The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-07-27

scription, was cast In 1888. was in the
earth 10S years, and was raised by the
Emperor Nicholas in 1886. 1t seems
never to have been actually hung or
l1lng. having cracked in the casting.
1t Is used as a chapel. 1t weighs about
10000 pounds. its height - feet s
inches, circumference 60 feet 9 inches,
while the weight of the broken piece.
which forms the door to the chapel,
weighs eleven tons. The second Mos.
cow bell, the larges: in the world in
actually use. weighs 12S tons. The bell
at Marking weighs twenty-five tons. at
OlmutZ seventeen tons, Notrc Dame
seventeen tons, and Big Ben, of the
Westminster clock tower, thirteen or
fourteen tons. Two young noblemen
were leaving the Parliament building
just few minutes before twelve
o'clock. The conversation turned on
the length of time it took Ben" to
strike twelve. One of the gentlemen
offered to bet ten guineas 10 ore that he
could run from Westminster to Black
friar's bridge (about half mile) while
ben" was performing. The bet was
taken. The performer stripped for his
task, and, as the frs: stroke broke the
stiffness of the midnight air. he sped
away on his err;lnd. The scion of
nobility won the race and the stakes
by two strokes.
DIR. Reeves Lusk described, in 1850,
ST. Patrick's bell, preserved at Belfast,
called Croc an Eadhachta Phatiaic-
1.-The Bell of st. Patrick's Will" 1t is
six inches high, five broad, deep, and
adorned with gems and gold and silver
filagree work. 1t is inscribed 1901 and
11O5, but is probably alluded to in
Ulster annals in 552.
In the little sanctum at Westminster
Edward III. placed the bells for St.
STEPHENS chapel. around the largest of
which was cast:
King Edward made NEE thirtye thousand
weight and three;
Take me down and wey NEE,
And more you shall fynd NEE"
The great bell ut Picking. which
weighs fifty-three tons, is suspended in
tower in the rear of the Great Bell
Temple. at Ta-Cung-tz. II is made Of
the purest metal. 1t is oblong in form,
eighteen feet high and fifteen in diane
ter. and weighs $4,000 pounds. The
entire surface. within and without, con-
tains 1000 square feet, on which an in
scription said to have been taken from
the Chinese classics-chieiiy prayers for
ain--elaborately executed all over the
bell, rendering it choice work of art.
Its pure tones would he greatly inn
proved were il struck properly. a huge
wooden clappe-, the same as for those
beautiful bells in Japan. is used, and
struck from the outside. 1t can be
heard for miles. but is never allowed to
peal forth except on occasions of Lroath
or great private or public distress. 1t
is an idol, and the Chinese believe that
the rain god presides over it. The
priests and attendants believe that
when it Is struck the attention of the
god is called. and a fearful flood may be
the result. When urged by party of
travellers to ring the bell all entreaties
avail nothing. not even the almighty
Mexican dollar. As an excuse the
priests attempted TO force On the tray
elers' credulity that not long before a
lawless set OF young Americans were
there, and. dcfying their re:nonstrance,
struck the bell themselves. and that
the first peal shook the whole
heavens and brought down sucn a
torrent of rain that everybody fled
in utter CONSERVATION at the result.
A curious legend is related of this
wOndrous bell to the following eff
feet: The Emperor sent a royal edict
tina: bell. perfect in tone, should be
cast in honor of the gods. Several 1T
temp.s We're made but failed to reach
the standard OF perfection. when he be-
came enragcd and threatened the life of
the designer. who implored that he
might be granted one more effort. His
only and beautiful daughter, knowing
the imminent peril OF her fathers life,
and witnessing from day TO day his ag-
ony. besought the gods to learn the
cause Of his defeat. and was told that
the blood of a fair maiden mus; mingle
with the ore, and then il would be per-
feet. She treasured this rs a secrc: in
her own heart. but encouraged her fa-
Their in final effort. and watched with
him until the metal glowed in the fur
mace like molten rlirGOc. suddenly,
seeing her own fair face reflected there
in, she plunged beneath the surface, and
the father, who had been transfiNcd by
the lovleiness Of his daughters face, saw
now only her Likelihood diffused amid
the ore, which. it is said. miraculo,isiy
flowed into the mold. -Sa1a fsuacisco
-iHa Californian.
Valuable Archaeological Finds.