Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-15
4 FAMOUS CHIME.
The Bells orSt Mfchael's Charleston,
.. C.-Interesting story Connected

.. C.-Interesting story Connected
Herewith.
Mrs. Petigru Carson, the daughter of the
late distinguished James l.. Petigru, OF
South Carolina, contributes to Appletons'
Journal, an interesting account OF old st.
Michael's Church and the chime of bells
that once sounded in its steeple carlton
as sweet as floats from the spire OF Antwerp
Cathedral. These bells we're connected
with the Revolution, but having escaped
the perils of the siege of Charleston by the
British in 17s0, they were destroyed nearly
q century later by q mischance of the war
of secession. But we.must lettMFs. Carson
tell the story of their fate after Sumter:
"Time went on, and Charleston, behind
her defenses of sand, resisted all the efforts
to carry her. During the 500 (546) days
of bombsrdment all the lower part OF the
town had to be abandoned. Houses and
churches were shattered, the cannon balls
tore up the very grave-yards, and the bones
of the dead were scattered. Yet the spire
Of st. Michael's was untouched. Perhaps
the cannonier tried to spare it; perhaps good
angels guarded it. But what neither the
malice ofthe enemy nor the spite Of fortune
did, the people themselves effected, for the
bells were taken down and sent to Columbia
to be cast into cannon. Gen. Besuregard,
perhaps shocked at the desecration, pro-
nounced them unfit for the purpose; and
the fate which heaped up st Columbia for
safe. keeping everything Of value in the
State, there detained the bells also. Then
Sherman's army passed through, leaving
Its track of lightning. A party of half
drunken soldiers, out for lark and for
plumber, were accosted by a negro, who Of
fered to show them the bells which had
rung in secession. Never said the men,
shall they play that tune again. aud they
smashed them into hundred pieces.
ssSad was the return to the desolated
homes and the meeting IN the dumb church
to which no miracle might now restore the
voice of the chimes they loved THEeEs 6
aBut they were men of pluck still. and,
as soon as they had shaken themselves up
and provided for the first pressing needs,
they resolved to tax themselves to the ut
most to get new chime. ---, :
scarcely had the rector bread, and the
vestry and congregation were all very
poor, but they wrote to G. r. Prioleau, Of
London, to inquire the cost of new set.
This gentleman had lived so long In Eng
land IS to have become almost an English
man, with a fair English wife, and bluff,
handsome English children, but his heart
stirred at the recollection of the dear old
voices that had called him in childhood,
and he took the task with loving zeal
that brought shout the most surprising re-
suits. There was no record at Charleston
of where the bells came from. But Mr..
Prieleau searched the directory for the
oil fcY,nIoro of fha aifu and from
one to another, until, at Meares & Co.,
WhiEechapel, London, q. firm which has
been in existence three hundred years. he
found, by patient examination, the record
of bells cast for st. Michael's Church,
South Carolina, in 1859. The proportions
of the metal and size of the bells were all
entered in the books; and the present Meares
engaged to turn out new set, which, when
hung, should make the Charlestoniahs think
they heard their veri able old bells. But
Mr.. Priouleau was not content with this !;
be wrote back to have all the fragments
that could be found sent out, and this was
done. Meanwhile Meares found still in
their service an old man of seVenty-six,
who had been apprentice under the very
foreman who, more than a hundred years
before, had cast those bells; and he, slim
ulsted by Prioleau's generosity, never
rested till he brought to light the very orig
inal molds for the castings. Into them the
new metal was melted, with careful dis
tribution of the broken fragments, so
as to make the illusion reality. All that
was wanting to make up the cast Mr.. Prio-
leau added, and the reward of his persever-
ance and generosity was TO send TO the
vestry these new bells, which are the very
old ones still. Again did the congregation
with tears and thanksgiving receive the
bells from this, their fifth voyage across the
Atlantic, and hung them up in St. Michaels
steeple.
"May they never again be removed by
the rough hand Of war, or ever sound
aught but peace on earth and good will to
meDw