The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-01-10

A His.aEy ei the Casting that PrOelains1
Liberty ThrouEhuat the Lsaa.

Es.aEy ef the Casting that PrOelsinse
Liberty Throughout the Lsa1.
The Philadelphia News gives
some interesting particulars of the
Independence Bell that is to be
sent to the Worlds Exposition in
this city as feature Of the Phila.
delphia exhibit. The State House
of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia,
work on which was suspended for
a number of years, was then APP
preaching completion. The lower
floors were already occupied by
the Supreme Court in one cham
Der, while in the other assembled
the Freemen of the Province of
Pennsylvania, then consisting of
one body. A committee was ap-
pointed by the Freemen, with Pc.
ter Norris as chairman, and EN-.
powered to have q new bell cast
for the building. The commission
for the bell was in the same year
awarded to Robert Charles, of
London, the specification being
that the bell should weigh about
1000 pounds and cost flOO ster'
ling. 1t was to be made by the
best workmen, to be examined
carefully before being shipped,
and to contain, in well-shaped let
ters aroundlt the inscription "By
order of the Province of Pennsyl'
yania for the State House in the
City of Philadelphia, 1752.n An
order was given to place under
meath this the fateful and prophet
ic words from Leviticus, XIV, 10
"Proclaim liberty throughout the
land, and to all the Inhabitants
thereof"
The reason for tho selection o.
this text has been a subject o.
much conjecture, but the true
reason is apparent when the full
text is read. 1t is as follows
"And ye shall hallow the flftietl
year and proclaim liberty through
out the land and to all the inhabi
tants thereof In selecting th'
text the good Quakers had in mem
ory the arrival Of William Penn
and their forefathers more thar
half a century before.
In August, 1852, the bell arrived
but though in apparent good order
it was cracked by a stroke of th
. . clapper while being tested. |
could not be sent back, as the CAP
tain of the vessel who had brough
; it over could not take 1t on board
Two skillful workmen undertook
to recast the bell, and prepares
! an exceedingly good mold, which
on beng opened, revealed a be
which pleased very much. But
was also found to be defectiv,
The original bell was considere
too high, and a quantity OF coppe
was added to tho composition, bu
= too much copper was adde'
) There were a great many witt
cisms on account of the secOn
failure, and the ingenious workme
D undertook to recast the bell, whic
they successfully did, and it wa
placed in condition in Jun,
|
Q 1853.
l. On Monday, the Sth of July, (nt
J the 4th) at noon, true to its mott,
= it rang out the memorable messag
Il of Liberty throughout the Ian
and to all the inhabitants thereof
For fifty years the bell contil
!, ued to be rung on every festiv'
and anniversary until iteventuall
cracked.
An Intellectual attempt was mac
to cause it to continue serviceab
: by enlarging the cause of its di
sonance and chipping the edge
1t was removed from its positio
;, in the tower to q lower story, al
only used on occasions of publ
sorrow, such as the death of o
presidents and statesmen. Su
sequently it was placed on Il
original timbers in the vestibule
the State House, and in 1873 it WI
: suspended in a prominent positio
Immediately beneath where a la
= ger bell, presented to the city
:, : 1876, now proclaims the passir
hours.
.
y CONUNDRUMS.