Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-11
BELLS.
AN INTERESTING STORY ABOUT
THEIR MANUFACTURE.
The Biggest Bells in the World
The Monster Gar Kolokol Of
MOScow-Thc Huge Bells
of China and Japan.

hundred large bells, and many splendid
ones haze been added since. The simple
fact that Russians regard the sound of
bells not only as Il holy summons to
church. but also as Il pari oi the very act
Of worship, accounts for their love OF
bells and their extravaganza in procuring
them. the russians never tire of rim
ing their bells, AMI in Moscow the sounds
which are produced on the Sabbath, with
out regard to harmony, are absolutely
painful.
The "Great Belle of Moscow or
Gear Kolokor' emperor of bells) is by
far the iarges. in the world. Its weigh.
is about 440, 900 pounds, and its cost in
simple structural material was ahout
$500, 600. TO this were added precious
jewels and plate amounting in value to
81 600, 900 10y the Russian mobiles at the
time of the casting. The dimensions of
Tins bell arc twenty one feet III height and
twenty-five feet i'll diameter. 1t was cast
by order Of the Empress Anne in 1884
from the metal of Il gigantic predecessor.
which had been greatly damaged, and is
ornamcntcd on the sides by several tc-
urcs, one of which represents the En-
press i'll flowing robes. The bell was
| ordinarily suspended from beams, which,
being destroyed by fire in 1874, permitted
the heated bell TO fall to the ground and
break, since which time it has been
dumb. The Emperor Nicholas had it
raised i'll 1887 and placed upon low
circular wall in the Kremlin 1t is now
consecrated as chapel, the opening in
its side being large enough to admit two
men standing abreast The bell is care
| fully guarded, and the Russians will not
allow particle OF it to he carried away.
Tic cathedral of Moscow has another
monstrous bell weighing 100. 600 pounds.
1t IS suspended II the tower of Ivan
Nelili, and wllsz it is rung, three times
year, all the other bells are silent. The
ringing is said to produce Il trembling
effect throughout the city. In the same
tower are forty other bells, each Of
which weighs many tons. The bells of
Russia are liked, inmovabic, to their
beams. Their tongues are slung by
means of leather bands, and arc moved
by ropes drawn in such Il manner as to
cause the blows TO fall on the surface mt
three points directly opposite to each
other.
The bells Of China rank next in size to
those OF Russia. in many parts Of China
can be seen enormous bells lying on the
ground, their weight having broken
down the tower; in which they were sus-
pended. The bells are of excellent
Workmanship and are adorned with in
scriptions inside and outside They are
of inferior tone, however, and not of Il
good shape. The dulncss OF their sound
is increased by the fact that they are
struck with wooden mallcts instead of
iron clappers. The great bell of China.
i'll Pckin, weighs 100, 600 pounds. II is
fourteen feet high and twelve inches in
diameter. In Nanliin there is bell.
now lying on the ground, which weighs
So 600 pounds.
In Japan there are many large bells.
They arc OF the same shape aud compost
ton as those in China, and arc bv no
means musical. They are suspended liz
low towers near the temples, and are
sounded by means OF wooden beams
swinging from the roofs, to which straw
ropes are attached. The bells of Holland
/ and the neighboring countries come next
| in point OF size. They are hung about
every church and public building in end
less variety, and as the people are exceed
ingiy fond of the tone of bells, they are
never left ut rest. In some cases Il single
tower contains not less than fifty bells.
Here is IL partial list of the biggest
bells in other countries: In Vienna and
Olnutz there are two bells weighing each
40, coo pounds. a bell in Rcuen.
France, weighs S. pounds. Tie
largest bell in Westminster, England
weighs 10000 pounds; one in Erfurt
Germany, the same weight; one in Notre
Dame Cathedral, Paris, 80, 900; one in
st. Peters, Rome, 1900; the '.Great
Tom" at Oxford, II, 600; one at Rcnncs.
France, 10000; the .Jacquclinc, Paris,
cast i'll y. d. 400, 10, 900; the ''Grcat
Tom" of Lincoln, Eng, 10000; and the
bell of ST. Paul's, London, II 800. The
weight of the bells in the United States
falls considerably below these figures, al
though IN tone they are, perhaps, better.
The composition OF bells has been
about the same in all ages, namely COP
per and tin, the proportions alone being
different. And the experience Of ages
has shown that those are the only capable
metals of producing proper ringing
alloy. Iron and steel and sometimes cold
and silver have been put into the compo-
sition of bells as an experiment, but solely
to the injury of the tone. Iron and steel
lave been found the least suitable, owing
to the harsh, disagrceable sounds which
they alone are capable Of producing,
while silver and gold, incapable of pro-
ducing the full, clear tones requisite in Il
bell. People talk OF the silver tinkling
of bell Now, the fact is that il a bell
were made of silver there would be very
little tinkling.
The tone OF bell is the result of il.
vibrations. When struck bell changes
shape, and these changes constitute the
vibrations. AT one moment bell is an
oval, with its longest diameter at cxactiy
right angles to the position of its longest
diameter at the preceding instant. Tho
number of vibrations in a bell in n giver
time varies directly as the square of thick.
ness, and invcrsely as the bells diameter
or as the cube root of its weight. TIL,