Star.
London, England, 1826-08-18 00:00:00

BOW BELLS.

A few mornings ago, the family of Mr. Aughtie
were awakened by a tremendous crash, as if the upper
put of the hruse had fallen in. They found that a
stone of nearly one hundred pounds weight had fallen
(torn the upper cornice of the tower of Bow Church,
and broken in the roof. It had hit some of the pro-
jecting cornices of the tower, by which its force was
broken, and it had fallen lengthways, or it is probable
that it would have gone through the two floors below
the attic, where it stuck, and might have occasioned
the lots of lives. Mr. Gwilt, the architect, was sent for
by the parish °raters, to examine and report as to thei
cause of the accident. This Gentleman has, we learn,
reported that the.stone has most probably been detached
by the vibration of the tower, caused by the ringing of
the bells, and that the effects of this practice are mani-
fested by large tracks in the plastering of the belfry
walls, which were plastered over in 1822.
_ _

When, in 1816, the spire was found to have lost its
perpendicularity, it was conceived that the mischief was
caused by the ringing. Mr. Gwilt, however, ascer-
tained that, although the splitting of the tower might
be attributed to that cause. yet the deviation of the spire
was caused by the injudicious use of wrought iron in its
construction. The expansion of the metal by oxidation,
had. he found, actually ':palled" or split solid blocks
of stone, and partially lifted up the obelisk from its per-
pendicular station. This, with the tremendous shaking
the whole had undergone, from the incessant ringing of
the heaviest peal in the city, rendered repair absolutely
necessary, and little doubt was entertained that, had it
been delayed, the steeple would, in no great length of
time, have fallen.

The architect, on the completion of the repairs of the
spire, expressed his opinion to the Parish Officers, that
it would not be prudent to ring the bells. In the report
he has made on the peseta oocasion, he states it as his
firm conviction, that the part of the steeple from whicb
the stone fell, never was strong enough for the original
peal of bells. Even if it had been constructed with
sound masonry, which he declares most decidedly it
never was, the subsequent addition of two bells, weigh-
ing upwards ni a ton, was not calculated to improve
it. The effect of a peal of ten bells upon such a steeple
may be conceived from the fact, which this Gentleman
ascertained from actual experiment, that the smallest
bell, which weighs eight,hundred weight, shakes it ftom
the top to the very foundation. The largest of the ten
• bells is upwards of two tons and a half in weight.

There is a paragraph in one of the New York Papers,
which states that a Gentleman who came passenger in
the ship New England. from Calcutta to New York,
reports that s hen off Saugur Island on the 4th March,
they fell in with the steam boat Enterprise, the Muter
of which reported that the British Army bad reached
Ara, the capital of the Burmese,.Enspire, and that Sir
A. CAMPBELL had. sent word to the Km, that unless
the terms contained in the late Treaty were complied
with within twenty-fopr hours, he (would destroy the
city. In this account the dates correspond so well with
the time at which it was expected the Enterprise would
arrive at Calcutta with dispatches from Rangoon, as to
render it by no means improbable that the intelligence
thus received may prove correct.
Mr. PA as, the Counsel, and three other Gentlemen,
were walking on the Swifts, Carlisle, one day during
the Assizes, and these met a little boy of the name of
Brown, of whom they asked several questions, as to his
situation in life. They learned that his parents were
honest hard-working people, residing in or near Rick-
ersgate ; and that he himself belonged to the St. Patrick's
School, where he was receiving his education. The
Gentlemen were so well pleased with the boy's answers,
which indicated sincerity and an acuteness beyond his
years, that they took him to a dillies shop in Bickers-
gate, where he was, by their orders, measured for a new
suit of clothes, which the boy now wears. Mr. PARK
subsequently added his name to the charity of the St.
Patrick's school, by requesting that in addition to the
boy's education, Is. 6d. a week be paid towards his live-
lihood, on his (Mr. Iv s) account, until the next Assizes.
Last week, in the vicinity of Kingswell-strand
til:ery. near Auehterader, a Gentleman and his Lady,
f: cm Edinburgh, were on a visit to a friend's house ;
and a party, consisting of them, their fliend, his Lady,
and another, was formed to visit the Distillery. On
their return they had to cross the stream called the
Ruth ven, by a narrow wooden bridge which overhangs
a pool of some dypth. The Edinburgh Lady shuddered
a; tie idea of it ; she protested the bridge was toe frail
to sustain them. One of the Gentlemen Assured her
st.e wt as mistaken, and to spew at once the strength of
th.e bridge and of his own faith, he led the way, and
taking the Lady by the hand, she followed him t another
Lady followed her. and last of all came the remaining
C.r.tlernan—the third Lady, being rather sceptical,
remained on terra Pmts. surveying. with horror, the
rash attempt. Just as the weight of this adventurous
party pressed upon the centre of the bridge, it gavel
%ay, then the whole were precipitated into the pool
beneath, up to their chins in water. There was no ex-
tricating themselves by their own efforts, for the bank
on one side was steep and lofty ; and the other side inac-
cessible, owing to the depth of water; and there the
Ladlbs had to remain, for some considerable time, kept
afloat by the exertions of the Gentleman. until, at length.
they reached a more shallow part of sbe_ iver. when
they mere !multi in the presence of severaT individuals
who hod come to the spot OA hearing streams.