North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-04-21
THE BELLS OF MOSCOW.
The Holy Ctty-Thc Great Bell-The
INNn TONer-M Wsic Of the Bells &. sc.

The foreign correspondent of the COB
server has the following article on sThe
, Bells of Moscow in the last issue of
that paper. At the foot of the Ivan
Tower, in the Kremlin of Moscow, sup
ported by pedestal of stone, is the
largest that ever was in the world 4
piece is broken out of its side and the
fragment is lying near. The breadth of
the bell is SO grcat-it is twenty 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 music for the worship of God as truly
and really as the organ in any other
country. This fact is not mentioned in
the accounts we have Of this wonderful,
enormous, and almost incredibly heavy
bells that have been cast in Moscow, but
it is the key to explain what would
otherwise be difficult to explain. 1t
appears bound to cast bells SO large as to
be next to impossible for convenient
use, in danger always of falling and
dragging others to ruin in their fall.
But when the bell is a means of COM
munication with the Infinite, and the
worship of a people and an empire finds
expression in the majestic tones of
bell, it ceases to be wonder that bell
should have tongue which requires
twenty-four men to move, and whose
music should send a thrill of praise into
every house in the city and float away
beyond the river into the plains afar.
Moscow is the only city of the Greek
Church. Pilgrims come hither from
thousands of miles off, and on foot, and
sometimes without shoes. Ishave seen
them, with slaves in their hands and
travelworn feet wound up in cloths,
vending their way to the sacred hills
And when they draw nigh unto the
city, and on the evening air the music
of these holy bells is borne to their ears,
they fall upon their faces, PROSTATE, and
worship God. If they could 60 no fur
ther, they would be content to die there.
for they have heard the bells of Mos
cow, and on their majestic tones their
souls have been taken up to heaven
This is the sentiment of the supersti-
tious peasant, and it is a beautiful senti-
ment-ideal indeed, but all the more
delicate and exalted.
AS long as five hundred years ago,
this casting of bells was an art in Rus
STA. 1t is one of the fine arts now.
Perhaps our great bell founders, the
Meneelys, VIII not admit that the foun-
ders there have any more skill in the
manufacture than we have, and I am
not sure that their bells haveany tones
more exquisite than ours would have if
we put as much silver and gold into our
bell-metal as they do. But as long as
the precious metals are at their 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.
They use the bell for worship. Our
bells speak to us. Their bells praise
God. They cast their silver and gold
into the molten mass, and it becomes an
offering, as on an altar, to Him who is
worshipped with every silver note and
golden tone Of the holy bell.
This one great bell is the growth of
centuries. In 1853 it was cast, and
weighed only So pounds. 1t fell in
fire, was recast in 1864, being increas-
ed to the astonishing weight Of 22S, 600
pounds. This was too vast a weight to
be taken up to the top of the tower, and
it was sustained by a frame at the foot
of it. In 100 it fell in another fire.
and was broken into fragments, which |
lay there on the ground about thirty |
years. 1t Was recast in 1873, and four
years afterwards a piece was knocked !
out of the side Of it, and it has been
standing here on the ground more than
half century. 1t weighs 444,O0O
pounds. In the thickest part it is two
feet through. 1t has relief pictures on
it of the Emperor and Empress, of the
Saviour and the Virgin Mary, and the
Evangelists.
Ascending the Ivan Tower, we find
on three successive stories bells to the
number of thirty-four. Some of these
are of a size to fill one with astonish-
ment 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
swung. | smote it with the palm of my
hand, supposing that such blow could
not produce the slightest vibration in
such mighty mass of iron, but it rung
out as clear and startling as if a spirit
within had responded to my knock with
out. Two bells are of solid silver, and
their tones are exquisitely soft, liquid
and pure. 1t was exciting 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
patron saint of all ladies' about to be
married, and it may be readily believed
that the bell that gives expression to
their prayers will have, at least to their
ears, the sweetest tones of all the bells
in Moscow.
l had to come down from the Krem-
lin to my lodging at Billotts, and, wea-
ried with the wanderings Of the day, was
lying on the bed and looking out on the
city 1t is just before sunset, and the
day has been oppressiyely warm. A de-
licious glow from the gorgeous 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