The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-02
The Emperor Bell Of Berlin.

| The Berlin correspondent Of the London Te1e-
graph writes: 'The great bell Kaiser Glocke or
Emperor BelD has been cast for the third time.
Its final preparation and cooking must have been
q tremendous business. A huge gulf was first
dug in the earth, wherein the stufing, upon
which the inside OF the bell was to be moulded,
was sOlidly built Of particular sort Of masonry.
| The size Of this brick and mortar receptacle
| may be estimated by the circumstance that four
teen full-grOwn men can stand comfortably
under the bell.
| When the stuffing was finished and hardened.
a clay bell was constructed over it, Of the exact
| dimensions given to the metal bell the coats of
| arms and the horid Ornamentation Of various
descriptions were modelled upon this clay by the
respective artists, and the inscription fixed upon
it in letters made OF wax. The false bell was
then besmeared with grease, and the mantle
was again superimposed upon it, Of cay well
worked up with calves hair to bind it well to-
gether. As soon the ''mantle" was COM
pleted it was lifted of, the false bell re-
moved, and the mantle replaced in exactly
its former position with the most minute care
and precision, hole being left in the apex
through which to pour the boiling metal into the
vacuum between ''etuffing" and I'm ntle.' The
furnace wherein the French guns of which the
bell is made were cooked consumed 200 cwt. Of
coal, and burned furiously for twelve hours,
melting down and artstcally stewng no less
than twenty-five captured cannon. some Of
which were field pieces Of the Louis XIV period
and were taken from the French royal forces
during their campaign in the Palatinate. When
the fluid metal resulting from this grand brew OF
artillery was "turned on into the mouth of the
casting, it flowed freely and necessarily for
twenty-r inc minutes ere the ''form" Was full to
the Grim, and took three weeks to cool.
Disembarrassed OF its mantle" tte dmen-
sons of the bell are as follows: Twelve feet in
height, eleven feet in diameter, thirty-three feet
in circumference; its weight is twenty-five tons,
and Its clapper weighs sixteen hundrt wei ,ht.
All the other bells of Cologne Cathedral put to-
gether do not weigh as much this monster, to
ring which thirty men viii be required. The in
tcliption is inclosed in a handsome arabesque.
above which stands st. Peter, while beneath It is
depicted the escutcheon Of the German Realm |
The inscription is worded in the Latin tongue, as
are also couple of distiches on the opposite
SIDE which may be translated II announce to
the people with my voice heavenly message;
souls are aroused by it and chine in eagerly |
Thou who openest the halls of the temple
moved thereto by my voice, open at the sa me |
time, thou heavenly porter the gates Of eave,..'
A German Inscription rms, tran lated. as fol |
lows My name is the Emperor Bell l celebrate |
the Emperor's honor stani on holy wa CHI |
tower AID pray for the German Empre-that |
God may grant it peace and security The X riser
Glocke will be hung up in the old befry, under |
the present peal, until the Cathedral is finished
when all the five bells composing the complete
peal will be definitely suspended at a. elevation
IT 20 feet above the Cathedral sGuare."