The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-04-14
EASTER BELLS.

The Ringing or Grace Church Chimes
Yestordsy-Tho History and Poetry Of
tho Church Bell-Tho Tocsin and the
Waring Boll-The Great He'll or Mos-
cow-Edgar A. Poe and Frederick
Schiller and Memorial Versos-scarcity
or Bells In America.
Yesterday morning the great thoroughfare Of
Broadway, almost pulseiess 1t always seems
on Sunday, vibrated with the silvery Ginning
Of the ten new bells which, during the past
week. have been hung In the turret OF Grace
church. New York, chief city OF the Western
world, has for 2o0 years gone on In its prosaio
career OF prosperity without any OF those 70.
mantle reverberations from its hundreds OF church
towers which have made the cathedral towns Of
England and the Low Countries so dear to the wor-
shippers OF art and poetry. Trinity church alone.
which has chime of nine bells hung in its tall stee-
pie for some years past, has Deen allowed to break
the solemn mOnotony OF sundays and least days.
But Trinity is so far down town that the melodies
OF It's chimes are rarely heard by any great
number OF people on Sundays when lower
broadway Is deserted, and even to hear q
peal OF four bells it has been necessary to
Broadway as far as Twelfth street. in which vlciR-
ity the cheerful carllons Of st. AIMS Roman Cath.
olic Church were 70 be heard. Farther eastward,
in the dim, dark and swarming recesses Of the Ger
man Fatherland, the Church OF the Holy Redeemer,
through the six brazen Threats OF its bells, gives
tongue to the praise OF peace and good will, aud
the jewellers by the banks Of the Hudson, as far
north as Strykers Bay may chance on sunday
afternoon to the confused clang OF the bells Of
the Church OF the Assumption in West F0rty,ninth
street. Ramblers in Stuyvesant square are favored
with sweet sounds from the steepe OF st. Georges
Episcopal Church but with these few and far be-
tween exceptions the people of this city have
vnlAAu
which made Frederick Schiller write:-
Its solemn voice, with sorrow waling.
Or choral Ginning To deyouon
whatever tate 70 man may bring,
That metal tongue shall backward ring
The warning moral drawn from all
Bells have been brought TO great perfection 10
Europe, and hardly league OF the Old World can
be rode or walked over by q traveller without lis
tening to the boom OF great bells or the chimes
from the bells Of lesser note. Some OF the associa-
tons connected with foreign peals of bells are
most beautiful and touching, and. at this Easter
season, when every steeple having bell has rung
forth its joyous tldings OF the Resurrection. ne
memory can be more touching than that legendary
one of Limerick Cathedral The peal Of bells in
that sacred edince said to have been brought
from convent in Italy, for which they had been
manufactured by an enthusiastic native with
great labor and skill. The Italian having afterward
obtained q competency, fixed his home near the
Convent Clir, and for many years enjoyed the
daily chime OF his beloved BELLS But In some
political commissions which ensued the monks
were driven from their monastery, the Italian
from his home, and the bells were carried away to
another land. Alter long interval the course OF
his wanderlngs brought him TO Limerick On
calm and beautiful evening, as the vessel which
Shannon, he suddenly heard the bells peal forth
from the cathedral tower. They were the long
iriends~a early recoiections-w in their sound.
Crossing his arms on his breast, he lay back In the
boat. When the rowers looked around they saw
his face still turned to the cathedral tower as II
| stood out IN the dying sunset; but his eyes had
closed for ever on the world and his wearied
and and memorable fight Of Marengo Bourienne re.
| lates that he was one day at MalmaisOn with the
First who wake 9ng MS Sn
on the the the ro 1he oS Of
bling with emotion, seized Bourienne's arm. A
film gathered in the eyes OF the great conqueror,
single chime as he said : ''Bourienne, the tones
| OF that bell recall my school days at Brienne An,
M h happy Pe aays %nser Of 9m
| hansen, In Switzerland, there Is inscribed the
| memorable Words
vivos voco-Mortuos plango-Fugura FRANCO.
| This inscription is translated:-T call the living;
| mourn the dead break the lightning" There
| was an old belief in switzerland that the
undulattons OF air caused by the sound OF bell
| broke the electric fluid Of a thunder cloud. The
great bell OF Moscow which cost f350000, Is q feet
| AZ inches in height and has circumference OF
81 feet its greatest thickness OF metal being %
inches and its weight 19S TONS This bell fell, and
has been converted into chapel where religious
| the Empress Anne. in 1874, from the metal OF q
gigantic predecessor The bell On the tower OF st.
Ivan. at Moscow, which has clapfer weighing
1900 pounds, Is Tung but thrice year, and the.s
Its mighty voice produces a tremuious effect
| through the city Of the Tsar and a noise like the
| rolling of distant thunder. 1t takes three men to
| swing the capper OF this gigantic bell Bells be-
longing to churches In the Oden time were blessed
| and dedicated to saints and many OF them retain
to this day the inscriptions made hundreds of years
| a-o on their brazen surfaces. The great bell at
Rouef, -Yhlch was destroyed in 174s, and weighed
| over $1,000 pounds, bore the following quaint
verse -
Je suis George dAmos,'s,
Qui al trente-cinque mihc poE'
Mais lui Qui me pesera
Trene-six mile me trouvera.
Bells dedicated to the Virgin Mary have such In.