Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-04-11

tribute to the comf0r' OF the soldiers who were
here in the first Of the rebellion, we had been
slandered and II was time that penny. q. liners
should cease.
The resolution was unanimously adopted.
Inc following Were reported from mmit-
By Mr.. Ferguson, ways and means Res
oluuon In relation to the Metropolitan rail way.
BY Mr. Larner, tifnpro vements -substitute
to cause footway to be paved on the south
front Of aares 194, 209, 2l; TO trim and gravel
l. street, from 10th street to Connecticut av-
enue; to cause curb to be set on the west front
Of square 271 to pa, squares 277, 27s, and
squares 469 49S; to take up and enlarge the
cutters on both sides of 7th street east. from e
to M south substitute for bill for taking up
and resetting curbstone on south side OF M
street, between 9th and 7th streets; substitute
for bill to set curb on north side or Virginia
avenue from 9th to 7th streets west; bill 10 pave
the carriageway OF II street, from 18th street
to Pennsylvania avenue; passed.
By Mr.. Moore, drainage. )-For water main
IN 5th street, from NJ to north; for water main
IN south street, from 18th to 1ith; in iith,
from south B TO Maryland avenue; in Mary
land avenue, from 18th to l4th streets; 70 lay
water main along street north, from l4th to
passed.
By Mr.; Kelly, (claims. )-Bill for the relief
OF J. J. Kauth; rejected-yeas 1, nays 10.
:. Aldermen bill for the relief of VIM. H. Frank
lin; recommittsd.
By Mr. Davis (police For the relief of Rev.
j. A. Walter authorizing the enclosure in front
Vi fdtrlcH OnuTcn on street 70 De eX-
tended five feet outside the building line; the
enclosure to be low wall with railing
passed.
The following were received from the AL
dermen: Council bill to cause the curb TO be
set and footway paved on street north, from
9th TO 1ith street, with amendments; which
were concurred in; making an appropriation
to enable the Mayor to have prepared uni
form system of drainage; referred. Joint re-
solution inviting a general illumination on
Thursday night, the 18th inst; passed.
THE CEREMONY OF BLESSING THE BELL OF
ST. DoMINICK's.-A large number Of people
congregated at st. Dominick's Church, Island,
Sunday afternoon, 70 witness the ceremony,
novel to many, of blessing the new bell of that
church. The bell which had been hung in q
temporary structure placed in the church
grounds adjacent to the church weighs 3,I43
pounds, and was purchased at a cost OF s., 500.
The bell was surrounded by branches OF
palm and was tastefully decorated with gar
lands of beautiful white flowers.
The ceremony was preceded by the usuaI
vesper service with some excellent music by
the choir. Mr.. Esputa, organist, and with solo
performances of high order by q lady mem
ber OF the choir, whose superb voiee gives such
attraction to the musical services at st. Domi-
hicks. After vesper services the procession
moved from the church In the following order:
The cross bearer, followed by the acolytes,
after which the children of the schools, dressed
tastefully in white; then the clergymen, sue
ceeded by the sponsors of the bell, "a in num-
ber,) designate by scarfs of white silk, with
the rear.
The procession moved to that portion of the
church square north Of the church, where the
bell had been placed, and thousands of others
who had been unable to gain access to the
crowded church here Joined the assemblage,
making very large gathering indeed.
Rev ID. +. Ralph, Q. p, addressed the
assemblage in some remarks preliminary TO the
ceremony of blessing the bell, taking for his
text the words, "And Jacob rose up early in
the morning, and took the stone that he had
sol N fnr q mill
and poured Oil upon the top Of it."-Genesis
%, IS.
He spoke of the interest OF the occasion
which was to hail the advent among them of
this powerful and sweet tongued messenger of
religion, and proceeded to describe the solemn
,1ng and an he effort upon the human
thing in the deep booming OF the religious peal
which seeks out as it were in the heart of man
the chord Of religion and makes IL vibrate in
response. In its sound there was something
calculated to lift the soul of man above ma.
terial things to heaven. In the tervent lam
guage Of eatholicity the bell was called "the
For their use we nave the positive command
Of God himself God commanded Moses 70
have made two silver trumpets, to be used on
pie to assemble in the temple, &c. In those
trumpets We're prefigured the church bells un-
asr aee ,S roSsn Gss
attacnea 70 ni. robes, that when ne appeared
the holy places. ~ ii'
Proceeding to make interesting mention OF
the first use of bells, and from that time down
un'il they We're combined with that feature OF
church architecture, the beIfry, the sneaker
went on to say that at time before cold mate
Iiansm prevailed, or its step daughter Ava
one CT great importance, at which the first die
participated. "i SLA
Judging by the interest manifested on tb;.
occasion the feeling still exists and needs m he
famed only little to blaze out as Of old.
There might be some present disposed to look
upon the blessing Of bells as mummery, but he
could show them that from the earliest history
of man, material things had been blessed TO the
service OF God, and that God had SO COM
manded. The first act Of the patriarch Jacob
after awaking from sleep after his vision,
was to erect a stone on that spot as a tes-
timony, and consecrated the place by erect.
ing q stone and pouring oil thereon. Yet
more pointed stilf God commanded Moses
to bless his people and promised that his own
blessing should ascend with that of Moses.
And God commanded that as soon as Moses
completed the tabernacle the altar should be
blessed and anointed; and not only the altar,
but every instrument contained In the taber-
nacle was dedicated to God.
In regard to the ceremony then to be per-
formed, there was a significance in each act.
The washing OF the bell externally and inter-
nally with holy water conveyed a Lesson of
purity not only in our Christian lives but in
regard to material objects. The annontIng OF
the bell seven times externally figured the
seven hours OF prayer and suffering Of our Sa-
=
gave an idea that the sound of the bell would
60 forth to the four quarters of the world. The
reading of the Gospel in conclusion typifed
that the bell would be used to call them to
prayer, and at such times as that Gospel would
be preached.
In conclusion, he spoke of the generous con-
tributions for the purchase of the bell-especial-
ly by the poorer classes Of the Island,-by
which the original design of procuring one Of
a size about 1900 pounds, had been exceeded
by the attainment Of one nearer 5000, and
U q N M and "a m tho,
whole city, independent of creed.
An earnest appeal was then made by Father
Ralph in behalf of the proposed new church
to be erected on this square of ground, and q
handsomely signed subscription list was soon
set in m motion.
The ceremony OF blessing the bell was then
proceeded with, in the order indicated in the
remarks of Father Ralph, being conducted by
Rev. J. A. Bokei, assisted by the very Rever.
end N. d. Young, and Rev. j. Lynch.
Father Bokel concluded the services by some
appropriate words in behalf of the new church
edifice, and said that the new bell would be
rung at g. m, at noon, and at p. m, tor the