whistle.

Whistle About 33 Years Old

The present whistle is about 33 years old and is as tall as the average man, requiring 125 pounds of steam pressure to sound the blast each time and requiring 35 pounds of pressure to hold the valve closed at all times. When the whistle blows the wooden control house on which the whistle is mounted shakes like a leaf from the tremendous power generated by the steam.

The whistle used to be mounted on the boiler room on Otsego St. which was razed several years ago. it was blown by hand at that time and was later transferred to its present location where a whistle blowing machine operated by weights was used to sound the whistle. About five years ago the electric valve was installed and has been used since.

The only time the whistle is blown from outside the factory or fire alarm system is at 9 each morning when the fireman on duty at the Central Fire Station sounds two short blasts by pressing a button.

Fire Chief Sanford Getman is prepared for anything however and carries as a "spare" the old whistle in use before the present one.