Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-04-28
The Bells of Moscow.

lin OF Moscow, supported by the pedestal
of stone, is the largest bell in the world, and
probably the largest that ever was in the
world. A pieces is broken out of its side,
and the fragment is lying near The breadth
of bell is so great-it is iwenty feet across
that the cavity underneath has been used
as chapel, where as many people can stand
as in circle sixty feet around
In Russia the bell is an instrument of
musicfor the worship of God as truly and
really as the organ in any ether country.
This fact is not mentioned in the accounts
we have of the wonderful, enormous and al
most incredibly heavy bells that have been
/ cast in Moscow, but it is the key to what
| would otherwise be difficult to exr lain. 1t
appears to be stupid to cast bells so large
as TO be next to impossible for convenient
use, in danger always of falling and drag
ging others to ruin in their fall Bat when
the bell is a medium OF communication with
the Infinite, and the worship of a reople
and an empire finds expression in the ma
jestic tones of bell. it ceases to be a won
der that bell should have tongue which
requires twenty four men to move and
whose music sends thrill of praise into
every house in the city and tloats away be-
yond the river into the plains afar.
Moscow is the holy city of the Greek
church. Pilgrims come hither from thous-
ands of miles off, aud on foot, and sometimes
without shoes. I have seen them with
slaves in Their hands, and their travel worn
teet wound un in cloths. vending their way
to the sacred hill And when they draw
nigh unto the city, and on the evening air
the music of these holy bells is first borne to
their ears, they fall upon their faces, pros
trate, and worship God IF they could 90
no further, they would he content TO die
| there, for they have heard the bells of
| Moscow, and on their majestic tones their
souls have been taken up to heaven This is
the sentiment of the superstitious peasant.
and it is beautiful sentiment, ideal indeed,
but all the more delicate and exalted.
As long as five hundred years ago this
casting OF bells was an art in Russia. 1t is
one otthe fine arts now. Perhaps our great
bell founders the Meneelys, will not admit
that the founders there have any more skill
| in their manufacture than we have. and 7
| AIN not sure thar their bells have any tones
more exquisite than ours would have if we
would put as much silver and gold into
our bell mettle as they ID. But so long as
these precious metals are at the present
premium little or none of them will find its
way into our church bells. We have not
the mistaken idea of the Russians as to the
use of bell. We use it to call the people
to the house of worship Our bells speak
to us. Their bells praise God They cast
| their silver and their gold into the meltcn
mass, and it becomes an offering. as on an
alter, to Him who is worshipped with ev-
cry silvery note and golden tone of the holy
bell.
This one great bell is the growth of cen,
turies. In 1858 i, was cast and weighed only
$4,000 pounds. It fell in fire, and was
recast in 1854, being increased to the ston-
lshing weight of 2SS,000 pounds. This
was too vast a weight to be taken up the
top OF the tower, and it was sustained by a
frame at the foot of it, In I706 it fell in
another fire, and was broken into fragments
which lay there on the ground about thirty
years 1t was recast in 733, four years af-
terward a piece was knocked out of the side
OF IT. and it has been standing here ou the
ground more than a century. 1t weighs
444,000 pounds In the thickest part it is
two feet through 1t has relief pictures on
1t OF the Emperor and Empress, of the Say.
iour aud the Virgin Mary and the Evange
lists.
Ascending the Ivan tower we end on three
successive stories bells to the number of
thirty-four Some of these are of size TO
I'LL one with astoniShment had he not seen
the giant below. The largest is on the first
story above the chapel, and weighs more
than sixty tons. 1t swings freely and Is
easily rung. | smote it with the palm of
my hand, supposing that such blow could
not produce the slightest vibration in such
a mighty mass of iron, but it rung out as
clear aud startling as if spirit within had
responded to my knock without. Two bells |
are OF solid silver, and their tones are ex-
qoA'7isGiS sun, iAIuiu dJu pure III was eX- 4
citing to go from one to another and strike |
them with their tongues, or with your hand
and catch the variety and richness of their /
several melodies.
The chapel below is dedicated to the pat
ron saint of all ladies about to married and |
1t may be readily believed that the bell that
gives expression to their prayers will have,
at least to their ears, the sweetest tone of |
all the bells in Moscow.
had come down from the Kremlin to my |
lodgings at Blot 5, and, wearied with the /
wander!ngs of the day, was lying on the bed /
aud looking out on the city. 1t is just be-
fore sunset, and the day has been oppress-
lively warm. A delicious glow from the gor-
geous west is bathing all the domes and /
roofs with splendid colors, and silence is
stealing in with the setting sun upon the
crowded town. 1t is the eve OF one of their
most holy festivals Of the church. One
vast church editce is direc .!y in view of my
window, and but a short way off.
A lie musing, from this church at hand